ABSOLUTISM REVIEW SHEET

CHAPTER 18 PGS. 407-422 ( not pg. 416)

CHAPTER 21 PGS. 488-492

Handouts or Online reading & Powerpoint

PLACES:
Spain - monarch united people of common nationality - similar language, customs, traditions
and gradually people transferred loyalty from nobles to kings
United Provinces/Netherlands
France - monarch united people of common nationality - similar language, customs, traditions
and gradually people transferred loyalty from nobles to kings. Catholic France joined Protestand
Prussia alliance against Catholic Spain + Austria - fighting for more power not for religion
Versailles- build under Louis XIV. People were taxed to fund the building of it.
German States - before the 30 Years War, Germany was politically made up of a loose
collection of independent states run by their own princes, dukes and kings
Austria - rulers controlled diverse group - did not develop national unity
Russia - rulers controlled diverse group - did not develop national unity. Had Michael Romanov
lead after the Time of Troubles
St. Petersburg- Near western Europe on the Baltic Coast. It was the Capital of Russia under
Peter the Great. Was acquired through 21 years of fighting with Sweden. Forced nobles to
move there. Window to west. Port for Russian Navy.
Prussia - rulers controlled diverse group - did not develop national unity
Hungary

PEOPLE:
Philip II- SPAIN son of Charles V, holy roman emperor. Inherited Spain , the Netherlands and
land in the Americas. Later takes control of Portugal. During his reign, Spain most powerful
country. RIches(gold and silver) from Americas. Sent missionaries and explorers to the New
World. Believed he should fight heretics and restore the unity of the Church. Persecuted Jews &
Muslims, drove them out of Spain. Engaged in many wars. Centralized royal power and led
Spain to Golden Age. Believed it was his duty to defend Catholicism
Charles V- SPAIN1515-1556. Inherited land from the Austrian Hapsburg side- Austria and the
Netherlands. Inherited Spain and lands in America from the Spanish Hapsburg side. Retired in
1556 and gave Austria to his brother, Ferdinand. Gave Spain, Netherland and land in New
World to son, Philip II.
Elizabeth I ENGLAND- ascended the English throne in 1558. During her reign, the small island
kingdom became the leader of the Protestant nations of Europe and laid the foundations for a
world empire. Repealed the laws favoring the catholics. A new Act of Supremacy named
Elizabeth as the only supreme governor of both church and state. THe church of Engliand under
Queen Elizabeth followed a moderate Protestantism that kept most people satisfied. Kept SPain
and France from becoming too powerful.
Henry IV - reunited France after the Wars of Religion by converting to Catholicism and granting
rights to Huguenots. Issued the Edict of Nantes.
Huguenots- french protestants influenced by John Calvin. They made up only 7 percent of the
French pop. but 40-50 percent of nobility were huguenots. This made them a powerful threat to
the crown.
James I - divine right
Charles I- ENGLAND divine right. Ruled without Parliament and led to English Civil War. Asked
parliament for money. Signed petition of rights that was important and still influential today. Was
captured, tried for treason, convicted and beheaded. First public king execution.
Oliver Cromwell
Cavaliers- fought in english civil war
Roundheads- fought in english civil war
Charles II
William & Mary - came to power in the Glorious Revolution
absolutism/absolute monarch - inherited power/married for more. Levied taxes. Strong
armies. Engaged in war. Loyal supporters. Made all laws. Centralized power - controlled all
political, cultural and economical aspects
Cardinal Richelieu- Basically ruled France, was minister to Louis XIII. Believed Protestantism
undermines Catholic Kings. Forbade Huguenot cities to have walls. Made nobles take down
walls of castles. Believed walls allowed conspiracies. Created intendants, loyal officials to king.
Levied taxes w/o consent of the Estates General. Engaged France in wars to weaken enemies.
Louis XIII- FRANCE Weak monarch, essentially Cardinal Richelieu ruled who was a minister to
Louis XIII.
Louis XIV- FRANCE Represented height of absolutism. SUN KING. Said “He is the state”.
Almost bankrupted France building Versailles. Inherited throne from Louis XIII had a Spanish
mother. Boy king. Cardinal Mazarin ruled until his death. Louis XIV takes over at 22yo. Taxed
his people to build the Palace of Versailles (negative). Revoked the Edict of Nantes to force the
Huguenots to convert or flee
Mazarin- FRANCE Cardinal Mazerin ruled France for Louis XIV until he died.
Colbert
Fredrick William -
Habsburgs- emperors of HRE. 1273-1806. Led the 30 years war. Wanted HRE to remain
mainly Catholic. Discriminated against Protestants. Supported Spain in war, France fought
against the Habsburgs. Hoped to gain more land and power. Monarchs increased power
through: marriages, alliances, and inheritances. Huge Austrian Empire of many nationalities.
Weakened by 30 years war and Hapsburgs try to gain more power. Centralize power by taking
over Bohemia, and Hungary from the Ottomans, create a large standing army.
Peter the Great - RUSSIA Taxed men if they kept their beards.
Romanov Dynasty- Where Peter the Great was descended from. Michael Romanov was
chosen to lead Russia after the Time of Troubles
Fredrick the Great- PRUSSIA- ignores Pragmatic Sanction seized Silesia from Austria.
Encourages religious toleration, although atheistic. Initiated legal reform, abolished torture.
Treated people like a father figure, education reduced censorship, did not end serfdom.
Engages in war of Austrian Succession. Seven Years War- Britain and Prussia c. Austria,
France and Russia. Involved with Austria and Russia to divide Poland in the first partition.
Maria Theresa AUSTRIA- inherited throne in 1740 worked to centralize and strengthen the
state. While not open to the philosophes' calls for reform, she did work to improve the education
of the serfs.
Joseph II AUSTRIA- Son of Maria Theresa. Believed in the need to sweep away anything
standing in the path of reason. He abolished serfdom and eliminated the death penalty.
Established the principle of equality of all before the law and enacted religious reforms,
including religious toleration. His religious reform program failed. He alienated the nobles by
freeing the serfs. He alienated the Catholic CHurch with his religious reforms. The serfs were
unhappy because they could not understand the drastic changes. He realized his failure when
he wrote his own epitaph for his gravestone. His successors undid almost all of his reforms.
Catherine the Great RUSSIA- German wife of Russian czar Peter III. Kills husband and takes
power. Extends Russia’s boundaries southward and westward. Gave Russian nobles charter of
rights.l Did not give charter to peasants- revolt. Aggressive foreign policy. Enlightened Despot.
Favored enlightened reforms. Considered the idea of a new law code that would recognize the
principle of equality of all people in the eyes of the law;. Her policy of favoring the landed nobility
led to worse conditions for the Russian peasants and eventually led to rebellion. Took stronger
measures against the peasants. Russia spread southward to the BVlack Sea by defeating the
Turks under Catherine’s rule. To the west, Russia gained about 50 percent of Poland’s territory,
with the remainder split between Prussia and Austria.
Don Quixote- novel written by Cervantes
Cervantes- spanish author that wrote Don Quixote.
Velazquez- Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV, and one of the most
important painters of the Spanish Golden Age.
El Greco- Greek painter during the spanish renaissance. He studied the elements of
Renaissance painting in Venice.l Wrote many works on painting. In his paintings, figures are
elongated or contorted and he sometimes used unusual shades of yellow and green against an
eerie background of stormy grays. The mood of his works reflects well the tensions created by
the religious upheavals of the Reformation.

