Absolute Monarchs of Europe

Henry IV• France• 1589-1610• Witty, athletic,

popular, nice to poor

• Raised Protestant, converted to Catholicism

• Wars of Religion• Edict of Nantes

Louis XIII

• France

• 1610-1643

• Thirty Years War

• Exiled his mother

• Minister Cardinal Richelieu

Louis XIV• France• 1643-1715• The “Sun King”• Palaces at

Versailles• Persecuted

Protestants (revoked grandfather’s Edict of Nantes)

Ivan the Terrible• Russia• 1530-1584• First king of Russia

to use the term “czar”

• Drove Mongols out and united Russia

• Killed his only son and heir, secret police

Peter the Great• Russia• 1682-1725• Modernized

Russia• Built up large

army and navy• Outlawed

boyars – Russian nobles

Catherine the Great

• Russia• 1762-1796• Well educated• “enlightened”

monarch• Revised old

laws, improved education

• Favored the nobles

• War with Turkey

Henry VIII• England• 1509-1547• Known as “defender

of the faith” as a young king

• Started the Church of England in order to obtain a divorce

• Gained power and wealth

Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I• England • 1558-1603• Defeated Spanish

Armada• “Good Queen Bess”• Had Mary, Queen of

Scots killed• Never married, called

the “Virgin Queen”• Sent explorers around

the world, Sir Francis Drake

The Mary’s• Mary, Queen of Scots• Executed by Queen

Elizabeth, mother of King James I

• Mary I, “Bloody Mary”• 1553-1558

James I

• England• 1603-1625• Coined the phrase

“divine right of kings”• Dissolved Parliament• Started witch hunts• American colonies

started (Jamestown)

Charles I

• England• 1625-1649• Refuses to

listen to parliament

• Raises taxes on his own

• Gets beheaded

Carlos V• Spain• 1506-1558• Wanted a universal,

Catholic Europe• Diet of Worms –

Martin Luther given a chance to defend himself

• Peace of Augsburg – “cuius regio, eius religio”

• Council of Trent – sweeping reforms of Church, affirmation of Catholic beliefs

Philip II

• Spain• 1558-1598• "I inherited, I

bought, I conquered”

• Oversaw growth of Spanish Empire

• Sent Armada to England

Maria Theresa

• Austria• 1740-1780• War with Prussia• Outlawed burning

witches• Started

innocculations for children

Frederick the Great

• Prussia

• 1740-1786

• Son of “Soldier King” Frederick William

• Patron of the Arts

• “Enlightened monarch”