1. The Age of Absolutism

2. Principles of Absolutism
Ruler had complete power
Established to restore law and order after the religious wars
Ruler acts as the “Father” of the people
Duty to care for his people
Allegiance to the ruler, not the state
Weakens opposition
Takes power away from everyone
Can be abusive

3. Characteristics of Absolutism
Eliminated power from the nobility
Placed power in the hands of the bourgeoisie
Strong bureaucracy
Bureaucrats are only accountable to the King
Sovereignty of a country was embodied in the ruler
Large standing armies
French and Spanish monarchies gained control of the Roman Catholic Church

4. Philosophers of Absolutism
Thomas Hobbes
“The Leviathan” 1660-Sea Monster
Monarchs have complete power because people give up their right to power= Social Contract Theory
Give up your power and in return the King provides order and protection
Anarchy stems from a lack of power
A strong ruler stops anarchy and chaos
The King is the King because the people allow him to be, NOT GOD

5. Philosophers of Absolutism
Jean Bodin
Writes during the French Civil Wars
Life is chaotic and crazy
“Six Books of the Republic”-1576
Absolute power provides order and safety for people
The King is like the “Father”
Stern and strict, but provides necessities
The King is 2nd to God
“The Divine Right of Kings”-Divine right to rule by God

6. Philosophers of Absolutism
Bishop Bousset
Rulers authority comes from God alone
There is no concept of a “Social Contract”
Differed from Thomas Hobbes
Tutor of Louis XIV (King of France)
The principal advocate of the “Divine Right of Kings”
Louis XIV has to listen to no one except God
Weakens the nobility

7. 3 French Estates 1.) Clergy = 1% of the population
2). Nobility = 3%-4% of the population
3). Everyone Else = 95% of the population
Bourgeoisie & peasants
These people had no power
17th Century France had 20% of Europe’s population
France is an Agrarian Society
Heavily reliant on farming
90% of France’s population lives in rural areas

8. Foundations of Absolutism
Henry of Navarre
Becomes King Henry IV of France
Originally married to Margaret Valois
Marriage was annulled and he married Marie de Medici
Son is Louis XIII
King Henry IV of France (1589 )=France reign of Bourbon Kings
Converts to Catholicism probably because of Margaret Valois after the St. Bartholomew Day Massacre
French Huguenots are not to pleased
Writes the Edict of the Nantes
Fortified towns for French Huegeonots

9. Foundations of Absolutism
King Henry IV appoints the Duke of Sully as his Chief Finance Minister
Duke of Sully
Protestant =Disliked by Catholics because he’s Protestant and disliked by Protestants because he works for a Catholic
Reforms the Tax system by creating “tax lease”
Reduced the Royal debt
Used Mercantilism to enrich France…..More Powerful!
Renewed Paris
Built Roads and Canals to strengthen French trade

10. Foundations of Absolutism
Henry IV takes power away from the Nobility
Nobility of the Sword=Earned titles of Nobility
Nobility of the Robe=Titles that were bought
Henry IV institutes the Nobility of the Robe because they are new and loyal to Henry
Henry IV is assassinated by a radical Monk
His son Louis XIII becomes King of France
His mother is Marie De Medici
Half Medici and Half Habsburg

11. Louis XIII Marie De Medici is his regent, inherits the crown at age 9.
Cardinal Richelieu
Appointed Chief Minister of Louis XIII
Wants to take power away from the Habsburg’s
Creates the “Intendant System”
Weakens nobility by replacing them w/Civil Servants in 32 districts
This centralizes and extents the King’s power
In charge of justice, police and finance
Extends Mercantilism
Military doubles in size from

12. Cardinal Richelieu He was a “Politique” Siege of La Rochelle 1627-1628
Catholic but tolerated Huguenots
Siege of La Rochelle
Conquer the fortified towns of the Huguenots
Contradicts with the concepts of Absolutism
Peace of Allay
Practice Protestantism
Can no longer have fortified towns
“Reason of the State”

13. Wars of Louis XIV Louis XIV 1638-1715
“Sun King”- “Louis the Great”
Louis XIII & Anne of Austria
Builds Versailles
Makes France the strongest country in Europe
Louis main goal was to expand France.
By weakening his political rivals= England, Holland and The Habsburgs
Extends the French borders to Alps, Rhine, North Sea, English Channel and the Pyrenees Mountains.

