1

Module 11: Absolute Monarchs in Europe

Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name
Instructor's Name
Due Date
 2

Module 11: Absolute Monarchs in Europe

European Events
i. 1588- The British defeated Philip II's Spanish Armada
ii. 1643- Louis XIV began to rule France
iii. 1649- Puritans under Oliver Cromwell executed the English king
iv. 1696- Peter the Great became the sole Czar of Russia
v. 1756- Prussian king Frederick the Great began the Seven Years' War against Austria
World Events
i. 1521- Cortes conquers the Aztec Empire
ii. 1533- Pizarro conquers Incan Empire
iii. 1603- Tokugawa shogun rule Japan
iv. 1632- Shah Jahan ordered the construction of the Taj Mahal
v. 1776- American colonists declared their independence from
Lesson 1: Spain's Empire and European Absolutism
Setting the Stage
- Suleyman I exercised great powers as Ottoman Empire sultan between 1520 and 1566
- During the period, Charles V, a European monarch, came close to matching Suleyman's powers.
- Charles inherited Spain's American colonies
- Charles ruled much of the German Empire
A powerful Spanish Empire

- Charles strongly opposed and fought Muslim Lutherans

- In 1555, Charles agreed to the Peace of Augsburg but unwillingly
- In 1556, Charles V divided his immense Empire before retiring to a monastery
- Charles surrender his power to Ferdinand, his brother
- Phil II, his son, inherited Spain
- Like his father, Phil II's Empire was shy, serious
- Philips trusted no one for a long
- He wrote his smile and his dagger very close
- The Empire built by Philip was an incredible wealth
- In 1600, the American Empire was able to supply Spain with mines of about 339,000 pounds of
gold
- By the end of 1650, they had provided about 16000 tons of silver bullion
Defender of Catholicism
- Europe experienced a religious War when Philip assumed the throne
- Reformations triggered the changes
- The religious conflicts that rose had already existed in Spain
- 64 years before, Muslims in Spain had driven a campaign
- Isabella and Ferdinand Philips's great-grandparents began to investigate heretic-suspected
- In 1571, the Catholic prince was called by the pope to take arms against the mounting powers of
the Ottoman
- By 1588, Philip launched the Spanish Armada while striving to punish the protestants of
England.
Golden Age of Spanish Art and Literature
- During the transformation, the Spanish wealth did more than support building palaces.
 3

- Between the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain greatly experienced a golden age in the arts.
- Birth of El Greco and Velazquez in Crete
- They mostly spent their lifetime in Spain
- El Greco's techniques depicted a deeper Catholic faith in Spain
- Various paintings reflected the pride of the Spanish monarchy
- The art painting has existed for about 50 years
- In 1605, Don Quixote published an article called The Birth of the Modern European Novel.
- The article was about a poor Spanish nobleman, but I got angered after reading it.
The Spanish Empire Weakens
- The American silver and gold from Spain created temporary wealth
- The treasures greatly contributed to long-term economic prowess
Inflation and Taxes
- Taxes led to severe inflation
- The inflation led to a decline in money value and a rise in good prices and services.
- Silver flooded the market as merchants, leading to a rise in prices
- During the period, the Spanish economy declined
Making Spain's Enemies Rich
- Spanish business was dominated by the emergence of the Guild
- The Guild employed old-fashioned methods
- Spain acquired much of the Guild from France
The Dutch Revolt
- Phil maintained his army in Spain and the Netherlands
- Spain was a Catholic, but the Netherlands had various Calvinist congregations
The Independent Dutch Prosper
- People in the United Province of the Netherlands differed from Europeans in terms of religion.
- The Dutch Art became the state of Florence in the 1600s
- Jan Vermeer serves as an artist in terms of light and darkness
- The Dutch trading empire depicted the government's stability
- The Dutch had the largest fleet of ships in the globe
Absolutism
- It was a political belief that one ruler had to hold the powers within the country.
- In the 16th and 18th centuries, Absolutism employed various regions in history.
- Was caused by religious territories creating conflict
- Led to ruler regulations in religious worship
Absolutism in Europe
- Philip was a forceful ruler despite his Dutch possession since he tried to control various aspects
of the Empire's affairs.
- The absolutism theory depicts an absolute monarchy comprised of kings and queens.
- The growing powers of Europe's monarchs emerged from the Middle Ages, which resulted in a
powerful decline in feudalism in various cities.
- The crisis led to Absolutism.
Lesson 2: The Reign of Louis XIV
Setting the Stage: King Henry II in France died, which left four sons ruling the Empire but
became incompetent, forcing the mother to become the powering force.
 4

