Absolutism Flashcards
what was the consequence of the church’s power collapsing?
no protection from the famine, plague, and religious wars –> many started looking to national monarchs for order and security
what was the era of absolutism?
- period from 1500 to 1800 in Europe
- shift from reformation to the rise of the nation state
- europeans started to create new forms of government to reflect the will of the governed
what is absolutism?
- political system where a king or queen has total or unlimited power
- want to control all aspects of society
what are monarchs?
- type of ruler or head of state
- almost always inherit the title
- rulers for life with no time limit
- modern monarchs are often figureheads with little power
describe the difference between medieval monarchs and absolute monarchs.
control of absolute monarchs was nationwide
what is absolute monarchy?
- form of government where monarch holds absolute power
- no limit to the power
- one sole ruler
what is constitutional monarchy?
form of government where a king/queen rules with a governing body (Parliament) with laws (Constitution) that limit the ruler’s power
what is the difference between absolute and constitutional monarchy?
- am: king or queen rules with absolute and total power. - cm: king or queen has limited power because they rule along with a parliament or a governing body
what was the Divine Right Theory?
- belief that monarchs are selected by God
- monarchs are God’s representatives on Earth
- monarchs only answer to God, not their subjects
what was the Social Contract Theory?
- belief that people had to hand over their rights to a strong ruler in exchange for law and order
- developed during the Enlightenment by Thomas Hobbes
describe Philip II’s reign.
- into power in 1556 after Charles V retired from the throne and split it between heirs
- brother Ferdinand got Austria + Holy Roman Empire
- Philip, his son, got Spain + colonies
what was Spain already considered when Philip inherited it? why?
- “super power”
- a lot of political and military power mostly from wealth produced by its colonies (metal & gold)
what were some of Philip’s setbacks? his castle?
- personal life showed the pitfalls of excess power
- imprisoned his son Don Carlos in fear he was conspiring against him
- married three more times in search of a new male heir. - fourth marriage –> new male heir.
- defeat of the “Invincible” Armada
- protestant revolt in the Netherlands –> 7 provinces declaring independence
- wealth was still strong, displayed by the Escorial Castle
who are some famous painters of Spain? what is their significance?
- El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) chose brilliant, sometimes clashing colors, distorted the human figure, and expressed emotion symbolically
- techniques showed the deep Catholic faith of Spain
- Velazquez’s paintings reflected the pride of the Spanish monarchy
- painted 50 years after “El Greco”
- best known for his portraits of the royal family and scenes of court life
what was a famous novel of Spain? describe it.
- 1605 novel “Don Quixote” written by Miguel de Cervantes
- about a poor Spanish nobleman who went a little crazy after reading too many books about heroic knights
- hoping to “right every manner of wrong,” Don Quixote rode forth in a rusty suit of armor, mounted on a feeble horse
what did critics think about the novel?
- some believe that he was mocking chivalry
- others say that the book is about an idealistic person who longs for the romantic past because he is frustrated with his materialistic world
describe the causes which resulted in the weakening of the Spanish Empire.
- severe inflation accompanied by a rise in the prices of goods and services; inflation is the decline in the value of money
- growth of Spain’s population
- as silver bullion flooded the market, its value dropped.
- Spain’s nobles did not have to pay taxes –> lower classes no wealth to start their own businesses –> no middle class
describe the rise of the Russian empire.
- Peter’s reforms continued through daughter Elizabeth + daughter in law Catherine the Great
- by death in 1725 Russia was a superpower
- at the same time England had been developing form of government that limited the power of the monarchs
who were Russian boyars? what was their power struggle with Ivan?
- privileged class of rich landowners; russian nobility
- power struggle with ivan the terrible; they denied him food + clothing when he was younger –> ivan executed, exiled, and removed hundreds of boyars from power in his reign
describe Ivan’s reign and his personal life struggles.
- took the throne at 3 + struggled with Boyars (Russian nobles)
- shortly after being crowned –> imprisoned by his uncle and rumors of abuse
- mother died of suspected poisoning when 7
-16 seized power and crowned himself czar; first to use the title - married Anastasia; calming influence
- reign (beginning) -> just and progressive
- after wife’s death, became brutal and terrible
what were the good years of Ivan’s reign?
- 1547 - 1560
- land added through military victories
- introduced a code of laws and reforms
- seen as a “just” ruler
- limited the power of boyars + held them accountable
- built St. Basil’s cathedral
what were the bad years of Ivan’s reign?
- after death of wife –> rule marked by increased brutality
- 1560: Oprichniki created
- 1581: killed his oldest son with blow to head
- 1584: died from stroke while playing chess
what was Ivan’s secret police?
- 1560 created the Oprichniki to hunt down his political enemies + traitors & murder them
- dressed in black and rode black horses
- raid on Novgorod: 60,000 people killed < week
who was Michael Romanov?
- elected in 1613 as czar by Russian Nobles
- Ivan’s grand nephew
- he + successors ruled 300+ years
- restored order to Russia
- strengthened government by passing a code of laws and putting down revolts
- paved the way for absolute rule of Peter I / the Great.
describe Peter’s reign and his two goals.
- came to power in 1694 with his half brother at 24
- 1696 was the sole ruler
- Russia was culturally, economically, and politically behind
- wanted to strengthen and modernize his country through Westernization + and gaining access to sea
what was the Grand Embassy?
- long visit to western Europe + goal of learning European customs & industrial techniques
- Peter traveled with 200 servants & 55 boyars
- attempted to keep identity secret (plain clothes + not responding to title) difficult being 7ft
what did Peter learn in Western Europe?
