Transcript Age of Absolutism Notes - Johnston County Schools

Age of
Absolutism
Notes
What was Absolutism?
• Period of time when Europe’s monarchs
got stronger.
• Caused by the Reformation & Age of
Exploration.
• Ref weakens churches, AofE brings in lots
of money (mercantilism).
• Monarchs ruled with absolute power.
• What does absolute mean…?
A government run by a king or
a queen who possesses
absolute, or total control
Absolute Monarchy
Positives and Strengths of
Absolute Monarchies
1. Efficient- decisions are made
quickly and decisively.
- Only one person decides policy
for the whole country. There is no
debating.
Positives and Strengths of
Absolute Monarchies
2. Stability- The ruler stays the
same, until he dies. There is a
great deal of continuity.
-Louis XIV was king for almost 80
years.
-The heir is usually the eldest son.
Positives and Strengths of
Absolute Monarchies
3. Wealthone leader with little
resistance is able to gain a very
large empire with a huge treasury.
-With this money he is able to build an
army
-They often supported the arts
- many were called patrons of the arts.
Weaknesses of absolute
Monarchies
1. Very undemocratic- Only one person
gets a say
2. Limited individual rightspeople
were forced to agree with the Monarch
3. Too much stability- poor leaders can do
great damage to a country because they
are in control for so long?
The belief that God himself
handpicked the king/queen
to serve as His lieutenant on
Earth
-Leader answers to God
-Does not answer to his people
- If you question the king, you question
God!
Divine Right Theory
1. Decline of feudalism in the Middle AgesAs the
feudal lords lost power, the kings gained it.
2. Decline of the Catholic Church - As the Church’s
influence weakened, kings consolidated their power.
-Excommunication was no longer a threat. As a result of
the Protestant Reformation- kings now had the option
of converting to different religions
3. Growth of the middle class- As merchants became a
larger class, they pushed for the economic stability
that an absolute monarch offered.
Causes of the Age of
Absolutism
Some Absolute
Monarchs
Louis XIV
• “The Sun King”
• Ruled France for 72
years: 1643-1715
• Louis lived an
extravagant life and
built the famous Palace
of Versailles
• Louis constantly waged
war against other
nations in Europe
• This extravagant
lifestyle and many wars
led to financial
problems for France
Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles Gardens
Elizabeth I
• Queen of England
• Henry VIII’s
daughter
(remember him?)
• Defeated the
Spanish Armada.
Elizabeth I
• Ruled from 1558-1603
• Shrewd and highly
educated
• Used her rule for the
common good
• Ruled successfully
without a husband
• Worked well with
parliament
• Kept taxes low
• Kept out of war
•
Philip
II
Phillip II ruled Spain from 1556-
1598
• He believed in divine right of rulers
and wanted complete control of all
aspects of government
1. His wealth came from the The
Columbian Exchange
-ChocolateSpanish monarchy had
a monopoly
2. Very Catholicfought religious
wars such as when the Pope sent
the Spanish Armada to punish
Elizabeth for establishing the
Anglican Church in England
3. Supported the arts
4. Spain went downhill after his reign
spent too much money on war.
Ivan the Terrible
• Extremely crazy and
paranoid
– He was known as Ivan
the Terrible because of
his harsh ruling style
and fits of violence
– He even killed his own
son during an argument
-Had a Secret Police to
enforce order
-Weakened the nobles
-Centralized control of
Russia
Peter the
Great
• Czar of Russia from 1682-1725
• Wanted to Europeanize,
modernize Russia.
– Russian men shaved their
beards and shortened their
coats
– Upper-class women could
remove their traditional facecovering veils and move out
into society
• Went in disguise to learn how to
build ships in Western Europe.
Catherine the Great
• Took the throne from her
weak husband Peter III
• Successful with foreign
policy
• Expanded Russia’s borders
on Black Sea…now had
warm water port for trade
• Last of absolute rulers in
1700’s
A Day in the life of
Louis XIV
• With a partner, read the article on a day in
the life of Louis XIV.
• While one person reads the article, the
other should fill in the activities the king
does throughout his day.
• Switch roles after each part of the day.
• After you are done, make sure each of
you has the entire day filled in on your
paper.
•Court Enters
•Prayers
•Rubbed down if he
was sweaty.
•Favors asked
•Schedule announced
•Ate at 1 PM
•Handed napkin
•Council
meetings
•Inspected
building projects
•Hunt
•Mass (church)
•Picnic w/the
ladies
•Dressed
•Lottery
•Shaved
•Went outside
•Fed dogs
•Played with
children &
grandchildren
•Last
conversations/
requests from
the court.
•Good night:
court retires.
•Ate with whole
royal family.
•Some were
seated, others
stood.
•Ate when he
arrived.
•Sometimes
late, 11:30.