AP European History - Unit 3 Study Notes

Absolutism and Constitutionalism in European History

Key Power Groups

  • Three main groups in the struggle for control of the emerging nation-states following the decline of ‘New Monarchies’:
    • The King and His Allies (the Court):
    • Centralized authority with aspirations to construct a powerful, sovereign state.
    • The Nobles (the Country):
    • Traditional landowners seeking to maintain their influence and privileges.
    • Upper and Middle-Class Men:
    • Gentry in England
    • Noblesse de robe in France (newer, often wealthy)
    • Junkers in Prussia
    • Boyars in Russia
    • Allies opposed to concentration of power in the monarchy, representing mercantile interests.
    • Wealthy untitled individuals proclaiming to represent the masses but often looking out for self-interests.

Form of Government

  • Determining factors for the form of government in the 17th century:
    • Power of the nobility and their willingness to challenge the crown
    • Alliance with rising middle classes
  • Key forms of political sovereignty emerged:
    • Absolutism: Concentration of power in the hands of the king (e.g., Louis XIV)
    • Constitutionalism: Law limits the power of the king (e.g., English Bill of Rights of 1689)
    • Republicanism: Absence of monarchy, governance by elected representatives or assemblies

State Goals

  • Common objectives of sovereign states:
    • Defend and expand territories, including colonies
    • Secure tax revenues
    • Establish centralized bureaucracies ensuring law, order, and military efficiency
    • Develop mercantilist economies emphasizing domestic production and colonial resources
  • Obstacles faced by states in fulfilling these goals:
    • Inadequate infrastructure (transportation systems, naval power)
    • Control over information and communication
    • Pre-existing power structures (nobility, clergy, local institutions)

Rise of the Middle Class

  • The emerging middle class gained significance due to trade revival and economic growth
    • Northwestern Europe saw a stronger middle class, whereas Eastern Europe had a weaker middle class largely dependent on nobles.
  • The role of Protestantism promoting individualism vs. Catholicism supporting divine right of kings

Louis XIV and Absolutism

Building the Absolute State

  • Louis XIV’s approach included:
    • Forming alliances with the bourgeoisie and Nobles de robe while sidelining the Nobles of the Sword.
    • Utilized the threat of disorder (e.g., the Fronde) to rationalize the need for an absolute monarchy.
    • Implemented favorable economic policies (Jean-Baptiste Colbert's mercantilism) to secure loyalty and support.
    • Established lavish court life at Versailles to demonstrate power and isolate nobles.

Concessions and the Nobility

  • Acknowledgement of the bourgeoisie’s increasing wealth and influence led to
    • Co-opting bourgeoisie interests by promising stability, order, and economic opportunities.
    • Dividing noble factions to weaken their collective power.
    • Ensure financial resources for wars through taxes and borrowing despite the long-term fiscal strain.

Nobility Structures in Eastern Europe

  • Examination of noble structures within Eastern Europe:
    • Junkers in Prussia, boyars in Russia retaining significant power and privileges.
    • Church dependency on nobility and state control, with a lack of a meaningful middle class.
    • Serfdom prevalent among the peasant population, resulting in lower socio-economic mobility.

The English Context

Parliamentary Sovereignty
  • Outcomes of the English Civil War culminating in
    • The execution of King Charles I, highlighted the conflict between monarchy and Parliament over sovereign power.
    • Emergence of the Protectorate under Oliver Cromwell, followed by the Restoration where monarchy and Parliament were reinstated.
  • The Glorious Revolution (1689) marked a significant transition to parliamentary sovereignty:
    • Establishment of a constitutional monarchy with a Bill of Rights that limited royal power and affirmed parliamentary rights.

The Dutch Republic

Republicanism
  • Unique absence of a monarch led to the consolidation of power among merchant oligarchs post-independence (established by the Peace of Westphalia 1648).
  • Economic flourishing due to:
    • Strong trade infrastructure and wool manufacturing
    • Agricultural surplus contributing to prosperity, termed the “Golden Age of the Dutch Republic.”

Key Terms and Figures

  • Absolutism: Sovereign authority concentrated in the monarch.
  • Constitutionalism: Governmental framework limiting monarchical power.
  • Republicanism: Governance without a monarch; sovereignty held by elected individuals.
  • The Little Ice Age: Period of significant climate variability impacting agriculture and economies.
  • Peace of Westphalia: Treaty concluding the Thirty Years' War, reshaping European borders and sovereign states.
  • Divine Right: The doctrine that kings derive their authority from God.
  • Jean-Baptiste Colbert: French minister noted for establishing mercantilist policies.
  • War of Spanish Succession: Conflict over the Spanish throne, reflecting power struggles within Europe.
  • Serfdom in Eastern Europe: Enforced agricultural labor system with limited freedoms for peasantry.
  • Oliver Cromwell: Leader of the Puritan revolution, instrumental in establishing the Commonwealth.