- dentistry & attended medical seminars
- labored as a ship’s carpenter for 4 months
- traveled in England –> study their tax + military systems.
describe Peter’s military victories.
- Turks in 1720 = temporary access to the Black Sea
- Sweden in 1721 = access to the Baltic
what was the new capital Peter built? what was its nickname?
- St. Petersburg, swampy site.
- “Window to the West”
describe Peter’s great reforms.
- ARTISANS & EXPERTS back from Europe = reform shipbuilding industry & the military
- REDUCED POWER OF LANDOWNERS - recruits men of lower ranking families, promote them to positions of authority, and give them lands
- RUSSIAN ORTHODOX UNDER HIS CONTROL - abolishes the patriarch position - sets up a group to run church (Holy Synod) under his control
- MODERNIZES ARMY - hires European officers to train using their tactics & weapons
- ENCOURAGES SMOKING & SHAVING - European customs (keep beard = pay tax % of their income)
- introduced new crops (potato) & started Russia’s 1st newspaper
how did Peter gain access to the sea?
- wanted a seaport = easier to travel west
- defeated the Turks & Sweden
- built St. Petersburg = new capital
who was James I?
- 1603 - 1625
- James Stuart (already King of Scotland) –> King James I of England (1603)
- the 2 countries which shared a ruler
- created tension with Parliament (trying to enforce Divine Right of Kings)
- believed he had absolute authority + Parliament should have no power in governing
-struggled with Parliament over money & religion - money: costs for court and foreign wars
- offended Puritan members of Parliament –> wanted reforms to purify the English Catholic Church + he only agreed to a new translation of the Bible
who was Charles I?
- always needed money = was always at war with Spain or France
- Parliament refused to help him & grant money until he signed the Petition of Right
- signed in 1628 & agreed to four points
what were the four points Charles I “agreed” to?
- not to imprison subject without due process of law (proper court proceedings)
- will not tax citizens without Parliament’s consent (agreement)
- not to house soldiers in private homes
- not to impose martial law in peacetime (military authority takes control of enforcing the law – reduces some of the personal rights of citizens, etc.)
what does he do after “agreeing” to these laws
- he ignores it
- he dissolves parliament & raised taxes in 1629
what does Charles I try to do in scotland? why? what was the result?
- attempted to force religion into scotland in 1637
- because he wanted both kingdoms under one religion
- result was scots forming army & threaten to invade england
- charles need money that he could only get by calling parliament into session
what was parliament’s reaction to Charles’ request?
they refused until he met their demands to accept the laws that would limit his power
how does Charles react to the Parliament’s refusal to give him money?
he tries to arrest 6 parliament leaders in 1641 which ends in a full scale war, the English Civil War
who was the English Civil War between?
- parliament supporters (parliamentarians, roundheads) vs. king’s supporters (royalists, cavaliers)
- oliver cromwell led parliament
who was defeated? what happened the king?
- royalists were defeated in 1646
- king was held prisoner before being beheaded in 1649
why was Charles’ death unique?
- usually kings are overthrown, killed in battle, or put to death in secret
- he was beheaded in a public execution after a public execution
- refused to plead or answer any questions during trial
what was england run as and under who? when?
- a commonwealth under Cromwell
- 1649-1658
what did Cromwell do as a military dictator?
- immediately puts down a rebellion in Ireland - also defeats Scots in one of the most brutal military campaigns in history
- laws - promote Puritan morality & abolished activities he found sinful = theater, sporting events, and dancing - profane language, showy dress, and celebration of Christmas
- favored religious toleration for all Christians (except Catholics) ~ allows Jewish population to return to England (expelled in 1290)
how did Charles II become king? when did he reign?
Parliament selected him and asked him to rule (1660-1685)
how did Charles II deal with parliament? how was in reign?
he made an effort to work with parliament and his reign was a calm period
what was his period of rule know as?
- restored monarchy = restoration
- restored theater, sporting events, and dancing… women on stage for first time
what was Habeas Corpus?
passed to give every prisoner the right to obtain a document ordering a prisoner be brought before a judge to specify charges against the prisoner… they decide whether they are tried or set free
when did James II rule?
1685-1688
who opposed James II? who supported him? who were these groups?
- whigs (opposed james)
- tories (supported james)
- groups were the ancestors of England’s 1st political parties
how did James II violate the english law?
- he appoints catholics to high office positions
- parliament protested = james dissolved it
what happened in 1688?
son is born & english protestants are terrified of a line of catholic kings
who are William and Mary?
- Mary is the daughter of James II and she is a Protestant
- William is William of Orange (prince of the Netherlands) and is married to Mary
what were William & Mary invited to do?
7 members of Parliament invited them to overthrow James II, her father, for the sake of Protestantism
what was this overthrowing called? how did it go down?
- William led his army to London in 1688 and James fled to France
- this bloodless overthrow of King James II is called the Glorious Revolution
who ruled England after James II was overthrown? what did they vow to do? what did England become?
- William & Mary
- vowed to recognize Parliament as their partner in governing
- now a constitutional monarchy not an absolute monarchy
what was passed and what did it guarantee?
- English Bill of Rights
- certain freedoms to English citizens (landowners only)
what were five important things on the English Bill of Rights?
- right to petition king
- right to free speech & debate (only Parliament)
- no taxation or laws without consent of Parliament
- prohibits the king from keeping a standing army in peacetime
- protection from excessive bail & cruel and unusual punishment
