3/6/2013. Europe in the Age of Absolute Monarchs. Western Civ Chapter 19. Thirty Years War. The Cardinals. Richelieu Mazarin

Transcription

1 Europe in the Age of Absolute Monarchs Western Civ Chapter 19 Thirty Years War Richelieu Mazarin The Cardinals 1

2 Louis XIV s Childhood Nominally made King at age 5 Real power rested in the hands of Cardinal Mazarin Revolts against Mazarin called the Fronde threatened Louis life Louis XIV s Grand Style Louis the Sun King Was Louis court a triumph of style over substance? Louis & Absolutism The exaltation of the ruler as the embodiment of the state -- L etat c est moi = I am the state! Absolutism is not totalitarianism, but there are some similarities between the two. New scale and feel to political life looming presence of the state 2

3 Objectives of the Absolutist State To Secure Obedience To Exert Control over Economic Life To Protect its Territory and the Expansion of its Claims To Create a State Bureaucracy To Enlist the Service of the Church --Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) -- One King, One Law, One Faith To Employ Culture to Exalt the State -- Objectives of the Absolutist State To Gain the Loyalty of the Nobility Nobles of the Sword : The Old Aristocracy with landed wealth Nobles of the Robe : The New Aristocracy with commercial ties Implicit and structured social inequality Features of Baroque Planning Center of the City was the Palace Broad, straight avenues radiated out from the Palace Along these avenues were built the important government buildings Aristocratic passion for parading along these avenues 3

4 Creating a Spectacle To be seen was the supreme social duty of the nobility To shine at court was to keep the rest of the world at a distance The monarch created the spectacle, or theater, for this social drama Versailles: A Model Palace of Baroque Absolutism You gaze, you stare, you try to understand that it is real, that it is on earth, that it is not the Garden of Eden --Mark Twain Versailles 4

5 Versailles Versailles Versailles Palace features... Baroque planning Law Order Uniformity Conformity to the King s will Geometry reigned supreme 5

6 A. The Grounds and Gardens The triumph of man over nature Acres and acres of formal gardens The symbolism of geometrical patterns B. The Palace Square Central point of Versailles was always the King Massive canal and 1400 formal fountains C. The King s Bedroom Center of the Palace The Significance of the daily ritual of the King s Rising 6

7 D. The Hall of Mirrors The difference between Baroque interiors and Baroque urban planning The role of movement, tension and theatricality The significance of optical illusions the trick of the ceiling The deep emotionalism of the room E. The Chapel Mass held at 12:30 p.m. each day The people worshipped the King while the King worshipped God F. Life at Versailles Tedious and extremely expensive Only those at Court had any influence with Louis XIV Costume parties, masked balls, and gossip The drama of flirtation and the public role of the bedroom The bedroom will be replace by the salon 7

8 G. An Imaginary World Versailles was the great theater upon which the drama of absolute power was staged. Ideas were treated as realities the make believe world of the powerful and rich. Real people, real cities, and real problems were treated as if they were imaginary. The Emerging Culture of Capitalism The difference between mercantilism and capitalism France under Colbert a case study of mercantilism Orderliness and rationalization reflected the themes of Baroque urban planning France Leads Europe in the Arts Three unities Single plot Single setting Single day Comedy Moliere Tragedy Cornielle & Racine Patronage 8

9 Louis fights costly wars Population demographics favor France France 20 million Spain 5 million England 5 million Netherlands 2 million War of Spanish Succession & Treaty of Utrecht Louis the War Hero? Expansion to the Rhine & Alps Alliances among England, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Austria, and several German states in response to Louis invasion of the Netherlands War of Spanish Succession Treaty of Utrecht Louis grandson keeps the Spanish throne (as long as France & Spain remain apart) France keeps the Alsace Britain gets Gibraltar Austria gets Belgium, Northern Italy, and Sardinia Prussia & Savoy set up as independent kingdoms 9

10 Louis XIV s end Do not imitate me in the taste that I have had for building or for war. Try, on the contrary, to be at peace with your neighbors Try to comfort your people, which unhappily I have not done. Peter s Russia Isolation from Europe Geographic No warm water port Religion Russian Orthodox Social Boyars & Serfs Education Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, Age of Exploration.little or no contact/impact 10

11 Impressions of Peter Bishop Burnet, Peter the Great 1698 He is a man of very hot temper, soon inflamed and very brutal in his passion. He raises his natural heat by drinking much brandy, which he rectifies himself with great application. He is subject to convulsive motions all over his body, and his head seems to be affected with these. He wants not capacity, and has a larger measure of knowledge than might be expected from his education, which was very indifferent. A want of judgment, with an instability of temper, appear in him too often and too evidently. Impressions of Peter great.html Status of women Russian Calendar Agriculture Factories & Mines Newspapers Modernization 11

12 Absolutism Abolished the church s highest office Established the Holy Synod Reduced the power of the boyars Life-time military service Expansion of Empire Azov Great Northern War St. Petersburg New Capital 12

13 3/6/2013 Central Europe 13

14 Geography Elbe in the West Polish Marshes in the East Northern Plains Southern Mountains Society Aristocrats dominate serfs Few middle-class merchants or artisans Government Holy Roman Empire 300 separate states, no central authority after the 30 Years War Ottoman Empire After Sulieman the Magnificent, Ottoman Empire was in a state of decline Poland Elected king, little power, no income, courts, no standing army 14

15 Hohenzollerns & Hapsburgs Hapsburg Austria Heir to Charles VI Pragmatic Sanction Formal recognition of Marie Therese Conflict with Prussia Hohenzollern Prussia Frederic William The Great Elector Standing army Alliances French Swedes Dutch Poles Mercenary Service 15

16 Frederick I Frederick William I Junkers Prussia is not a state that possesses an army, but an army that possesses a state. Prussia s Army Frederick II s invasion of Hapsburg Lands Frederick II ignores the Pragmatic Sanction Invades Silesia Marie Therese receives aid from Hungary, Britain, Russia, Dutch Shifting Alliances & Seven Years War Austria allies with France Britain drops Austria, allies with Prussia Austria, France, Russia vs. Britain & Prussia Seven Years War (French & Indian War) Peace of Paris Austria & Therese lose Silesia, France loses Canada & most of its Indian lands Britain emerges as the winner Absolutism starts to crack 16

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