Age of Absolutism

Spain

• Philip II– Married Mary Tudor– Hardworking, devout

and ambitious– Absolute ruler:

• Complete authority over the gov’t and the lives of the people

• Divine right: believed his authority to rule came directly from God

Philip II

• Guardian of the Catholic Church– Turn back rising

Protestants– Turned Inquisition a/g

Protestants and heretics

Philip II

• Many wars to advance power– a/g Ottomans– Rebels in the

Netherlands• Northern provinces of

Netherlands declared their independence from Spain

Philip II

• Armada sails a/g England– Elizabeth I: Enemy #1

• Supported the Dutch a/g Spain

• Prepared a huge armada (fleet) to invade- outmaneuvered by English ships

France

Wars of religion• Catholic majority vs.

Huguenots (Protestants)• St. Bartholomew’s Day

Massacre– Royal wedding;

massacre of 3,000 Huguenots

Henry IV

• Huguenot prince; inherited throne– Eventually converted to

Catholicism– Edict of Nantes:

• Religious toleration for Huguenots

Cardinal Richelieu

• Henry IV killed by an assassin– Richelieu appointed as

chief minister• Destroy power of

Huguenots & nobles• Hand-picked his successor

Louis XIV

• The Fronde– Nobles, merchants,

peasants & urban poor re belled to protest royal power & preserve their own• Rioters drove the boy king

from his palace– Resolved to take

complete control over the government

Louis XIV

• Believed in divine right to rule– “Sun king”– Did not call Estates

General one time– Strongest army in

Europe– Expanded bureaucracy

• Appointed intendants (royal officials who collected taxes, etc.)

Louis XIV

• Financial minister: Jean-Baptiste Colbert– Mercantilist policies

• New lands cleared for farming, encouraged mining and industry, built luxury trading

• Fostered overseas colonies– Regulated trade with

colonies

Versailles

• P. 512

Decline of Louis XIV

• Costly wars• Balance of power

among Euro nations• War of the Spanish

Succession• Revoked Edict of Nantes– Huguenots fled from

France• Blow to French economy

Parliament Triumphs in England

• Tudors work w/ Parliament– Believed in divine right,

but listened to Parliament• Monarch = head of

Church of England

Stuart Kings

• James I– Claimed absolute power

and divine right– Dissolved Parliament

and collected taxes on his own

– Clashed with dissenters (Protestants who differed from the Church of England)

– Puritans- “purify”

Stuart Kings

• Charles I– Absolute monarch– Imprisoned people w/o

trial; taxed like crazy– Forced to summon

Parliament• Sign Petition of Right-

can’t raise taxes w/o Parliament’s consent– Signed, but ignored for

11 years– Trying to revive Catholic

practices?

Stuart Kings

• Charles I (still)• Long Parliament: lasted

from 1640-1653 on&off– Tried & executed chief

ministers• Charles I led troops into

the House of Commons to arrest people

• Civil War: 1642-1651– Parliament won

Stuart Kings

• Cavaliers (supporters of Charles I) vs. Roundheads (revolutionaries)– Roundheads led by

Oliver Cromwell• Skilled general- army

composed of skill• Defeated Cavaliers;

captured King by 1647

Stuart Kings

• Put Charles I on trial– Condemned him to

death• Shock waves through

Europe– First time a ruling

monarch had been tried & executed by his own people

– No ruler could claim absolute power and ignore the law

Cromwell and the Commonwealth

• Abolished monarchy• England = republic (known

as Commonwealth)– Leader = Oliver Cromwell

– Social revolution: Puritans• More strict• Education improved• Religious freedom for other

Protestant groups- welcomed Jews

Stuart Kings

• Charles II– Reopened &

reestablished– Accepted Petition of

Right– Religious toleration

• Avoided mistakes

Stuart Kings

• James II– Charles’s brother

• Practiced Catholicism openly

• Angered subjects• Feared he would restore

Catholic Church

Glorious Revolution

• 1688- Parliament invited William III of Orange and Mary (James’s Protestant daughter) to rule England– James II fled to France

• Bloodless overthrow of the king