1. Rise of Absolute Monarchs
(Absolute- Total Control)

2. I. Absolute Monarch
A king or queen that believes all the power in their country belongs to them
Goal- control every aspect of society

3. II. Characteristics of an Absolute Monarch
Divine Right- believed God gave them power to rule
Made the laws
Dominated the nobility (upper class)
Control over Religion
Increased size of courts (servants, assistants, advisors) and government
Raised large armies
Spent large amounts of money (ex. palaces, art)
High taxes

4. III. Louis XIV of France, The “Sun King”
(p )
III. Louis XIV of France, The “Sun King”
+ Signs of power
(-) Signs of weakness
+ strongest king of his time (“I am the State”; all-powerful)
+ weakened nobility (excluded them from meetings)
+required nobles to live in his palace (and dress him)
+ Built Palace of Versailles (2,000 rooms, size of 7 football fields)
+ate grand feasts (500 cooks, waiters and servants)
+ patron of the arts (danced in a ballet called The Sun King!)
+increased government power (tax collection)
+ large army (100,000 standing, 400,000 wartime)
+ Military success- Spanish Netherlands
(-) Military failures- Dutch Netherlands and War of the Spanish Succession
(-)Economic failure- France went into debt (not self-sufficient)
(-) Death met with rejoicing
***Best historical example of
an absolute monarch***
(would rate a “10” on
A scale of 1-10)

5. King Louis XIV (France)
5’ 5” wore stockings and high heels to appear taller
Large wigs were also popular
Sun King- Everything in France revolved around him
Roman Catholic- intolerant of other faiths
The fleur-de-lis was a symbol reserved for royalty.

6. King Louis’s Palace of Versailles
The main wing is 5 football fields long. Each side wing is one football field long. (520,000 square feet= 173 3,000 sq/ft houses or 130 4,000 sq/ft houses)
36,000 workers & 6,000 horses were used in construction
500 full time servants
There are 2,000 rooms in the palace. All nobles were required to live here.
Construction costs: $2-3 billion in today’s dollars (Reliant Stadium cost $352 million)

7. Side Gate into Versailles
Made of gold
decorated with the King’s
symbols –
the crown & the sun.

8. 1,400 fountains
15,000 acres of gardens

9. Queen’s Suite: Guard’s Room, Ante-Chamber (waiting room) for public events, Peer’s Salon for the Ladies-in-waiting (Queen’s personal assistants) & Bedroom
In the Queen's Chamber, her bed is separated from the rest of the room by a gold railing, defining the area where courtiers gathered to help her with various grooming rituals. Upon awakening, Marie Antoinette was assisted out of bed. Clothing was selected for her by high-ranking noblewomen. These ladies-in-waiting would then decide who would dress the queen. Her hair was brushed and arranged, and her makeup was done. Marie Antoinette felt stifled by these lengthy rituals and embarrassed by their public nature, complaining passionately to her mother, "I put on my rouge and wash my hands in front of the whole world!" The bed railing also served as a “velvet rope” of sorts, designating where aristocrats could stand for the births of royal offspring, which were subject to the same close observation by members of the court. After the long and painful delivery of her first child, Marie Antoinette broke tradition by steadfastly refusing another public birth.

10. Absolute Monarch T-Chart
On your own paper, make a T-Chart for your monarch (I will assign you one)
As you read, list signs of power (left) and signs of weakness (right) of your monarch
Use your Louis XIV T-Chart as a guide
Compared to King Louis XIV, on a scale of 1 to 10, how powerful was your monarch?

11. Monarchs King Philip II of Spain (p. 513-515)
King Frederick the Great of Prussia (p )
Queen Maria Theresa of Austria (p )
Czar Peter the Great of Russia (p , 535)
King Charles I of England (p )
Elizabeth I of England (p. 432)

12. Absolute Monarch Poster
Group up with all the people that had your same monarch
Title: Your monarch’s name & country
Positives (+) & Negatives (-): As a group, decide which accomplishments/failures best define your monarch
Include 4-5 examples, marking each with a (+) or a (-)
Be sure to include at least one (+) and one (-)
Lastly, average your 1-10 rating for the monarch and put it on the poster