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Rise of AbsolutismDefinition: not arbitrary or despotic rule - at least in theory

17th and 18th centuries

FranceAustriaPrussiaRussia

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Before Absolutism:

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Causes:•Impact of religious wars

•Theorists:

• What’s going on when they’re writing about their theories?

•Jean Bodin - 1576 Six Books of the Commonwealth

•Thomas Hobbes - 1651 - Leviathan

•Jacques Bossuet - 1709 Politics Drawn from the Holy Scripture

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Characteristics of an Absolute state:

Monarchs:

• expanded their territory

• controlled of the nobility

• created a centralized bureaucracy

• were able to raise funds

• created a large standing army

• ruled without a representative assembly

• In Prussia, Austria and Russia:

• gave rights to nobles over the peasantry, leading to serfdom

• no strong middle class existed to challenge power of rulers

Which characteristics foreshadow 20th century dictatorship?

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Revenues vs. Expenses50% of the revenues were spent on . . . ?

Sometimes it went up to 80% of the revenues

being spent on . . . during times of war.

War of the Spanish Succession War of the Austrian Succession

raising and supporting th

eir arm

ies

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Country

1690 17101756/6

01789

1812/14

Britain 70,000 75,000200,00

040,000

250,000

France400,00

0350,00

0330,00

0180,00

0600,00

0

Habsburg 50,000

100,000

200,000

300,000

250,000

Prussia 30,000 39,000195,00

0190,00

0270,00

0

United Prov. 73,000

130,000

40,000 na na

Size of European Armies 1690 - 1814

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The use of art and architecture to

promote absolute power = Baroque

Habsburg Schonbrun

nAustria

BourbonVersailles

France

Portrait ofLouis XIV

Purpose: Used for image-building

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How does France become an Absolutist

state?•Henry IV (1594 - 1610) and the duke of Sully, his finance minister - corvee, paulette

•Louis XIII (1610 - 1643) weak but important minister - Cardinal Richelieu

• generalities, intendants, Huguenots, realist, politique approach to the Thirty Years’ War

• promotes idea raison d’etat

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Taxes•corvee - a labor tax paid by lower

classes; labor is for the state and usually maintaining roads

•taille - tax on land collected from the peasantry; nobles and clergy were exempt

•paulette - a tax on the nobility to assure their office would be passed on to their heir

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Louis XIVr.1639 - 1715

Cardinal Mazarin goes after the nobility. Leads to. . .

The Fronde1648 - 1653

Louis XIV

“foreign plotter”

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Louis XIV’s reign

•L’etate, c’est moit - “I am the state”

•Uses Versailles to domesticate the nobility

•Religion: One king, one law, one faith; imposes religious uniformity

• 1685 Revocation of the Edict of Nantes

• Permits papal bull Ad Sacram Seden 1660 - bans Jansenists

•Expansion wars -

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Moliere playsmade fun of the

aristocracy, church society and bourgeoisie - but praised Louis XIV

What to do at Versailles. . .

Hall of Mirrors

. . . eat, drink, hunt, attend events, eat, drink, hunt, attend events. . .

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Economic policies of Jean Baptiste

Colbert:Mercantilism

Louis XIV’s finance minister

• resources are limited so state must control them

• favorable balance of trade is when exports exceed imports

• passes protectionist laws - high tariffs

• promotes internal trade - improves roads, removes internal tariffs

created the French East India

Co.

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Was Colbert successful?

•couldn’t keep up with Louis XIV’s spending: wars and Versailles

•Revocation of Edict of Nantes results in exodus of strong middle class of Huguenots

•French Revolution begins in 1789

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Louis XIV’s Expansionist Wars:Ends with . . .

War of Spanish Succession 1701 - 1714

Charles II of SpainCharles the Suffererdies.

