Unit 3 Flashcards
Absolutism
Monarchs consolidating all state power under themselves in order to advance the needs of their own state
Where was power shifting from during the rise of absolutism?
Away from the nobles and the church, who previously held the most power, and into the hands of monarchs
What affect did the rise of absolutist states have on the Catholic Church and why?
It weakened their power due to the increasing religious tolerance and practice of Protestantism and lack of religious warfare after the Peace of Westphalia
What was the Fronde?
The rebellion of French nobles against Cardinal Mazarin, who was ruler of France at the time when Louis XIV was only a child
How did the Fronde bring Louis XIV to power?
It made the French people realize they needed a strong, absolutist leader; and Louis XIV gladly stepped up to the plate
What role did Jean-Baptiste Colbert play in Louis XIV’s rise to power?
He was Louis’ finance minister; he created the Intendant System, which undermined the authority of local governors and the nobility by sending agents out to make sure whatever policies Louis passed were obeyed. He also shaped the economy to mercantilist standards in order to pay for Louis’ endless partaking in wars
What else did Louis XIV do to take power in France?
He revoked the Edict of Nantes to take power away from the Catholic Church, causing mass Huguenot migration, robbing France of a healthy portion of their merchant class, and made himself the head of the Catholic Church
What kind of mercantilist policies did Colbert enact?
He enacted steep tariffs throughout France, decreased France’s debt, breathed new life into domestic industries, expanded France’s colonial holdings, and created a favorable balance of trade
Peter the Great
Absolutist ruler of Russia who became Tsar in 1682 while Russia was still politically organized according to medieval standards. He created reforms to modernize Russia while also consolidating power under himself
What reforms did Peter the Great make?
He made political, religious and cultural reforms, such as requiring nobles to serve in the army or civil administration, created the Table of Ranks which ensured that the experts ended up on top. Religious wise, he reorganized the Russian Orthodox Church by eliminating the role of Patriarch (who was kind of like the Pope of the Orthodox church), replacing him with the Holy Synod. Lastly, he tried to change Russia culture to fit in the image of Western Europe
What countries were the main exceptions to absolutism in Europe
The Netherlands (the Dutch) and England
What were the Dutch and English moving towards, if not absolutism?
Constitutionalism
Constitutionalism
A monarch had to share power with a representative body (for England, this was the Parliament)
What caused the English Civil War?
First of all, the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings caused a lot of tension. Second, economic troubles that Charles I blamed the Parliament for after the 30 Years’ War. Lastly, there were disagreements on how much power the Catholic Church would have in the government
What were the sides of the English Civil War?
The king, Parliament, and other elites over their respective roles in the political structure
How did the English Civil War end?
Parliament’s new model army was victorious over the king’s army, and Oliver Cromwell, who won a decisive victory for Parliament, kicked out members who opposed him, and remaining representatives were known as the Rump Parliament. They all found Charles I guilty of treason and cut his head off
Magna Carta
Created the English parliament, giving them control over the money and preventing the king from wielding any absolute power
Triennial Act
Forced the king to call Parliament into session at least once every 3 years, thus creating more limits on the power of the King
What was the main reason why the Triennial Act was passed?
Because King Charles I basically avoided them after significant spending, which Parliament typically was against
Oliver Cromwell
Created the Rump Parliament, and while his initial intent was to create a commonwealth (an independent, self-governing country) in England, he eventually became drunk on power ended up creating a dictatorship (fitting Machiavelli’s definition of a king who should maintain power at all costs)
What was the political state of England after the English Civil War?
In word, it became a republic known as the Protectorate, but it was actually just a dictatorship ruled under Cromwell. However, he imposed really strict, Calvinistic rules, so once he died, the Protectorate fell apart
Restoration Period
The period of time in England after Cromwell died and Charles II came to power. The people were unhappy with his rule, but when James II came to the thrown, they didn’t like him either
Glorious Revolution
Called this due to the “lack of fighting and bloodshed”, which was completely untrue because there was lots of it. When England was done with being rule, they offered the throne to James’ daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange, and they took it in 1689 when James II fled. The idea of the Divine Right of Kings was also finally put to rest
English Bill of Rights
Enabled England to become a true constitutional monarchy; basically gave Parliament more power; William of Orange and Mary were not allowed to assume the throne until they signed it
Why were the Dutch so prosperous during this period?
Because of their strategic location on the Atlantic, the trading city of Antwerp led the Dutch to become the most prosperous state in Europe during this period. However, as the Dutch grew increasingly prosperous, Philip II of Spain enacted policies that basically directed more wealth to Spain rather than the Netherlands, so the Dutch rebelled after they implemented a ton of Catholic policies on them (the Netherlands were a hotbed of Protestantism, namely Calvinism at the time)
What is the balance of power and what effect did it have on Europe?
The constant pursuit of making sure that all nations in the continent were more or less equal in power so no one nation dominated the entirety of Europe. It increased the need for war and military expansion
What were some conflicts that took place in an attempt to keep the balance of power?
The Battle of Vienna (Austria, Poland before the Partition and the HRE all stopped the Ottoman Empire from invading Austria), Partition of Poland (Poland was split between Austria and Prussia), the Dutch War, and the War of Spanish Succession (more on another flashcard)
The War of Spanish Succession
Fought to keep France and Spain separate nations when Philip V, King of France Louis XIV’s grandson, was meant to take power in Spain after Charles II. England, the United Provinces, and Prussia all fought against the two nations + Bavaria and concluded that Philip V could take the throne, but Spain and France had to stay separate countries
What innovations were made during the Agricultural Revolution?
Advances to the two and three field systems took place, and inventions such as the seed drill, the mechanical hoe, and the cast iron plow. All of this vastly increased food supply and productivity
Guilds
Prior to this period, workers were only paid if they were in guilds, and they benefitted the elite over the working class. However, an increase in the wool industry made wages rise and they were paid directly to workers, as they were paid per garment/item, rather than on an hourly rate, increasing productivity
Cottage Industry / The Putting-Out System
Merchants and entrepreneurs would buy raw materials, pay someone to turn it into sellable goods, then sell those goods on the market for more money. It laid the foundation for the Industrial Revolution
Factories and insurance
Market economy led to increasing demand for manufactured goods, meaning there was a push to get manufacturing out of people’s homes and into new buildings called factories. Insurance made it so entrepreneurs invested heavily in factories
