Transcript Crisis and Absolutism in Europe Europe In Crisis: Wars of Religion Section 1 What might have motivated the religious Wars and political conflicts between.

Crisis and Absolutism in Europe
Europe In Crisis: Wars of Religion
Section 1
What might have motivated the
religious Wars and political conflicts
between Protestants and Catholics?
French Wars of Religion
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By 1560, Calvinism & Catholicism became
extremely militant religions
– Tried to win converts & eliminate each other’s
authority
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Economic, social & political forces also
played an important role in these conflicts
 Huguenots: French Protestants influenced
by John Calvin
– Only made up 7% of the French population but
40-50% of the nobility were Huguenots
– Powerful threat to the monarchy
French Wars of Religion
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Catholics vs. Huguenots
– Involved in many civil wars within
France (thirty years of battles between
the Huguenots & Catholics)
– Other factors besides religion:
• Towns & provinces resisted the power of
the French monarchy and wanted to join the
Huguenots to weaken the monarchy
French Wars of Religion
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1589: Henry of Navarre: political leader of the Huguenots
– Became King of France (King Henry IV)
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Converted to Catholicism (b/c he realized he would never
be accepted as a ruler by Catholic France as a Protestant)
His coronation & his Edict of Nantes ended the religion
war in France
Edict of Nantes (1598): recognized Catholicism as the
official religion of France, but also gave the Huguenots
the right to worship and enjoy all political privileges as
everyone else
Philip II & Militant Catholicism
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King Philip II of Spain (r. 1556-1598):
greatest supporter of militant Catholicism
– “The Most Catholic King”
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First Goal: to consolidate the lands he
inherited from his father (Charles V) under
strict Catholicism & Spanish Control
– Spain, Netherlands, possessions in Italy & the
Americas
Philip II & Militant Catholicism
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Major problems with the Spanish Netherlands
– Many were Calvinists who opposed the fiercely Catholic Spanish
rule
– Struggle dragged on until 1609 when a truce was agreed upon &
northern provinces of Netherlands called themselves the United
Provinces of the Netherlands
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Spain had seemed to be the most powerful nation of the
age; however Philip II went bankrupt from spending too
much on war
Power shifted from Spain to France & Britain
England
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Like Spain, England developed a strong
monarchy
 Tudor dynasty (r.1485-1603): brought unity
to the country after a long period of
decline & disorder.
 Tudor monarchs: hardworking, able &
popular & greatly expanded the
power/authority of the monarchy
 Not absolute monarchs; Parliament set
limits to their authority
England’s Tudors
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Henry VII (1485)
Henry VIII
Edward VI (only 9 yrs old, died shortly after becoming king)
Mary
– Protestant nobles tried to stop her from becoming queen, but
people support her; she quickly sets out on a crusade to attack
Protestants in England (burned 300 at the stake for heresy)
– Died childless so her Protestant ½ sister, Elizabeth took the throne
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Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I
Became queen in 1558 (25 yrs
old)
 Very forceful in her actions as
queen
 Often battled with Parliament
 Earned loyalty & confidence of
her subjects by using her
authority for the common good
of her people
 Refused to marry (thought it
would be best for England)

Elizabeth’s England
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Protestants vs. Catholics (problem
inherited from Mary’s England)
 Repealed laws favoring Catholics
 Act of Supremacy: named Elizabeth the
“only supreme governor” of both church
& state & she ran the Church of England
as a Protestant church
– Kept it a moderate Protestantism the kept
majority of people satisfied
Elizabeth’s Foreign Policy
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Moderate Foreign Policy: wanted to avoid war
& keep both Spain & France happy by
supporting the weaker of the two
Allowed Sir Francis Drake to seize & plunder
the Spanish ships sailing the Caribbean
Philip II of Spain wanted to invade England to
further expand Catholicism
1588, Philip II sent his Spanish Armada (fleet
of warships) to invade England
England’s more powerful navy (as well as
powerful storms) quickly defeated the
Spanish fleet.
EFFECT: England would remain a Protestant
country & signaled the beginning of Spain’s
decline as a sea power.
Section 2
What effect might social, economic,
and religious conflicts have on
European nations?
