Age of Absolutism

• Age of Absolutism: Absolute monarchy when a ruler is given complete authority over the gov’t and lives of the people

•  Habsburg Empire: The Habsburg Empire was a powerful European monarchy led by the Habsburg family. Based in Austria, it grew through marriage and war, ruling much of Central Europe. It controlled the Holy Roman Empire and later became the Austro-Hungarian Empire before ending.

• Charles V: who became king of the Hapsburg Empire, was a devoted catholic who fought to suppress Protestantism in the German states.

• Later gave up his title to his son Philip II.  

• Philip II of Spain: The strongest absolute monarch of Spain, he saw himself as the guardian of the roman catholic church, He fought many wars to advance Spanish Catholic power.

• Wanted to turn back the tide of Protestantism in Europe

• Defeated ottoman muslims

• Battled protestants in the Netherlands 

• Spanish Armada: Philip saw England as a rival. When Elizabeth orders British sailors to loot and plunder Spanish treasure. Philip prepared an armada, fleet, to carry an invasion force to England (failed). 

• Spanish Golden Age: The Spanish Golden Age was a period of great cultural growth in Spain, known for its achievements in literature, art, and theatre.

• El Greco: the most famous painter 

• Miguel de Cervantes: wrote Don Quixote: tales of Chivalry and Knights 

• Huguenots: religious group of french protestants  

• St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre: Catholics killed over 3,000 Huguenots

• This massacre symbolized a complete breakdown of order in France 

• Edict of Nantes: Issued by Henry IV, it granted Huguenots religious tolerance and other freedoms 

• Cardinal Richelieu: Louis XIII inherited the throne from Henry IV and appointed Cardinal Richelieu as chief minister. Next 18 years he worked on strengthening the central gov’t

• Determined to destroy the power between Nobles and Huegenots 

• Louis XIV: regarded as the best example of an absolute monarch, nicknamed the sun king, French culture, cuisine, and manners spread throughout Europe

• He got rid of a group of politicians who were high nobles

  • completely in charge   

• Versailles: The Royal court was located at the Palace of Versailles →Personal household in the king & central location of gov’t 

• Court life at Versailles was extremely ritualized → daily ceremonies were staged.

• Thirty Years War: began in Bohemia (Czechia) 

• Causes: the holy roman catholic church was more of a patchwork of several small separate states where the emperor had little power and another religion (Protestant vs Catholics) 

• Defenestration of Prague: protestant nobles tossed two priests out the window of a castle

• Results of Thirty Years War: Peace of Westphalia ended the war 

•  France gained territory

• Total independence of all the princes of the holy roman empire

• ⅓ of the German population died 

• Large levels of depopulation

• Bad effect on Europe  

• Maria Theresa: when she came to the throne of Hapsburg, rivals didn't take her role as legitimate, Did gain the respect of much of europe 

• Strengthened the govt’ 

• Forced nobles and clergy to pay taxes 

• Help build Hapsburg power into a top nation-state in Europe 

Frederick II of Prussia started taking land from Hapsburg provinces and sparked a war → Theresa never forced Fredrick out of the seized lands  

• Peter the Great: wanted to get a view of the new age of monarchs in Western Europe so he disguised himself, this was so he could Westernize Russia → divided Russia into provinces and introduced Western costumes

• Wanted to borrow European tech to make the army and navy he needed 

• By going to war with Sweden he acquired land in the Baltic 

• Constructed St. Petersburg

Legacy

• Expanded Russia’s borders westward of the Pacific 

•  Set up trading ports in what is now Alaska and explored the Bering Strait 

• With his rule, Russia became the largest nation in the world

• Catherine the Great: German by birth but learned the language and turned to Russian Orthodox making her win the loyalty of the people.     

• Husbands death led her to have full control of the monarchy

• Began state sponsor education for boys and girls 

• Embraced western culture 

• Encouraged learning french 

• Created warm water port of the black sea  

• James I

• Queen Elizabeth dies childless

• The throne passed to her relatives, the Stuarts; the Ruling family of Scotland

•  Stuarts were not popular in England, nor did they have a good relationship with Parliament

  • He took the throne

  •  Immediately started using divine right to ignore Parliament

  •  James faced repeated clashes with parliament and Puritans

• Charles I: 

• James I son → inherits the throne

•  He acted like an absolute monarch

• dissolved Parliament and ruled without them

• parliament tried and executed the chief ministers of Charles

• Charles turn arrested the Parliment’s most radical leaders; others escaped and ralsed in the army causing a Revolution.

• English Civil War: Cavaliers vs Roundheads

•  Cavaliers: supported Charles l; were wealthy nobles

• Forces of parliament: composed of country gentry,town-dwelling (roundheads) →leader was Oliver Cromwell

  • Parliamentarians captured King Charles and put him on trial

  • Charles is executed: This sent shock-waves across Europe; a loud and clear message no ruler could claim absolute power and ignore the law

• Oliver Cromwell: 

• After the execution of Charles I

• England a Republic, or a commonwealth, under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell

• The new gov’t faced many threats → Supporters of Charles + Ireland and Scotland

• Cromwell led an army into Ireland and took harsh measures against the Irish Catholic population

  • Parliament passes a law exiling Catholics from England

• Cromwell took the title of Lord Protector of England-Essentially ruling as a dictator

  • passed a series of laws to impose a rule of saints

  • Cromwell dies + Puritans lose a grip on England

  • People were tired of military rule

• Parliament invited Charles' son back from exile, Charles II →this time is known as the restoration period.

• Glorious Revolution + William & Mary

• Charles Il was a popular leader, who removed strict Puritan rules

• When he died, his brother James Il took the throne and was disliked b/c he was openly catholic

• James Il had a son with a catholic woman

•  Parliament invites Dutch leader, William of Orange. to invade England

•  William and Mary raised an army and Invade England

•  England undergoes a bloodless revolution

• Parliament offered the throne to William + mary along with the provisions of the Bill of Rights → rights of citizens to bear arms and have a jury trial.

• Parliament destroyed the divine rights theory

Parliament gained most control of England →Constitutional monarchy

• Tories & Whigs: 2 new political parties

1.    Tories: sought to preserve order in traditions

• royal powers +dominate Anglican church 

2. Whigs: backed the glorious revolution 

• parliament over crown