Transcript Chapter 16 Part 2

Chapter 16
Part 2
Absolutism
Jean Baptiste Colbert (1661-1683)
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French Finance minister under Louis XIV
Was Mr. Mercantilism
Continued construction of roads and canals
Granted government-supported monopolies in
certain industries
Cracked down on guilds
Reduced internal tariffs that hindered internal
trade
Colbert
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Organized French trading companies to
encourage overseas trade:
French East India Co.
 French West India Co.
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French mercantilism reached its height under
the direction of Colbert
By 1683
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France was Europe’s leading industrial country!
Silk, tapestries, mirrors, lace-making, foundaries
for firearms
Colbert’s most impressive contribution: created
the French merchant marine
Problems with French Mercantilism
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The terrible conditions of the peasants (being
taxed to death) caused many to leave the country
Too much $ spent on a huge army and not
enough $ spent on the navy
So…France will lose naval wars to England
So many wars during Louis XIV’s reign drained
the treasury
Louis XIV’s Wars
 1667-68
The War f the Dutch Devolution
 1672-78 Second Dutch War
 1688-97 War of the League of Augsburg
 1701-1713 War of the Spanish Succession
Wars will be initially successful
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BUT will be ruinous to the French economy
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France will develop the modern professional army
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A Balance of Power system emerged in Europe: no
single country will be allowed to dominate Europe.
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A coalition of other countries will form to prevent
one country from dominating
NOTE
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William of Orange (the Dutch Stadtholder and
later William III of England…William and Mary
fame) was the most important person in
stopping Louis XIV’s ambitions
War of the Dutch Devolution
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1667 Louis XIV invaded the Spanish
Netherlands (Belgium) without declaring war
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France gained 12 fortified towns on the border
of the Spanish Netherlands but gave up
Burgundy
1672-78 The Second Dutch War
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Louis invaded the southern Netherlands (as
revenge for the Dutch interfering in previous
war on Belgium)
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1678-79 The Peace of Nijmegan: France took
Burgundy back from Spain as well as some
Flemish towns
1688-97 War of the League of
Augsburg
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1686 The League of Augsburg was formed by the
HRE, Spain, the Dutch Republic, Sweden, Bavaria,
Saxony
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This was in response to yet another French invasion
in 1683
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The Coalition is proof of the emergence of a Balance
of Power philosophy in Europe
After the start of the war
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William of Orange became King of England and
brought England into the war against France
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Began the Second 100 Years’ War
England and France will fight against each other from
1689-1815 with few years of peace in the mix
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The war ended with the status quo as it was before the
war
The War of the Spanish Succession
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1701-13
Charles II (the Spanish Hapsburg King) left the
Spanish throne to Louis XIV’s grandson and
heir!
Other European powers will form a coalition:
the Grand Alliance to thwart a mega power
emerging in Europe
The Grand Alliance v
Spain and France
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The Grand Alliance: England, the Dutch Republic,
the HRE, Brandenburg, Portugal, Savoy
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1704 Battle of Blenheim: a turning point signaling
one French defeat after another
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John Churchill (ancestor of Winston) aka the Duke of
Marlborough, defeated French forces with the English
army and the help of Savoy
The Treaty of Utrecht 1713
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Maintained the balance of power in Europe
Ended the expansionism of Louis XIV
The Brits were the big winners
Spain lost territory and the Asiento to the Brits
Spain gave up Gibraltar and Minorca to the Brits
AND the Brits won the right to send one ship a
year to trade in Spain’s New World territories
The Treaty of Utrecht
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The Spanish Netherlands (Belgium) was given to
Austria (the HRE)
The Netherlands gained some land on the French
border as a buffer
Recognition of the kings of Savoy (Sardinia) and
Brandenburg (Prussia)
Louis XIV’s grandson WAS able to take the Spanish
throne BUT could not rule France too.
The Spanish and French thrones would NOT be
combined
Results of Louis XIV’s wars:
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Destroyed the French economy (bankrupted
France)
The debt was shouldered by the Bourgeoisie
20% of French subjects died
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Big time social and financial tensions
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Spain
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Experienced its Golden Age in the 16th Century
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Ferdinand and Isabella began to centralize after
their marriage in 1469
The basis for absolutism was formed by Charles
V and his son, Philip II
Philip II (1556-1598) ruled Spain at its height of
power
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Madrid was the Capital
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Philip built the Escorial to demonstrate his awesome
power (Baroque)
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Philip fostered numerous court rituals to reinforce his
power
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Developed a command economy
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Continued the inquisition
Spanish Decline in the 17th Century
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Shrinking population:
1550: 7.5 million
1660: 5.5 million
The Spanish economy was hurt by the loss of its
middle class (Jews and Moors)
The Decline of the Spanish Economy
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Between 1594 and 1680 Spain had to repudiate its
debts several times
Treasury was bankrupt
Spanish trade with its colonies fell by 60% between
1610 and 1660 (largely due to interference by English
and Dutch)
National taxes hit peasants hard
Many left the country side for the city
Resulted in decreased food production and rising
prices
Spain’s Decline
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Inflation (from the price Revolution) hurt
domestic industries that were not able to export
goods
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A poor work ethic did not help:
Noble titles sometimes purchased and provided tax
exemptions for the wealthy
 Capitalism was not prevalent
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Political and Military Decline
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Although the defeat in the War of the Spanish
Armada seemed to be the beginning of the end,
Spain was still the most powerful nation into the
17th century
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Poor leadership of the three kings following
Philip II
Philip III, Philip IV, Charles II all worse than
the one before
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Spain’s Defeat in the War of the
Spanish Succession
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Was disastrous
Spain lost the Spanish Netherlands to the
Austrian Hapsburgs
By 1640 Portugal (ruled for a time by Spain)
established its independence
The Treaty of the Pyrenees 1659
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Meant the end of Spain as a great power
War between Spain and France continued for 11
years after the end of the Thirty Years’ War
By 1700 Spain had only 8 ships in its navy
Its army was mostly mercenary
Spain lost most of its European possessions in
the Treaty of Utrecht