Philip of AnjouLouis XIV’s grandsonPhilip V of Spain

Grande Alliance formed to maintain

the balance of power

Results:Treaty of Utrecht 1713 - EnglandTreaty of Rastadt 1714 - Holland and HREPhilip V - new King of Spain - no more Habsburg rule of Spain.Spanish Netherlands becomes Austrian Netherlands.England gets GibraltarLouis XIV dies 1715

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Treaty of Utrecht/Rastadt 1714

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18th century Wars

• global and dynastic rivalries and alliances

• expansionist goals vs. balance of power idea

• Spain, Dutch Republic, Sweden, HRE and Ottoman Empire

• Britain, Russia and Prussia

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Absolutism in Central Europe

•Austria - Habsburg Dynasty

• Leopold I (r.1657 - 1705)

•Prussia - Hohenzollern Dynasty

• Frederick William the Elector (r 1640 - 1688)

• King Frederick I (r 1688 - 1713)

• Frederick William I (r1713 - 1740) soldier king

• Frederick II (r 1740 - 1786) - Enlightened Monarch

Frederick William 1640-1688

The Great ElectorThe

the Great Elector

• Brandenburg-Prussia (Brandenburg, contains city of Berlin)

• City of Danzig in Poland cuts through

• Finishes Thirty Years’ War in bad shape - only 8,000 in Prussian Army, increases to 30,000 approx.

• Works with Junkers - nobles - appoints them to top levels in army and bureaucracy

• 1653 - gives nobles rights over peasants = imposes serfdom

• Prussia receives many of the Huguenots that fled France.

• Why are European powers interested in Prussia? Can keep Sweden in check and later can keep France in check.

Frederick III becomes King Frederick I (1688 -

1713)• Crowned King of Prussia 1701 in return for

helping H.R.E./Austrian Habsburg against the French in War of Spanish Succession.

• Worked on beautifying Berlin, promoting science and the arts.

Frederick William I (1713 - 1740) “The Soldier King”• increases army to 80,000 +

• state serves the military instead of military serving the state• heavy recruiting to enlarge his army but does not engage in warFrederick II or Frederick the

Great 1740 - 1786

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War of the Austrian Succession 1740 - 1748

•Cause? Frederick the Great invades Silesia

•Why Silesia? A wealthy province with textile, mining and metallurgical industries.

•France and Spain join Prussia against Austria - Why was this a mistake for France?

•Results: Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle 1748

•stalemate except Prussia keeps Silesia

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Austrian Habsburg Dynasty

Leopold I(r 1658 - 1705)

• Leopold I (r 1658 - 1705) • Faces two enemies: France and Ottomans• Treaty of K[C]arlowitz 1699 - begins rule over Hungary• Control the Hungarian Magyars - nobles - Calvinists• Joseph I (r 1705 - 1711)• Charles VI (r 1711 - 1740)

• Pragmatic Sanction 1713• Maria Theresa (r 1740 - 1780)• Frederick II invades Silesia 1740

The Habsburg dynasty will secure their dynasty through marriage alliances and not by maintaining a strong standing army.

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War of the Austrian Succession 1740 - 1748

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Diplomatic Revolution1756

• A sudden reversal in alliances

• Prussia’s victory in keeping Silesia makes Austria run to France to form an alliance.

• Prussia then allies with Britain

• New alliances: France, Austria and Russia vs. Britain and Prussia

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Seven Years’ War 1756 - 1763

French and Indian War 1754 - 1763

•Cause: Frederick II invades Saxony

•Britain and France fight continental as well as overseas wars in

•North America

•India

•Results: Treaty of Paris

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Treaty of Paris 1763 ends Seven Years’ War

and French and Indian War

Significance:Britain takes overseas lands away from FranceFinancial problems due to expense of war

Russia BEFORE Peter the Great

•Mongol influence

•autocracy v. absolutism

•Romanov Dynasty begins 16th c. until 1917

•1649 - serfdom officially established in Russia

•90% of serfs will be bound to the land

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Russia’s Peter the Great r 1682 - 1725

ExpansionWesternization

Reforms:Table of Ranks

Holy Synod

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Expansion of Russia under Peter the Great - Great

Northern War and the Treaty of Nystadt 1721

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Coming up next:Enlightenment - a

reaction to absolutist rule

Enlightened Monarchs:

•Joseph II - Austria

•Frederick II - Prussia

•Catherine the Great - Russia