Economic & Social Crises In Europe

Major economic problem: inflation
– Caused by a great influx of gold & silver
from the Americas & a growing
population in the 16th century which
increased the demand for land/food
therefore increasing their prices
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Failing economy in Europe
Witchcraft Trials
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Traditionally, witchcraft had been incorporated in villages for centuries
However, b/c of the Inquisition & the obsession with militant religions
many people were targeted & charged w/ heresy
More than 100,000 were charged/executed as witches
– As more were charged, the fear of witches as well as being accused of
witchcraft grew
– Commoners & women were the main targets
– Faced intense torture until they “confessed” to witchcraft
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Hysteria eventually faded by 1650 b/c:
– Gov were stronger & didn’t want their towns in a frenzy over trivial matters
– Attitudes changed as people found it unreasonable to believe in evil spirits
haunting the world
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648)
Called “the last of the religious wars”
 Religious disputes in Germany caused by:
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– Calvinism was not recognized by the Peace of
Augsburg (1555)
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Events:
– Began in 1618 in Holy Roman Empire
– Struggle between Catholic forces (led by the Hapsburg
Holy Roman Emperors) & Protestant nobles (mostly
Calvinists) in Bohemia
– Cardinal Richelieu of France had Catholic France join
Protestant Sweden in fighting the Catholic Hapsburgs
– All major powers besides England became involved
– Most battles were fought on German soil destroying
villages & countryside
– Peace of Westphalia: officially ended the war in 1648
• Major contenders gained new territories
• France emerged as a dominant nation in Europe
• Stated that all German states could determine their own
religion
• More than 300 states that made up the HRE became
recognized as independent states
– Brought an end to the HRE as a political entity
Revolutions in England
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Series of rebellions in England
After Elizabeth I died in 1603 (ending the Tudor dynasty) her cousin,
James I (former king of Scotland), became the new king of England
Causes of the English Revolution
– King James I
• Believed in the divine right of kings: that kings receive power from God
• Parliament disagreed: thought Parliament & the king ruled England together
as a team
– Religion
• Puritans (Protestants in England) disagreed with King John’s strong defense
of the Church of England
• Many prominent figures in the House of Commons became Puritans
– King Charles I (James’s son)
• Also believed in the divine right of kings
• Added more ceremony to the Church of England (made Puritans believe he
was trying to make it Catholic again)
• Accepted Parliament’s petition of no taxes without Parliament’s consent &
then later rejected it
• Angered Puritans (some fled to the Americas & others stayed to fight)
English Revolution
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Civil War broke out in 1642 between supporters of the King (Cavaliers
or Royalists) & parliamentary forces (Roundheads)
Parliament was victorious mainly b/c of their New Model Army led by
Oliver Cromwell (military genius)
New Model Army: made up of extreme Puritans (Independents) who
were well trained & disciplined in new military tactics
Results:
– Parliament had Charles I executed on January 30, 1649
– Parliament abolished the monarchy & House of Lords
• Declared England a republic or commonwealth
– Cromwell eventually could not work with Parliament & dispersed it by force
• Set up a military dictatorship & ruled until his death in 1658
English Revolution
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The Restoration:
– After Cromwell died, Parliament set up the monarchy
again with Charles II as king (son of Charles I)
• Charles was sympathetic to Catholics
• Brother, James, heir to the throne was a strong Catholic
– Parliament was nervous about James & passed the
Exclusion Bill (barred James from the throne)
• Created 2 political parties in England: Whigs (against
James) & Tories (didn’t want to interfere)
• Charles II dismissed Parliament in 1681; died in 1685 &
James II became king
– Made religion a cause of conflict in England yet again
– Had a son with his second wife making a Catholic Monarchy
inevitable
– Parliament got nervous
Glorious Revolution
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Group of English noblemen invited William of Orange to invade England
 William of Orange: Dutch leader & husband of James II’s daughter (Mary)
 William & Mary raised an army in 1688 & invaded
– James II & family fled to France
– “Glorious Revolution” occurred with no bloodshed
– William & Mary take over England BUT adopt a Bill of Rights
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English Bill of Rights: set forth Parliament’s rights
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Parliament was given the right to make laws & levy taxes
standing armies could be raised only with Parliament’s consent
Citizens had right to keep arms
Citizens had right to a jury trial
LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR A LIMITED, OR CONSTITUTIONAL, MONARCHY
Section 3 Response to Crisis:
Absolutism.
What effect would the exercise of
absolute power have on a nation?
Response to Crisis: Absolutism
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Response was to seek more stability by
increasing the power of the monarch
 Absolutism: system in which a ruler holds
total power
– Rulers thought their power came from God &
they were responsible to no one except God
– Tremendous powers
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Made laws
Levied taxes
Administer justice
Control state officials
Determine foreign policy
Louis XIV
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Major supporter of absolutism
Became king of France in 1643
(only 4 yrs old)
Chief minister: Cardinal Mazarin
controlled gov. while Louis was
too young to rule
– Both Cardinal Mazarin & previous
chief minister Cardinal Richelieu
made great efforts to strengthen
the power of the monarchy
• Took away all political and military
rights of Huguenots
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Mazarin died in 1661 & Louis XIV
took over at the age of 23
Louis XIV
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Ran his government like a machine out of Versailles (equal to our D.C.)
