lecture recording on 10 February 2025 at 19.48.11 PM

Absolutism in Europe

Background of Seventeenth Century Problems

• The seventeenth century in Europe (1600s) was marked by:

  • Famine and economic problems

  • Religious conflict, particularly between Catholics and Protestants

The Thirty Years' War

• Saw about 50 years of relative peace shattered:

  • Involved the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II (Habsburg family)

  • Map illustrating religious divisions:

    • Lutheran Protestants in dark areas

    • Calvinist (another form of Protestant) in pink

    • Catholic areas in yellow, with light yellow showing Catholic recoveries

• Notable figure: King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden

  • He was a Protestant leader and played a crucial role in military tactics during the war

  • Known for: Coordinating cavalry, infantry, and artillery

    • Cavalry: Horse-mounted units

    • Infantry: Foot soldiers

    • Artillery: Field cannons

  • Died at the Battle of Lützen

Conclusion of the War

• The war concluded with the Treaty of Westphalia, a significant turning point for modern diplomacy

Rise of Absolutism

Definition of Absolutism

• After the end of the religious wars, monarchs began to centralize their authority

• Monarchs became absolute rulers, claiming complete power over their citizens

• Rule by Divine Right: Monarchs claimed their authority was granted by God

Key Features of Absolute Monarchs

1. Control of the Military

   • Transition from feudal military structures to state-run forces

2. Tax Collection

   • Monarchs imposed taxes to maintain their control and military

3. Law-making power

   • Creation and enforcement of laws was the prerogative of the monarch, with no exemptions for nobles

Bureaucracy and Nobility

• Transition from power held by the nobility to appointed bureaucrats based on merit

• Nobles no longer exempt from laws or taxes

Warfare in Absolutism

• Warfare became a key tool for expanding territory and power

  • Shift from noble-led warfare to large, professional state armies using linear tactics

  • Large armies comprised of infantry armed with muskets

    • Linear tactics: Soldiers arranged in lines to fire in volleys

Key Events in Warfare

• Major wars in the 1600s and 1700s focused on territorial expansion and political succession

• The Seven Years War (1756-1763)

  • Originated as the French and Indian War in the American colonies

  • Led to significant territories changing hands due to British and Prussian victories

Prominent Absolute Monarchs

Louis XIV of France

• Reigned from 1643 to 1715

• Known as the Sun King for his central role in governance

• Built the Palace of Versailles, a symbol of absolutism

  • Use of court rituals to maintain control over nobles

  • Never called the Estates General into session

• Expanded French territories but faced significant military coalitions against him

The Holy Roman Empire

• Leopold I known for pushing back the Ottoman Turks and reclaiming Hungary, but faced limitations from powerful Hungarian nobles

Prussia

• Frederick William I established a military state in Prussia leading to high regulations and taxation

• His son, Frederick II (Frederick the Great) modernized the army and expanded Prussian territory, emphasizing education and culture

Russia

• Ivan the Terrible: Established an elite class and serfdom, which hindered Russian development

• Peter the Great: Westernized and modernized Russia through education and military reform, expanded territory

• Catherine the Great: Continued territorial expansion including the partitioning of Poland and victory over the Ottoman Turks

Decline of Absolutism in Other Regions

Spain

• Experienced decline in power during the same period of rising absolutism for reasons including:

  • Trade competition from other nations

  • Depletion of gold and silver from the New World

  • Government bankruptcy leading to high inflation

The Dutch Republic

• Emerging Republic post-thirty years war, rejected monarchy in favor of elected representatives

• Robust trade and middle class development

England's Monarchy

• Transitioned from absolutism under Stuart monarchs to parliamentary power with the Glorious Revolution in 1688, ousting James II in favor of William and Mary

  • Establishment of constitutional monarchy over absolute rule

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the rise of absolutism, key figures, and the decline in competing states helps frame the complex historical narrative of 17th and 18th century Europe.