Global History Summer Review
Unit 11 - Absolutism
Timeline Ferdinand & Isabella of Spain Charles V of Spain Phillip II of Spain Akbar the Great of India Louis XIV of France Peter the Great of Russia
Important Concepts Monarchy Divine Right Absolutism Machiavelli Thomas Hobbes
First thing’s first: What is a monarchy? A type of government Where the ruler inherits power through the family line
Real Life Example?
Divine Right Belief that kings were allowed to rule by God What was this idea called in China? Mandate of Heaven!
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...”
Absolutism When monarchs ruled with total power (aka centralized power) What can an absolute king do? ABSOLUTELY ANTHING!!!
Can an absolute monarch…
Machiavelli Wrote The Prince A guide for rulers Better to be FEARED than LOVED
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 society
Famous Absolute Rulers
Absolute Ruler WhereMajor Contribution Results of Contribution Ferdinand and Isabella
Absolute Ruler WhereMajor Contribution Results of Contribution Charles V
Absolute Ruler WhereMajor Contribution Results of Contribution Philip II
Absolute Ruler WhereMajor Contribution Results of Contribution Akbar the Great
Absolute Ruler WhereMajor Contribution Results of Contribution Louis XIV
Absolute Ruler WhereMajor Contribution Results of Contribution Peter the Great
England
Step 1: Magna Carta What happened: (1215) Magna Carta written – signed by King John I of England & LIMITED POWER OF ENGLISH KINGS
Which is like Result: Parliament was created to make the laws and watch the king
Everybody must be Anglican instead of Roman Catholic That is not fair! Step 2: The English Civil War
I answer only to God! Divine Right! You answer to the people! It’s in the Magna Carta! Step 2: The English Civil War
This is WAR! What happened: King Charles I, claimed divine right and abolished Parliament I refuse to listen to Parliament!
English Civil War Who won? Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell and…
They put the king on trial
Result: The monarchy was replaced by a “commonwealth” (a republic) Led by Cromwell
Step 3: The “Restoration” What happened: Result:
Cromwell became power hungry so…
Parliament invited Charles II to return as King. King Charles II Charles shared power with Parliament.
The “Merrie Monarch” Parliament invited Charles II to return as King.
Step 4: The Glorious Revolution What happened: Charles II’s son James was too absolute Protestants William and Mary were asked by Parliament to take the throne
Glorious Revolution of 1688 Called “Glorious” because there was hardly any bloodshed James II abdicated the throne (fled)
And two rulers were invited to take over, but first: William and Mary agreed to sign the English Bill of Rights and share power with the Parliament
Today England has a “Limited Constitutional Monarchy” Parliament has the real power (not the king/queen)
Essential Question How did the rule of absolute monarchs in the 16 th and 17 th centuries reflect the ideas expressed in Machiavelli’s book The Prince and in the writings of Thomas Hobbes?