nobles/princes Flashcards
The nobles of early modern Europe became engaged in rivalry with the princes of the increasing ? state
absolutist
confronted their rulers with powerful ideologies and practical weapons
what was the central impetus for resistance? which translated into political conflict as early modern Kings such as Philip II exercised suppressive authority which was interpreted as a deliberate affront to noble authority
religion
early princes became ? in internal politics and ? in Econ handlings
aloof
irresponsible
THUS EMPOWERING the nobilities of Spain and France
The only uniting factor between the nobility and princes of early modern Europe was
fiscal greed, and each exploited one another to further their ecclesiastical, judicial, and seigneurial desires which resulted in ‘rivalry
time of changing ideas about what royalty meant which increased the distance between
crown and court, as kings like Phillip II adopted a sacrosanct belief in his divine rulership
the nobles took ? matters into their own hands and visibly exercised localised and expansive power independent from the prince, as seen in the Netherlands under Phillip
fiscal
Yet ? was the ultimate exercise of autonomy despite the debility and fragility of early modern monarchs,
sovereignty
relationship between nobles and princes described as one of
rivalry
weakened relatio due 2 background of 1
Econ problems
ECON difficulties resulted from two linked developments which severed noble loyalties to the Crown 1
1) The Price Revolution of the 16th century created problems for the lower nobility whose income fell behind the rapidly rising price
ECON difficulties resulted from two linked developments which severed noble loyalties to the Crown 2
this was exacerbated by the income based primarily on rents from long-term leases which witnessed sequential difficulties
period of expansion ended in the decades around 1600, marked by a nobility struggling to
‘keep their heads above water’ during a phase of recession and contraction as a result of falling prices, unstable markets and a general slowdown in the economy
who struggled uniquely Econ wise
uniquely true of families in the lower and middle noble ranks who lacked the access to the monarchical court and thus its patronage and opportunities which eclipsed the higher nobility of this economic strife
There was no motive for the monarchies of early modern Europe to widen the membership of the nobility who experienced the privileges of Royal court
protection and high culture diffused by the Crown
how did higher lineages also experienced financial drawbacks which severed monarchical alliances
Increased complex and expensive warfare in early modern Europe forced monarchs to find new financial sources to fund competitive military developments such as gunpowder technology, which subsequently required better training, and new systems of fortification
?WHO? striking example of a monarch who created certain noble rivalries as a result of his failure to cover military expenditure, thus declaring state bankruptcies in ?
Phillip II
1557, 1560, 1576 and 1596
As his reign continued, following a short ‘honeymoon’ phase of noble support, Phillip amassed a debt of
85.5 million ducats (almost nine times the average annual income)
Phillip proceeded to impose a system of taxation on his noble subjects ‘on a new scale’ – both in terms of
tax value and the deviation from the tradition of exemption
HIGHER LINEAGE ECON -
triggered widespread noble discontent as seen by the Spanish Count of Benavente, whose income fell by one-fifth from 1638–1643, at the outset of the mid-century economic hardship as a result of high prices and tax.
detrimental to the nobility who were responsible for the cultural and material developments of the Renaissance, bearing the costs of the more opulent lifestyle
NOBLES WERE at once ‘forced up by conspicuous consumption’ by their expectations to build expensive country residences and town palaces
whilst also anchored by their financial limitations moulded by the crown
Despite a spiralling level of debt that charged resistance and often fury at the early modern princes, the nobility also channelled a resilience to such treatment.
The nobility became empowered by political and economic alliances with absolutist monarchs, but also by the
‘new offices that appeared everywhere’ external from crown intervention.
Early modern European Kings tended to select their principal advisors from the nobility, and whilst not strictly an ‘alliance’, relationships were formed that were
transactional and mutually advantageous