Age of Absolutism Flashcards
Define Absolutism
A system of government in which autocratic rulers had complete authority over the government and the lives of the people in their nation
Where did Phillip II rule?
Spain
Compare the idea of “Divine Right” to the ancient Chinese “Mandate of Heaven”
Both ideas believed in the concept of power being given from a higher being.
Why did Louis XIV consider himself the Sun King? How is that name an example of his belief in absolutism?
He took the sun as a symbol for his power and he demanded complete loyalty from his subjects.
He also did the following durng his reign:
- expanded the bureaucracy, appointing officials to collect taxes, recruit soldiers and carry out his rule in the provinces.
- built the lavish, immense Palace of Versailles outside of Paris.
- organized a highly disciplined army, the strongest in Eruope.
Explain what Peter the Great’s goal of westernizing Russia entailed.
He wanted to modernize Russia. He traveled to Western European cities to study Western technology and brought back ideas on how to westernize Russia. (customs,dress,education,architecture etc)
What was the “Window to the West”
St. Petersburg was the new capital city Peter the Great built to showcase the results of his westernization policies. Located on the Baltic Sea, this was a cold water port. ptere would never achieve hjis goal of gainig a cold water port.
Which one of Peter the Great’s goals was actually achieved by Catherine the Great?
Gaining a warm water port
During the 1500 an 1600’s how was England’s governement different from the rest of Europe?
England had a limited or constitutional monarchy, Thi is where power is shard between the monacrhy and the representative body called Parliament
Why is the significance of the Magna Cartaof 1215?
It was a document that limited the ruler’s power by protecting certain basic legal rights of English citizens and by forcing the monarchs to consult an English council before raising taxes.
What was the significance and outcome of the English Civil War?
The English Civil War cemented the idea that the people would not tolerate an absolute ruler in England. King Charles the I, who tried to implemt absolutism was beheaded and England became a temporary Common wealth under Oliver Cromwell.
Cromwell would end up ruling as a dictator an after his death, Parliament restored a king to the throne. (The Restoration)
But when Catholic ruler James the II took over the throne, people didnt like that he wasnt a Protestant. So, Parliament asked James’s daughter Mary and her Dutch husband William to rule the throne. When William and Mary arrived, James II fled to France. This bloodless, non-violent exchange of power is known as the Glorious Revolution.
How did Parliament impose regulations that ensured its supremacy over the monarchy with the English Bill of Rights?
By forcing the monarchy to accept the English Bill of Rights.
