1. Age of Absolutism

2. Age of Absolutism – Time period where a series of European monarchs increased the power of their central governments.
Absolute monarch – Kings or queens who believed that all power within their state’s boundaries rested in their hands. (Complete control!)

3. Characteristics of Absolute monarchies: 1. Centralization of power
Controlled economic - political – religion
2. Concept of Divine Right to Rule – The belief that God created the monarchy; the monarch was His representative on earth and was therefore answerable ONLY to Him (not the monarch’s people).
King

4. Absolute Monarchs:
Louis XIV of France
Frederick the Great of Prussia
Peter the Great of Russia

5. Catherine de Medici –Grandmother to Louis XIII
FRANCE (LOUIS XIV): Setting the stage for Absolutism: Religious conflicts/chaos
Catherine de Medici –Grandmother to Louis XIII
Huguenots vs. Catholics – fighting over religion
St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre – over 2,000 Huguenots were killed in Paris by Catholics

6. Henry IV (Bourbon) – Protestant but converts to Roman Catholic
“Paris is worth a mass” – only to unify France
1598 – Edict of Nantes – Huguenots could have religious freedom in certain cities in France –

7. Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu
1. Reduced the power of the nobles
2. Centralized their government
Allied with the Middle Class
Got involved in the Thirty Years War
*sided with the Protestant Princes

8. Thirty Year’s War Two reasons fought-
1. Conflict over religion and territory
2. Power among European ruling families
Who fought? Holy Roman Empire & France, Sweden, Denmark, England, the United Provinces)
When: 1618–48
Two phases:
Phase 1 – HRE and Spain crushed the Protestants
Phase 2 - France helps German Protestant princes (hated/feared Hapsburg power)

9. Peace of Westphalia Ended fighting over religion in Europe
weakened Hapsburg power (Spain/Austria)
strengthened France by getting German territory

10. Louis XIV ( and Cardinal Mazarin)
France - most powerful country in Europe - a model for the rest
Hatred of nobles - revolt against Mazarin because of taxes –

11. Centralized power in France by:
Political - France divided into 32 districts – each with indendants to rule the district Under Louis XIV

12. Economic - Colbert: mercantilism / wants France to be self-sufficient
Social - Versailles – built to awe the nobles and foreign powers / tighten control of the nobility

13. Weakened France – Louis’s wars * War of Spanish Succession
*powers in Europe get together to keep France weak

14. Rise of Absolutism POLITICAL CONDITIONS
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
- Inflation
- Taxes (pay for wars)
- Mercantilism
- Capitalism
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
- Rise of wealthy yet powerless
-Middle (merchant) class
- Decline of Feudalism (rise of cities)
SOCIAL/RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS
- Rise of middle class
- Europe under religious wars
(Catholic vs. Protestants)
- Break down of Roman Catholic Church Authority