State Building. Absolutism

Transcription

1 State Building Absolutism

2 What is Absolutism? l Jean Bodin = The King does not share the power to make laws with national representative assemblies l Kings were above the law l As the highest judges in the land there is nobody to hold them accountable for their actions l Kings act for reasons of state and can not be expected to observe the rights and liberties of their subjects l L etat, c est moi ~ I am the state (Louis XIV)

3 Divine Right of Kings l l l l Jacques Benigne Bossuet Rulers appointed by and answerable only to God Cited Old Testament Kings as evidence Only God can judge a King

4 How does Absolutism Work? l Eliminate or weaken national representative assemblies l Subordinate the nobility to the King Dependent on King for favors Excluded from positions of real power l Centralized bureaucracies Collect taxes Recruit soldiers Operate judicial bodies

5 Who is an absolute monarch? Philip II of Spain ( ) Peter the Great of Russia ( )

6 Who is an Absolute Monarch? Frederick William II of Prussia (r ) Charles VI of Austria ( )

7 The Absolute Monarch Louis XIV of France

8 What makes Louis so good? l Foundations laid by Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu Suppressed rebellions by nobles Restricted the independence of parlements (regional courts) Creation of intendants = professional bureaucrats used to supervise local administration Increased the taille l Louis XIV and Cardinal Mazarin Fronde = rebellion by the parlements against royal control and taxation turns into mass rioting and rebellion against Mazarin

9 What makes Louis so good? l No chief minister after Mazarin Uses councils to govern l Economic Growth Jean Baptiste-Colbert Mercantilism l Improve transportation network l Promote industry l Expand merchant fleet l Religious continuity Revokes Edict of Nantes l Hugenots forced to convert or leave Jansenists = Augustinians l Louis supports all Papal actions against the Jansenists

10 What makes Louis so good? l Subordination of the nobility Bureaucrats from merchant & professional classes Intendants enforce royal will among city councils, judges & parish priests Versailles = nobility required to reside part of the year l Participate in court ritual but not government

11 Versailles

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13 2,000 acres of grounds 12 miles of roads 27 miles of trellises 200,000 trees 210,000 flowers planted every year 80 miles of rows of trees 55 acres surface area of the Grand Canal 12 miles of enclosing walls 50 fountains and 620 fountain nozzles 21 miles of water conduits 3,600 cubic meters per hour: water consumed 26 acres of roof 51,210 square meters of floors 2,153 windows 700 rooms 67 staircases 6,000 paintings 1,500 drawings and 15,000 engravings 2,100 sculptures 5,000 items of furniture and objects d'art 150 varieties of apple and peach trees in the Vegetable Garden

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15 Warfare and the Absolute State l Constant warfare exists in Europe ( ) Large standing armies Posturing by emerging countries Attempts to manipulate the political interests of Europe l Louis Wars: War of the Devolution War with the Dutch Nine Years War

16 Wars of Absolutism l War of the Spanish Succession ( ) Charles II of Spain dies without an heir l Names Louis XIV s grandson Philip of Anjou as heir France vs. Grand Alliance (England, Holland, HRE) Philip V becomes King of Spain; England receives Gibraltar & Minorca

17 Philip II of Spain l Established forms of absolutist rule, but never matched the achievements of France l Increases centralization of Spanish rule l Religious continutity

18 El Escorial ( )

19 El Escorial Statistics Royal Palace, Monastary, Crypt 15 cloisters 16 courts 14 entrance halls 13 oratory 300 cells 86 stairways 9 towers 9 pipe organs 232 chorus books 73 statues More than 1,600 scenes 11 cisterns 88 fountains 2,673 windows 1,200 doors

20 Prussia l Prussia and the Hohenzollerns create a military style bureaucracy Army doubles in 25 years to the 3 rd largest in Europe Separate laws for the army Army, nobility and monarchy forged into a single unit with the King at the head Potsdam Giants formed by Frederick William I

21 Sanssouci New Palace

22 Russia l Ivan IV begins reforming laws, government & the army l Michael Romanov elected czar by an assembly of nobles (boyars) Boyars remain largely in control Brings stability and modest centralization to Russia l Peter the Great pushes Russia into the European political scene Westernization Successful wars with the Ottomans and Swedes secure warm water ports Brought boyars & church under central control (Table of Ranks)

23 Peter the Great Centralizes Power Peter cuts off the Beards of the Boyars Execution of the Streltsky

24 Winter Palace ( )

25 Winter Palace statistics 1786 doors 1945 windows 1500 rooms 117 staircases