1. ABSOLUTE MONARCHS
AP World History

2. Presentation Outline 1. Defining the Absolute Monarch
2. Phillip II of Spain
3. Louis XIV of France
4. Charles I of England and the English Civil War
5. The Russian Czar Peter the Great

3. 1) Defining the Absolute Monarch: Who are absolute monarchs?
Kings or queens who held all power within their states’ boundaries
They believed god created the monarchy and monarchs were God’s representative on earth (Divine Right)

4. 2. Phillip II of Spain
Son of Charles V – ruler of the Holy Roman Empire
Became ruler of Spain, Netherlands, and the Spanish American colonies
Created and empire that circled the globe
absolutist

5. Phillip II
Defender of Catholicism against Muslims and Protestants- Ruthless persecution
Defeated Ottomans at Battle of Lepanto (1571)
Spanish Armada destroyed by England (1588)
Spanish empire never recovers

6. 3. Louis XIV of France Background
Grandfather – Henry IV enacted the Edict of Nantes
Cardinal Richelieu helped Louis’ dad establish control of France

7. Louis’ Background
Louis became king at 4 years old when his father died
Louis grew hate the nobility, because of the riots that tore France apart during his childhood

8. How Louis XIV was an Absolute Ruler?

9. “L’ètat, c’est moi” “I am the state”
Louis’ view was that he and the state were one in the same
He became the most powerful ruler in French history

10. Louis attacks the Nobility
Louis excluded the nobility from the French councils
He increased the power of government agents called intendants
The intendants collected taxes

11. Louis is devoted to making France an Economic Power
Jean Baptiste Colbert became Louis’ minister of finance
He wanted to make France self-sufficient
Colbert developed the theory of mercantilism:
Wanted to export (send goods over seas) more than you import (bring goods in from over seas)

12. Louis’ Disastrous Wars

13. French Military Campaigns
Louis spent his $ on military campaigns to expand French boundaries
These wars almost bankrupted the country
Countries learned to join together to defeat France

14. War of Spanish Succession
The Spanish king left his throne to Louis XIV grandson in 1700
Europe was outraged & worried about the two biggest powers being united by blood

15. War of Spanish Succession
This war lasted 13 years & France lost
Louis lost 3 out of 4 sons
His grandson will become king of Spain
Louis died in 1715

16. Louis’ Legacy When Louis died in 1715, people cheered! Mixed legacy:
Positive: France ranked above all other European nations in art & literature. Also considered the military leader of Europe
Negative: Constant warfare & the construction of the Palace of Versailles put France into staggering debt. Plus the poor were burdened by high taxes

17. The Palace at Versailles- Splendid Absolutism

18. 4) Charles I and the English Civil War
Took over for James in 1625
He needs money to fight wars,
Parliament won’t give it to him. He dissolves it.
1628- He really needs money. Parliament forced him to sign the Petition of Right, a document that granted rights to citizens
King could not imprison people without just cause, levy taxes without parliament’s consent, quarter soldiers in private homes, impose martial law (military rule) in peacetime

19. Charles I
Charles signs the Petition of the Right. and then does not honor it.
If he agrees to the P.O.R. he would be admitting that the law is more powerful than him.
Refuses to call Parliament
Taxes the people heavily
Makes many enemies

20. English Civil War 1642-1649 2 sides
Royalists or Cavaliers were loyal to the King
Wealthy nobles, Flashy, long haired
Roundheads
Were Puritan supporters of Parliament
Working class, middle class and Puritans
No side wins for first few years of war

21. The King is Executed!
Parliament tries King Charles I for being a tyrant, traitor, murderer, and public enemy.”
Was beheaded in January of 1649
Sent shock waves throughout Europe
If a monarch in England can be killed, a monarch can be killed in any country.

23. Aftermath of the English Civil War
Brief rule of Oliver Cromwell and the Roundheads ( )
Restoration of the Monarchy under Charles II 1660
1689 Bill of Rights adopted by Parliament and signed by the King- absolutism ends in England!

24. English Bill of Rights Ratified revolution of 1688
Ensures that Parliament will now and forever be superior to the monarchy
King had to call parliament regularly
Parliament controlled spending
King couldn’t interfere with Parliament or dissolve it
No Catholic could sit on the throne
Trial by Jury
No excessive fines or cruel and unusual punishment
Habeas corpus- couldn’t throw someone in jail without charging them with a specific crime

25. 5) The Russian Czar Peter the Great
1600s) Russia is still a medieval state untouched by the Renaissance and isolated from Western Europe.
Romanov family rules.
Czar Peter the Great took throne at age 10, eventually stood 7 feet tall, and was very curious about the west.
Peter goes to study western technology in Europe and wants to modernize Russia.
He returns to Russia with many ideas, however, it’s difficult to convince fellow Russians to reform.

26. Peter centralized royal power and brought all Russians under his control, including the Russian Orthodox Church (Christian).
He also spread serfdom (slavery).

27. Reforms
Improved education, waterways, canals, math, science, engineering.
Paid for reforms by encouraging exports.
Insisted noblemen shave their beards so as to imitate western Europe.
Imposed tax on beards. If you paid the tax, you held a coin for proof and didn’t have to shave.
Sought to end practice of secluding women so held grand parties to encourage upper-class men and women to dance.

28. No mercy for anyone that resisted reforms.
Had 1,000 palace guards tortured and executed for resisting.
He left their rotting corpses outside the palace for months.
Peter looks to extend Russian borders by utilizing the largest army in Europe.
Russia goes to war with Sweden, wins, gets land on the Baltic Sea.
Wanted a warm-water port though, so he looks to the south.

30. Russians fight the Ottoman Turks for coast of Black Sea, lose.
Peter begins new capital city of St. Petersburg to create a “window on the West”.
City was built on swamps, so he had serfs drain the swamps. Thousands died.
Invited Italian architects and artisans to design great palaces.
Russian traders and raiders blazed trails across Siberia toward Pacific Ocean.
Peter hires Vitus Bering to explore area between Siberia and Alaska (Bering Strait).