Absolutism

Absolutism  The political belief that one ruler should have all of the power within the country.  Absolute monarchs were such rulers  Believed that they ruled by divine right, which meant that God created the monarchy and that the monarch acted as God’s representative on earth.  Absolute monarch answered directly and only to God and no one else.

King Philip II of Spain  Son of Charles V  Devoutly Catholic

Louis XIV of France  Very Extravagant  Sun King

Versailles

Maria Theresa of Austria  Hapsburg family  Faced many years of war, especially with Prussia  Mother of Marie Antoinette

Fredrick the Great of Prussia  Encouraged religious tolerance and legal reform

Thirty Years’ War  Lutherans and Catholics were still at odds, but now both were threatened by Calvinism as well.  Ferdinand II  Hapsburg  Next Holy Roman Emperor  War breaks out

Thirty Years’ War  First 12 years: Hapsburg armies from Austria and Spain crush Protestants  1630: Hapsburg armies driven out of northern Germany.  French Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin send troops to aid Protestants

Peace of Westphalia  Ended 30 years war and religious wars in Europe  Weakened Austria and Spain  France gained German territory  German princes independent of Holy Roman Emperor  New method of peace negotiations

Ivan the Terrible of Russia  Rule by Terror  Police force to murder traitors  Killed thousands of people and seized their land.

Peter the Great of Russia  Helped to Westernize Russia  Built St. Petersburg

Charles I of England  English Civil War  Charles tired for treason and beheaded.

England  King Charles II restores the monarchy: Restoration.  The overthrow of King James II: Glorious Revolution  England did NOT become an absolute monarchy, but a Constitutional Monarchy, where laws limited the power of the ruler.