14. War of Devolution
1st Dutch War =Invaded the Spanish Netherlands and Belgium
Invade the territories of the Triple Alliance
England
Netherlands
Sweden
Obtained 12 fortified towns….except Comte
Louis is not pleased and wants more
Attempts to invade again and want Strasburg as well
Louis loses and gives up all but 2 of the towns
Comte and Alsace

15. Dutch War
William of Orange – later becomes the King of England
Dutch have a small army so they align with the Spanish
Louis XIV was winning until the Dutch flushed the Dykes
Louis gains French Comte, Artois, parts of Alsace and Lorraine
Dutch remained independent and the French had to rescind the anti-Dutch tariff of 1667

16. War of the League of Augsburg
Louis attacked cities along the Rhine river
Europe is not very happy with Louis
Alliance against Louis XIV
League of Augsburg
Holy Roman Empire = Under command of Leopold (Habsburg)
Spain=Under command of Charles II (Habsburg)
Sweden
Bavaria, Palatinate, Saxony
The Dutch Republic
England after 1698
William of Orange became King of England in 1688

17. War of the League of Augsburg
War drags on and on
Had to tax nobles to pay finance the war
French’s navy was weakening
No real victories or defeats
Treaty of Ryswick
Territories are returned to original countries
The status quo returns to Europe
France keeps Alsace and Strasburg

18. War of Spanish Succession
Charles II of Spain does not have an heir
Leopold (H.R.E) claims right to throne
Louis XIV of France claims right to the throne
They are both married to Charles II sisters
Charles II leaves the Spanish throne to the Grandson of Louis XIV, Phillip of Anjou
Becomes King Phillip V of Spain
Balance of power is out of whack. Spain and France would become 1 united superpower

19. War of Spanish Succession
William III of Orange forms an alliance
The Grand Alliance
England
Holland
Austria
Prussia
The Great Alliance destroys the French
Fighting finally ends in 1713

20. Peace of Utrecht 1713 Ends the War of Spanish Succession
Re establishes balance in Europe
Spanish resources are divided among the countries of the Great Alliance
King Phillip V remains on the throne of Spain, but he can not claim the French throne
Bourbons control Spain until 1931
Spain keeps their holdings in the Americas

21. Peace of Utrecht England Gibraltar =Meditterean stronghold Minorca
Nova Scotia
New Foundland
Hudson Bay Colony
Control of Slave Trade in New World
Asiento-The British right to sell slaves to the Spanish
England gets very wealthy

22. Peace of Utrecht Dutch Austria German States France
Land to act as a buffer zone from French along Scheldt River
Austria
Takes possession of Spanish Netherlands
Italian territories of Milan, Naples and Sardenia
German States
Duke of Brandenburg can call himself King of Prussia
Duke of Savoy can call himself King of Savoy
France
Gets to keep Alsace

23. Long term affects of Wars of King Louis XIV
French treasury drained
Population declines by 20%
Balance of power maintained among countries
England becomes dominant country in Europe
Unequal tax system to pay for war
The foundations of the French Revolution in 1789.

24. Spanish Absolutism Decline of the Spanish Economy
The Spanish economy was hurt by the persecution of the Jews and Moors
Spanish trade in the colonies fell 60% from
Spanish treasury was bankrupt (largely due to the failed Spanish Armada invasion of England)
National taxes were hitting the peasant class the hardest
Inflation from the “price revolution” which will affect their exports
Spain will not value Capitalism…much more religious
Long line of failed Habsburg kings…Last is Charles II