Topic 13 Lesson 4

Great Powers in Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Europe

• Absolutism largely failed in Spain.

  • Spain was initially the most populous empire in the world at the beginning of the seventeenth century.

  • Philip IV’s reign approached absolute monarchy but was unable to curtail the power of Spanish nobles.

  • Expensive wars led to revolts, leaving Spain decentralized and weak.

  • Continued decline as a great power.

Absolute Rule in Central and Eastern Europe

• More successful in central and eastern Europe after the Thirty Years' War.

  • Over 300 German states existed, with Prussia and Austria emerging as great powers.

Rise of Prussia

• Frederick William the Great Elector laid the foundation for the Prussian state.

  • Built a large and efficient standing army of 40,000 men, the fourth-largest in Europe.

  • Established the General War Commissariat to levy taxes and oversee the army's growth.

Poland-Lithuania Commonwealth

• The Commonwealth began to weaken in the early seventeenth century under Sigismund III Vasa’s rule.

  • Vasa’s attempts to unite Poland and Sweden led to clashes.

  • In 1655, Sweden and Russia invaded, referred to as the "Deluge."

  • The invasion caused widespread destruction, but the Commonwealth eventually expelled the invaders.

  • Marked the beginning of a long decline, leading to later annexation by Prussia, Austria, and Russia.

Sweden's Power Dynamics

• After the Deluge, Charles XI became king as a child, with a regent.

  • Sweden continued to gain power and territory during Charles XI's reign.

• Charles XII's involvement in the Great Northern War (1700-1721) severely weakened Sweden and ended its prominence on the world stage.