TERMS:
Divine Right - Belief that monarchs had that they thought that they were representing God on
Earth and whatever they do is right because it is what God “tells them to do”. Justified unlimited
royal power. King could do no wrong.
Armada- The fleet of Spanish ships. Defeated by British.
The Golden Age of Spain- Happened under the rule of Philip II of Spain. Spanished culture
blossoms in art and literature.
Edict of Nantes- Battles between Catholics and Huguenots., Henry of Navarre the Huguenot
political leader succeeded to the throne as Henry IV. He realized that as a porotestant he would
never be accepted by catholic France. Therefore he converted to catholicism. When he was
crowned king in 1594, the fighting in France stopped. To solve the religious problem, Henry IV
issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, It recognized Catholicism as the official religion of France., It
gave the Huguenots the right to worship and to enjoy all political privileges such as holding
public offices. THis educt appeased both Catholics and Huguenots.
Thirty Years War- War over religion and territory, Catholic Habsburgs v Protestants. Ended by
Treaty of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia- Settles war, ended religious wars in Europe. Europe recognized as
independent states- modern state system. Europe no longer a Catholic empire.
Commonwealth
English Civil War - Cavaliers vs Roundheads
Restoration
Glorious Revolution- replacement of James II for Mary and William.
Toleration Act- act of parliament granting freedom of worship to nonconformists.
Petition of Right- signed by charles I which keeps the king from infringing.
Sun King- Louis XIV called himself this.
War of Spanish Succession - involved one king trying to assume the throne of 2 countries at
the same time
Peace of Utrecht- The Peace of Utrecht is a series of peace treaties signed by the
belligerents in the War of the Spanish
Boyars- member of Russian aristocracy
Westernization- when Peter the Great brought many reforms to forcefully make Russia more
like the western countries.
“window to the West”- refers to St. Petersburg that was built under Peter the Great.
enlightened absolutism
War of Austrian Succession

UNDERSTAND:
Philip II’s reign of Spain - son of Charles V, Holy Roman emperor. Inherited Spain,
Netherlands and land in Americas. Later has control of Portugal. During reign, Spain was the
most powerful country. Riches (gold/silver) from Americas to Spain. Missionaries/explorers to
New World. Believed he should fight heretics and restore the unity of the Church. Persecuted
Jews/Muslims - drove out of Spain. Century of Gold. Spanish culture blossoms in art + literature
Wars - Ottoman Empire over Italy (Battle of Lepanto) - W
Netherlands - Protestants revolt against Spain - L
Northern provinces- Dutch and Protestant
Southern Provinces- ( Spanish Netherlands) Spain and Catholic
England- his Armada defeated by England (QE I)-L
Why did the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule?
They differed in religion and economies
Why was the defeat of the Armada so important?
England defeated
Golden Age of Spain
Why did the Spanish empire weaken?
Absolutism and divine right
Absolutism -
Divine right - theory that justified unlimited royal power. King ruled by God’s authority as Earthly
representative. Obedience to king, obedience to God - king could do nothing wrong
What led to absolutism?
What religious conflict occurred in France under Henry IV ?

Goals of Richelieu
Impact of Louis XIV’s rule: Stronger army, new economics system, France becomes the
biggest power in Europe
Purpose of Versailles and the problems it caused: It was a place for Louis and the nobles to
live. Louis kept the nobles busy there so they couldn’t plot against him. The palace was very
expensive and put France in debt.
War of Spanish Succession - involved one king trying to assume the throne of 2 countries at
the same time
Thirty Years’ War
Impact of Peace of Westphalia - ended ^
Why does Prussia challenge Austria?
Impact of War of Austrian Succession
Westernization of Russia – how accomplished and by whom?
The westernization of Russia was introduced by Peter the Great. He introduced reforms that
forced the people to change their cultural customs to more western ones. He introduced the
potato which became the staple food in Russia. Ordered children between the ages of 10 and
15 of the nobility, government clerks, and of lesser officials, except those freeholders, to learn
mathematics and geometry.
How does Russia differ from the West?