Age Of Absolutism

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Absolute Monarchy

A government run by a king or a queen who possesses absolute, or total control

Age of Absolutism

The time period when absolute monarchs can be found all over (from 1500s to late 1700s)

Positives and Strengths of Absolute Monarchies

1. Efficient- decisions are made quickly and decisively. - Only one person decides policy for the whole country. There is no debating.


2. Stability- The ruler stays the same, until he dies. There is a great deal of continuity. -Louis XIV was king for almost 80 years. -The heir is usually the eldest son.


3. Wealthone leader with little resistance is able to gain a very large empire with a huge treasury. -With this money he is able to build an army -They often supported the arts - many were called patrons of the arts.

Weaknesses of absolute Monarchies

1. Very undemocratic- Only one person gets a say 2. Limited individual rightspeople were forced to agree with the Monarch 3. Too much stability- poor leaders can do great damage to a country because they are in control for so long?

Other Absolute Monarchies

1. Egyptthe godlike leaders were called pharaohs 2. ChinaEmperors were considered Godlike

Divine Right Theory

The belief that God himself handpicked the king/queen to serve as His lieutenant on Earth -Leader answers to God -Does not answer to his people

Causes of the Age of Absolutism

1. Decline of feudalism in the Middle AgesAs the feudal lords lost power, the kings gained it. 2. Decline of the Catholic Church - As the Churchs influence weakened, kings consolidated their power. -Excommunication was no longer a threat. As a result of the Protestant Reformation- kings now had the option of converting to different religions 3. Growth of the middle class- As merchants became a larger class, they pushed for the economic stability that an absolute monarch offered.

Ways that the monarchs increased power

1. Taxesincreased their overall wealth and power 2. Strong armies victories often led to riches - Spanish Conquests of the New World - Europeans defeated the Maya Aztecs and the Inca great wealth and new colonies

Ways that the monarchs increased power

3. They also tried to influence or control the church.

Exception to Absolutism

-England was not an absolute monarchy because they had the Magna Carta and they also had a Parliament that limited the ruler -The Magna Carta forced the king to get the peoples approval before passing laws -The Glorious Revolution of 1688 further reduced the monarchs power. England became a Constitutional Monarchy in which the monarch could not rule without the consent of parliament, and parliament could not rule without the consent of the monarchy

Examples of Absolutism

SpainPhillip II 1. His wealth came from the The Columbian Exchange -ChocolateSpanish monarchy had a monopoly 2. Very Catholicfought religious wars such as when the Pope sent the Spanish Armada to punish Elizabeth for establishing the Anglican Church in England 3. Supported the arts 4. Spain went downhill after his reign spent too much money on war.

Russia

1. Influence of the Byzantine Empire - The Eastern Orthodox Church - The Cyrillic Alphabet - Pointed Dome architecture

Russia

2. Effect of the Mongols on Russia Kept Russia isolated from Europe . Created a tradition of harsh/authoritarian and absolute rule -The two most famous Mongol rulers were Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan

Absolute Monarchs of Russia

1. Czar Ivan the Terrible (1533-1584) -Extremely crazy and paranoid -Had a Secret Police to enforce order -Weakened the nobles -Centralized control of Russia

Absolute Monarchs of Russia

2. Czar Peter the Great 1. Increased his power by making himself the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church 2. Weakened the nobles more 3. Ended IsolationDue to the Mongols, Russia had not had a Renaissance, an Age of Exploration, nor had they been exposed to European advances.

Peter the Great's Westernization

He traveled to Europe disguised as a carpenter and returned with ideas to modernize Russia and make it stronger

Peter the Great's Westernization

1. He hired Europeans to strengthen the military 2. Introduced the potato this improved the Russian diet

Peter the Great's City

3. Created a Window on the Sea St. Petersburg

Peter literally built this city up from nothing. It used to be a swamp.

The Need for A Warm Water Port

Russia was in desperate need of a warm water port because of their climate. -Many of their ports were iced over for 6 months out of the year.

The Isolation of Russia

1. Powerful CzarsCzar is from the Roman word caesar; alsoCan be spelled Tsars


2. Mongol CustomsThe Mongols were nomadic horsemen that invaded Asia and ruled Russia for three hundred years

see handout of Mongol customs

Genghis Khan


3. The Cyrillic AlphabetIn the 800's two missionaries (Cyril and Methodius) from Europe visited Russia and created the cyrillic alphabet in order to convert Russians to Christianity---the Russian Christian Church is the Eastern Orthodox Church


4. PeasantsMost of the people in Russia were poor peasants, even poorer than the serfs in Europe. They had no knowledge of democracy or natural rights, as they could not read.


5. Lack of Warm Water PortThe lack of a warm water port was the most important obstacle to Russia's modernization and kept them from access with other modern nations---the search for a warm water port would determine most of the nation's actions in the 1800's and early 1900's.

Education

Age Of Absolutism