1. Absolutism

2. The Reaction Against Absolutism
Outline
Absolutism
Timeline
Important Concepts
Absolute Rulers
The Reaction Against Absolutism
England

3. Timeline of Absolutism
1500
1550
1575
1625
1650
1675
1700
1525
1600

4. Timeline of Absolutism
Akbar the Great (India)
Louis XIV (France)
1500
1550
1575
1625
1650
1675
1700
1525
1600
Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain
Charles (Spain)
Philip II (Spain)
Peter the Great (Russia)

5. Important Concepts Monarchy Divine Right Absolutism Machiavelli
Thomas Hobbes

6. First thing’s first: What is a monarchy?
A type of government
Where the ruler inherits power through the family line

7. Real Life Example? Queen Elizabeth II Prince Charles Prince Harry
Prince William

8. Divine Right Belief that kings were allowed to rule by God
What was this idea called in China?
Mandate of Heaven!

9. Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, 1679
“Behold an immense people united in a single person; behold this holy power, paternal and absolute…
you see the image of God in the king, and you have the idea of royal majesty.
Kings, exercise your power then boldly, for it is divine and salutary for human kind...”

10. Absolutism
When monarchs ruled with total power (aka centralized power)
What can an absolute king do?
ABSOLUTELY ANTHING!!!

11. Can an absolute monarch…
Enforce a national dress code?
Imprison and kill my enemies without trials?
Start my own religion and force everyone to follow it?
Spend all of my citizens money on parties?

12. Machiavelli Wrote The Prince to guide rulers
Better to be FEARED than LOVED

13. Thomas Hobbes Wrote The Leviathan
Life without government is “nasty, brutish, and short”
And “A war of every man against every other man”
Said people need a strong ruler to control them

14. Famous Absolute Rulers

15. Sponsored voyages of Columbus
Absolute Ruler
Where
Major Contribution
Results of Contribution
Ferdinand and Isabella
Sponsored voyages of Columbus
Brought land & wealth to Spain, made them powerful
Spain

16. Fought off the Ottoman Empire
Absolute Ruler
Where
Major Contribution
Results of Contribution
Charles V
Fought off the Ottoman Empire
Kept Europe safe from the Ottomans (Muslims)
Spain

17. Spain lost its power and became weaker
Absolute Ruler
Where
Major Contribution
Results of Contribution
Philip II
Spent Spain’s wealth defending the Catholic Church
Spain lost its power and became weaker
Spain

18. Organized the Empire of India Made India a power in Southern Asia
Absolute Ruler
Where
Major Contribution
Results of Contribution
Akbar the Great
Organized the Empire of India
Made India a power in Southern Asia
India

19. High taxes made poor people even poorer and angry
Absolute Ruler
Where
Major Contribution
Results of Contribution
Louis XIV
Built the Palace of Versailles and fought many wars
High taxes made poor people even poorer and angry
France

20. Introduced Western culture to Russia
Absolute Ruler
Where
Major Contribution
Results of Contribution
Peter the Great
Introduced Western culture to Russia
Modernized the culture of Russia (westernization)
Russia

21. England

22. Step 1: Magna Carta What happened:
(1215) Magna Carta written – signed by King John I of England & LIMITED POWER OF ENGLISH KINGS

23. Parliament was created to make the laws and watch the king
Result:
Parliament was created to make the laws and watch the king
Which is like

24. Step 2: The English Civil War
Everybody must
be Anglican instead
of Roman Catholic
That is not fair!

25. Step 2: The English Civil War
I answer only to God!
Divine Right!
You answer to the people!
It’s in the Magna Carta!

26. What happened: King Charles I, claimed divine right and abolished Parliament
I refuse to listen to
Parliament!
This is WAR!

27. English Civil War
Who won?
Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell and…
vs.

28. The king was
beheaded

29. Result:
The monarchy was replaced by a “commonwealth” (a republic) Led by Cromwell
vs.

30. Step 3: The “Restoration” What Happened: Cromwell became power hungry so…

31. The “Merrie Monarch” Result:
Parliament invited Charles II to return as King.
The “Merrie Monarch”

32. Step 4: The Glorious Revolution
What happened:
Charles II’s son James was too absolute

33. were asked by Parliament to take the throne
What happened:
William and Mary of Orange
were asked by Parliament to take the throne

34. Glorious Revolution of 1688
Called “Glorious” because there was hardly any bloodshed
James II abdicated the throne (fled)

35. And two rulers were invited to take over, but first…
Result: William and Mary agreed to sign the English Bill of Rights and share power with the Parliament

36. Today England has a “Limited Constitutional Monarchy”
Parliament has the real power (not the king/queen)

37. Essential Question
How did the rule of absolute monarchs in the 16th and 17th centuries reflect the ideas expressed in Machiavelli’s book The Prince and in the writings of Thomas Hobbes?
IN OTHER WORDS: What do absolute rulers and authors Machiavelli & Thomas Hobbes have in common?