Unit 3 - Dutch Golden Age, Balance of Powers and Absolutism and Constitutionalism

Act of Abjuration 1581

the Netherlands declared independence from Spain → created dutch republic

The Dutch Republic

had a great banking system ($$$)

Europe’s leading cargo shipper

very powerful in terms of cash

Union of Utrecht

military agreement that united Northern Netherlands creating the dutch republic

Dutch government

Oligarchy - multiple people ruling at the same time

• ruled by the upper class

Estates - represent the 7 provinces - they are selected in they represent the people in that providence

Estates-General → decided military and foreign policy issues (trade)

No Monarch

power in the hands of people

dutch religion

calvinist reformed church

roman catholicism was forbidden

dutch art

attention to detail and realism and ordinary life

linked to Baroque work

balance of powers

a system where no one empore. or country would dominate; either on the contitent or the new world

Sweden

Gustavus Adolphus

• settled problems between nobility and monarch by enlisting them in his gov.

• Sweden central administration

• great military strategy and organization

End of the Ottoman empire

battle of Vienna → started the decline of the OE and stopped Ottoman invasion of Europe

Dutch Revolt

Decline of Spain as an economic powers partially resulted from growing competition with the Netherlands

80 years war for Dutch Independence

France

• after the 30 yrs war France was on top of Europe

• Louis XIV helped make French army superior

The Fronde

• after the death of Cardinal R and Louis XIII brought another period of uncertainty

• there were some bad rulers

• violent civil uprising against the French monarchy

  • reduce the power of parliaments and nobles

• not successful: nobility and parliament could not resist royal absolutism

Wars of Louis XIV

• the sun king

• the war against the Dutch

  • aided England

  • wanted to gain the Spanish Netherlands

  • they failed boo

• nine years war

  • France against the Dutch Republic, Spain, England, Austria, HRE

  • France wanted to weak Spain

  • fought in multiple places on multiple continents

  • they were unprepared

• War of the Spanish Succession

  • they were basically fighting over who would get the throne of Spain because the King of Spain died heirless.

  • someone on the French side had Spanish ties and Austria also had ties too

    • they fought for the throne

• this all mess ends with the peace of Utrecht

  • idk

Prussian and Habsburg rulers

• Frederick William i

  • `expanded Prussia by creating a large army → increased taxes on peasants with Prussia's approval

  • peasants can earn money and got in army

• Frederick the Great

  • HRE was weak and he took it over

  • IDK

Partitions of Poland

• everyone took over poland

• IDK

absolutism

extremely strong monarch who don’t want to give up any power, they have uncontrolled power

Spain: Philip II

• positives

  • unified Spain that was started under Ferdinand and Isabella

  • Stopped ottoman expansion in mediterranean

• negatives

  • ongoing revolts in the netherlands

  • spanish armanda failed to invade europe

  • court filled with factions and treachery

  • disliked for waiting to unite Europe under Catholicism

England James i

Parliament

• 2 chambers

  • house of lords

  • house of commons

• problems

  • ongoing conflict over taxation and overspending

  • believed in the divine right did not answer to parliament

France: Louis XVI

• Cardinal Richelieu laid the foundations for his absolutist regime

• positives

  • finical advisor Jean-Baptiste Colbert supported mercantilist policies and built roads/canals

  • Versailles - “robe nobles”

• negative

  • many costly wars

  • sun king

  • absolutism on top

Russia: Peter the Great

• goal of westernization and modernization (strengthen military)

  • went to europe and spied

  • required boyars to cut their beards

  • treaty of nystad: gave R access to baltic sea - trade

• great northern war - against sweden won i think

• table ranks - social status determinded by service to the state, not hereditary lineage

Catherine the Great

• absolute girl boss

• forced her husband out of power and then he died mysteriously after - slayer behavior

• replenished state treasury

  • took property of clergy

• wanted to emancipate serfs but couldnt

alternatives to absolutism

• united provinces of the netherlands

• poland

• england