BELLWORK

• Define the following words:1. Aqueduct2. Civil Service (Civil Service Exams)3. Divine Right4. Mercantilism 5. Sphere of Influence 6. THINKER: What is an absolute

monarchy? Why would countries and citizens support this type of government?

Absolute Monarchies • How did the government change during Enlightenment?• In the 1500’s and 1600’s, European monarchs sought

to create powerful kingdoms in which they could command the complete loyalty of all their subjects.

• This form of government, known as absolutism, placed absolute, or unlimited, power in the monarch and his/her advisers.

• The strength of absolutism rested on divine right – the political idea that monarchs receive their power directly from God and are responsible to God alone for their actions.

• An absolute monarchy, it was reasoned, would unify diverse peoples and bring greater efficiency and control.

Spain – Philip II

• 1556-1598• Son of Holy Roman

Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal

• Saw himself as the defender of faith – end Protestantism

• Built El Escorial, which served as royal court, gallery & monastery

Philip II • Wanted to increase the Hapsburg family’s power

throughout Europe– He involved Spain in many costly European

wars

• Catholic Spain faced a growing challenge from Protestant England

• Developed plans to invade England using the Spanish Armada (armada – fleet of warships)

• Successes

– Protestant Reformation failed

– Kept Spain Catholic

– 1571 defeated the Ottoman Turks

Philip II Failures

Lost Netherlands Defeat of the

Spanish Navy – was not able to take over England

Costly wars drained national treasury debt & inflation

Absolute Monarchies

• For the remaining three monarchs, you are going to independently read and fill in the information on the worksheet.

• Follow the model of Phillip II• Elizabeth: 261-265• Louis XIV: 297-269• Peter the Great: 275-278• What you do not finish, you will complete

tomorrow. Stay on task!

England – Elizabeth I• 1558-1603

• Time of great culture – artists, poets, theater = Shakespeare

• Refused to marry

• Assisted by a council of nobles – with her approval

Elizabeth I• Government laws and policies regulated lives of

the common people

• England was in debt when she took over

• She sold royal lands, monopolies, offices, licenses to pay off debts

• Foreign policy – balance of power

• Balance of power – a system where each nation helps to keep peace and order by maintaining power that is equal to, or in balance with rival nations

Elizabeth I

• Afraid of France – more powerful than England

• Relied on other countries for resources

• English Channel for defense

• Strong navy

Elizabeth I

• Successes

– Kept Spain out of the Netherlands

– Scotland became Protestant and ally of England

– Ireland became an ally

– Improved education & tax reform

• Failures

- England still in debt

France – Louis XIV• Most powerful monarch

• Took throne at the age of 5 in 1643

- ruled by his two regents – his mother

Anne of Austria and Cardinal Mazarin

- Mazarin died in 1661

- Louis took over at the age of 23

• Reigned for 72 years – longest reign in European history – died in 1715

Louis XIV• He was the source of all

authority

• “I am the state!”

• Strong monarchy due to fear of disorder

• Chose top advisors from the middle class

- they would not challenge the king

• Appointed 2 key advisors – one as economic and financial minister and the other as minister of war

Louis XIV• Foreign policy –

countries were scared of Louis’ desire for expansion

• This led to many countries creating alliances with France

• Successes

- brilliant cultural period

- army was one of the strongest in Europe

Louis XIV• Failures

– building projects and wars left France in severe debt

– weakening of nobility – lost ability to govern, but not desire for power

• The War of the Spanish Succession– increased poverty– created opposition to his

rule– lost Nova Scotia and

Newfoundland to England

Louis XIV

• Failures– conflict between

nobles and middle and lower classes would / will bring France to the brink of a revolution

Russia – Peter the Great• 1689 - 1725

• After taking the throne he traveled throughout England studying their shipyards, factories, mills, and labs

• Learned carpentry, surgery, and dentistry

• When he returned – he had everyone adopt the ways of the western Europe

• Sent Russians to study abroad

Peter the Great

• New capital city, St. Petersburg - Window to the West

• Made great changes to Russian government

• Created a central bureaucracy (France)

- local governments now under its control

- Eastern Orthodox Church under its

control

Peter the Great• Created new class of

nobles– in exchange for their

services to the gov’t, they were given estates

– duty to the czar started at age 15 – death

– used privileges and force to make nobility accept gov’t service

– had total control of serfs (opposite from Europe – they had been gaining freedom)

Peter the Great• Created tax laws to increase gov’t income

• Nobles did not pay taxes

• Brought agriculture and craft production under gov’t control

• Incentives to increase mining and metal working

Peter the Great• Foreign Policy

– wanted to make Russia a European power

– expanded borders

– took control of Siberia & Bering Strait

– had settlements in Alaska and California

– fought Poland, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire for ports

Peter the Great• Successes

– opened Russia to Europe

– strengthened Russia’s role in foreign affairs

– brought mainstream European civilization

– modernized the military

– land acquisition

– defeated Sweden in 1721 gained control of the eastern end of Baltic region

Peter the Great• Failures

- created a dangerous divide between

nobles and peasants

- divide between those who embraced

European ways and those who did not

- within Russian he only had limited

success – reforms were incomplete

CLOSURE

• Which one of the European monarchs had the most success? Explain!

• Which one of the European monarchs was the least successful? Explain!