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Unit 1 Part 1: Characteristics of Absolutism
The Easiest and Quickest form of Government!
What is an Absolute Monarchy?• Form of government where the monarch exercises ultimate
governing authority as head of state and head of government, having total power over the state and its peoples.
Source of power: “ The Divine Right of Kings”• Mandate from God - the idea that rulers get their authority to
rule from God, and are accountable only to God and not the people they rule
Possible Basis of“Divine Right of Kings”
Romans 13:1-4 ”Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For
there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”
Critical Attributes of Absolute Monarchs• Inherited position• No system of checks and balances• No separation of church and state• Control over all aspects of life (political, social
and economic)
Absolute rulers held all the power in their countries…..That means-
-No Voting-No Term Limits-No Congress/Parliament-No Dissent Permitted- No Civil Rights – Freedomof speech, religion, travel, to assemble, to ask for change, to get rich/be poor
The Age of Absolute Monarchs By the end of
the Renaissance, new nations were formed in Europe
Many of these nations were ruled by powerful kings
with unlimited power known as
absolute monarchs
The era from 1600 to mid-1700s was known as the Age of Absolutism
How did European kings gain so much power?
The Rise of Absolute Monarchs During the Middle Ages,
European kings were not very powerful
Instead, feudal lords had real power because they controlled local manors & had the loyalty of knights
The Catholic Church was the dominant religion in Europe
The Pope had power over
the peasants
The Rise of Absolute Monarchs The Crusades stimulated trade & led to the rise
of cities in EuropeThis trade sparked the
Renaissance & weakened the power of feudal lords
As feudalism declined, the power of kings increased
During the Hundred Years War,
new weapons like the cannon & longbow weakened the
power of the nobles & knights
As feudalism declined, the power of kings increased
The power of the Catholic Church weakened as a
result of the Crusades & the Protestant Reformation
As the power of the church declined, the power of kings
increased
The Rise of Absolute Monarchs During the Renaissance,
European kings taxed merchants & bankers
and used the wealth to build powerful armies Monarchs used their
power build centralized governments to control
their nations Some monarchs used overseas exploration to gain colonies and
to increase their wealth & power
Factors that contributed to the rise of Absolute Rulers• Decline of feudalism• Growth of national kingdoms • Breakdown of Church authority• Religious and territorial conflicts• Rise of cities / growth of middle class (who needed
stability)• Wealth of colonies• Revolts / economic and religious crises
Once in power, Absolute Monarchs….• Reduced the power of the nobles and
representative bodies• Regulated worship and social gatherings• Created new government bureaucracies• Increased size of Court• Taxed merchants and bankers to raise large
armies• Used overseas exploration to gain wealth and
expand their power
• Reduced
Decline of feudalism
Rise of cities
Growth of national kingdoms
Growth of middle class
Wealth of colonies
Breakdown of Church authority
Economic and religious crises
Revolts
Regulated worship, social gatherings, and economy
Increased size of court
Created new government bureaucracies
Reduced power of nobles and representative bodies
Absolute Monarch
Rise of Absolutism
Phillip II of Spain
Louis XIV of France
Peter the Great of Russia
Maria Theresa of Austria
Frederick the Great of Prussia
By 1600, some European kings had become absolute monarchs
Challenges Facing Absolute Rulers:
• Controlling their populations• Expanding their Empire (or at least hold on to)
their territory• To get married and have an heir (a boy baby)