Religious War and Power Struggles

- St. Bartholomew's Massacre in 1572 in Paris triggered Huguenots for six weeks attending the
marriage of Catherine's daughter.
- In 1589, Henry of Navarre greatly descended from the medieval king Louis IX, Henry who was a
great athlete.
- The majority of the Catholics strongly opposed Henry's leadership
- Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu took over from Henry in 1624, amending various weaknesses
Writers Turn Toward Skepticism
- A new French intellectual movement rose as the country gained political power. The rise of
French thinkers witnessed various religious wars with horror, which turned them to skepticism.
- During the French religious wars, writers like Montaigne and Descartes lived the worst life for
years.
Louis XIV Comes to Power
- Henry IV's efforts and that of Richelieu greatly strengthened the French monarchy, paving the
way for a powerful ruler in French history, especially in the reign of Louis XIV.
- In 1643, when Louis the Boy King became the king, the true ruler of France was Richelieu, the
successor, and Cardinal Mazarin rose in 1648. When Cardinal Mazarin died in 1661, Louis took
over, further weakening the nobble power but later increasing government powers
The Sun King's Grand Style
- Louis spent fortunes surrounding himself with luxury using much of his finances but failed to
control the nobility each morning.
- The Patron of the Arts of Versailles was a center of art, especially during the Lous's reign.
Louis Fights Disastrous Wars
- France became the most powerful country during Louis's reign, but in the 1660s, the government
had about 20 million people, nearly four times England's.
- The War of the Spanish succession led to the tiredness of leadership, and the French people
longed for peace.
Lesson 3: Central European Monarchs Clash
Setting the Stage
- The German rulers appeared to have settled religious differences through the Augsburg Peace of
1555
The Thirty Years' War
- The Catholic prince and Lutheran sought to gain followers but were greatly threatened by
Calvinism. Tension increased over time, gaining many followers leading to Lutherans joining the
Protestant Union in 1608.
- Bohemian protestants revolted in 1618, headed by Ferdinand II, but the protestants did not trust
him.
- The thirty years of War in Hapsburg triumph lasted between 1618 and 1648
- In 1630, the Protestant Gustavus Adolphus from Sweden, leading his army, defeated the
Hapsburg, shifting the tide of War.
- The peace of Westphalia greatly damaged Germany, dropping its population from 20 million to
16 million.
State Form in Central Europe
- In Central Europe, a stronger state was formed than in Western Europe.
- The central Europe developed differences from the western Europe
 5

- The serfs held a diverse, weak empire down and later blocked the development of strong kings.
Prussia Challenges Austria
- Prussia rose to power in the 1600s as families like the Hapsburgs of Austria ruled.
- In 1730, Fredrick the Great, despite loving his music, poetry, and philosophy
- The War of Austrian Succession in 1740
The Seven Years of War
- Maria Theresa allied with French kings
- In 1756, Frederick attacked Saxony during the Seven Years' War

Lesson 4: Absolute Rulers of Russia

The first Czar
- The first Czar was Ivan Terrible, which came to the throne in 1533
- Between 1547 and 1560, Ivan had good periods, winning great victories and adding to the
Russian.
- The rule by terror began in 156os after the death of Anastasia.
- After the death of Ivan's son and the Russian experience, the period he led to turmoil.
Peter the Great Comes to Power
- The Romanovs restored orders in Russia, strengthening the government by passing law codes.
- Peter the Great, led by Peter, shared the throne with his half-brother
Peter Rules Absolutely
- Peter was inspired by his trip to the West resolving Russia in completing the European on both
military and commercial terms.
- Peter's reforms believed Russia required to change the known people
- The Westernizing Russians attempted to Westernize Russian
- The established St. Petersburg promoted education and growth that needed the seaport, making it
easier to travel the West
Lesson 5: Parliament Limits the English Monarchy
Monarchs Defy Parliament
- In 1603, the king of Scotland, James Stuart, since Elizbeth had no child as the nearest relative
was her cousin.
- The worst struggles with Parliament were over money, leading to James' Problem of offending
the Puritan members.
- Charles, I fought Parliament in 1625 due to the death of James as he always needed money for
War.
- By 1628, Charles was forced to call Parliament again, refusing to grant him any money until he
signed a document.
English Civil War
- Charles offended Puritans who upheld the ritual of the Anglican Church
- In 1637, Charles tried forcing the Presbyterian Scots to accept the version of a prayer book.
- The War toppled the king during the 1641 autumn, passing laws limiting royal powers. Charles
tried to arrest Parliament.
- Cromwell's rule possessed reins of power in 1649, abolishing the monarchy and the House of
Lords and establishing a commonwealth and the republican form of government.
- The Puritan morality in England and the Puritans sought to reform societies.
Restoration and Revolution
 6

- Until the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658, the government collapsed, and a new Parliament
was selected.
- When Prince Charles entered London in 166o of Charles II's Reign, shouting joyfully and bells
rang.
- In 1685, James II and the Glorious Revolution later died in 1685, and James II became king.
Limits on Monarchs' Power
- William and Mary vowed to recognize Parliament as their partner in governing.
- The Bill of right makes clear limits regarding the royal powers drafting a Bill of Rights in 1689
- After 1688, the cabinet system developed the British monarch, which could not rule without the
Parliament's action.
- In the 1700s, the potential problem was remedied by developing groups of governing ministries.