Kept threats to his power (high ranking nobles & royal princes) busy
with court life to keep them out of politics
Kept all officials at Versailles where he could watch over them
Complete authority over three main areas: foreign policy, the Church &
taxes
– Nobles still had more influence on towns & their day-to-day operations
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Religious policy: wanted to convert all Huguenots to Catholicism
– Ordered destruction of Huguenot churches & closed their schools
Louis XIV
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Economy
– Put Jean-Baptiste Colbert in charge of
finances
– Colbert decreased imports & increased
exports & granted subsidies to new
industries
– Built up roads & canals for better trade
& communication
– Raised tariffs on imports
Louis XIV
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Military
– Wanted to build up army to 400,000 to make France
a major power & competitor
– Waged four wars between 16667 & 1713 to increase
territory & power of France
• Caused many nations to form coalitions to ensure France
did not dominate Europe
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Died in 1715
– Left France with tremendous debt & surrounded by
enemies
Fun Facts about Louis XIV
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He only stood 5ft 5in tall
so he wore high heals.
He hated cities, but loved
the country.
Loved long rides in the
country but would only
stop if he needed to.
He called himself the “Sun
King “ because he
believed like the sun, all
power radiated from him.
Absolutism in Central & Eastern
Europe
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After the Thirty Years War there were 300 “Germanies”
– Two of them (Prussia & Austria) emerged as great European powers
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Prussia
– Absolutist Leader: Frederick William the Great Elector
• Built large army
• Set up the General War Commissariat: levied taxes for the army & agency
for civil government
• Son became the first official king of Prussia (Frederick I)
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Austria
– Gained new empire of considerable size (Czech republic, Hungary,
Transylvania, Croatia, Slavonia)
– Unable to become an absolutist state b/c it was made up of so many
different national groups
– Austrian Emperor was the Hapsburg emperor (archduke of Austria,
king of Bohemia, & king of Hungary)
• Each area had its own laws & political life
Russia Under Peter the Great
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Ivan IV: first ruler to take the title of czar
(Absolutist)
– “Ivan the Terrible”
• Very ruthless (stabbed his own son to
death in an argument)
– Expanded Russia’s territory eastward
– Crushed the power of the Russian nobility
(aka the Boyars)
– Dynasty ended in 1598 followed by Time of
Troubles
– Michael Romanov became new czar in 1613
• Romanov dynasty lasted until 1917
Russia Under Peter the Great
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Peter the Great: one of the most prominent
leaders in the Romanov dynasty
– Became czar in 1689
– Absolutist monarch
– Wanted to “Europeanize” Russia
• Especially European technology
• This would allow him to grow a major army & navy
necessary to make Russia a major power
– Military
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Drafted peasants for 25 year stints of service
Built a massive army
Formed first Russian navy
Divided Russia into provinces
Created a “police state” of well ordered
communities
Russia Under Peter the Great
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Culture changes:
– Peter taught his subjects
Western customs & manners
• No beards, short coats, women
could mingle with men
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Needed a port to trade with
Western Europe: St.
Petersburg
– Became the new Russian
capital
Section 4: The World of
European Culture.
How might art, literature, and
philosophy be influenced by the
turbulence of the period?
European Culture
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Mannerism: an artistic movement that emerged in
Italy in the 1520’s and 1530’s; it marked the end of
the Renaissance by breaking down the principles
of balance, harmony, and moderation
– Elongated & contorted figures were used to show
suffering, heightened emotions & religious ecstasy
– Famous mannerist: El Greco (from Crete)
– Reflected the religious upheavals of the Reformation
European Culture
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Baroque Period: an artistic
style of the 17th century
characterized by complex
forms, bold ornamentation,
and contrasting elements
– Inspired by the religious revival
within the Catholic church
– Used dramatic effects to arouse
emotions & reflected a search
for power (associated with
Absolutism)
– Famous Baroque artist: Gian
Lorenzo Bernini
• Italian architect & sculptor
• “Throne of Saint Peter”
– Famous Baroque artist:
Artemisia Gentileschi
• Italian painter
• “Judith Beheading Holofernes”
European Culture
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Golden Age of Literature
 William Shakespeare: famous
playwright of the Elizabethan Era
– comedies & tragedies
– Globe theater
– Master of the English language
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Spanish Literature
– Lope de Vega: 1,500 plays
– Miguel de Vervantes: wrote novel,
Don Quixote
Political Thought
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Thomas Hobbes: alarmed by
the revolutionary upheavals
in Europe
– Wrote Leviathan (1651)
• Work on political philosophy to
deal with the problem of disorder
• Claimed that before society was
organized, people were nasty &
brutish to each other & only cared
about their own survival
• To save themselves from
destroying each other, they
established a social contract in
which all would be governed by an
absolute ruler
• Absolute power was needed to
preserve order in society
Political Thought
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John Locke: Wrote political philosophy work called Two Treatises of
Government (1690)
– Argued against the absolute rule of one person
– Believed that before society was organized, people lived in a state of
equality & freedom
– Believed we all started out with natural rights
• Rights with which they were born: life, liberty, property
– Believed government existed only to protect those natural rights
– Contract between government & people involving mutual obligations
• Gov. protects people & their rights, so the people would act reasonably toward
gov.
• However, if the contract was broken (gov. didn’t protect people) then the people
could elect a new government
– Note: people, according to Locke meant the landholding aristocracy, not
the landless masses
– Not an advocate for democracy, but his ideas would influence our
democracy that we enjoy today