Summary This lecture primarily investigates the changes in statecraft and events surrounding.

Transcription

1 002_Absolutism and the Nation-State Summary This lecture primarily investigates the changes in statecraft and events surrounding. A. The Thirty Years War a. Was a part of the Wars of Religion, between Catholics and Protestants. b. It was also a political conflict between the French and Hapsburg monarchies of Europe (Spain and Austria) c. It was largely fought in Central Europe and was very devastating, some areas lost up to 75% of their population (ie Wutternburg) d. Consequences i. Spain was losing its dominance, with the loss of the Dutch and control of the Iberian Peninsula ii. Laid the legal foundations of modern nation state, people began to identify first with their state and secondly with religious edicts iii. Ended Large scale religious bloodshed, although small wars would occur. iv. It also ended widespread use of mercenaries because of some of the cruelties of war. B. The Crisis of the 17 th Century a. The cost of the war greatly affected European Monarchies b. The nobility in many countries began to resent the move toward centralization i. Nobles saw the exploit the resentment of the people toward the war and the monarchies exhaustion of funds to increase their power ii. Across Europe they did so through government offices and rebellion. c. The response to the crisis varied greatly, we will use two examples of how monarchies dealt with the crisis. i. France which responded by attempting to revive the Great Chain of Being through royal absolutism (A Hobbesian solution) ii. England became more liberal, establishing a constitutional monarchy. ( a Lockean Solution) C. French Absolutism a. Henry IV (1589- i. Founder of the Bourbon dynasty, he was effective ii. Edict of Nantes, for toleration of French protestants. iii. Financially and politically 1. He tried to limit the power of the nobles 2. End religious feuds 3. Centralize the economy 4. Build an extensive bureaucracy iv. Many of these measures were unpopular with nobles and Catholics, Henry was assassinated in b. Louis XIII ( ) i. Was less capable than his father

2 ii. He left most power in the hands of his advisor, Cardinal Richelieu, who continued Henry IV policies. 1. He reduced the power of the nobles and imprisoned political opponents 2. Encouraged the settlement of N. America 3. Was aggressive to the Hapsburgs and entered the Thirty Years War D. The Fronde and the Regency of Louis XIV a. Louis XIV took the throne at four years old, his mother and her advisor, Cardinal Mazarin were the real power behind the throne b. The nobles used saw their chance to increase their power, Queen Anne was from Austria and Mazarin was Italian. c. The Fronde i. The Fronde began at court, when women demanded the release of their imprisoned husbands ii. The people of Paris took up their cause and by 1651, Louis was forced from his palace and the rebels took control of the city. iii. The rebels ruled in the name of Louis until 1652, but was corrupt and mismanaged, Louis and Mazarin were returned to power. E. Louis XIV a. The Fronde had a profound effect of the young Louis, he began to create an absolutist state, by reviving the Great Chain of Being. b. Louis five rule s for absolutism i. King must be godlike 1. He promoted this image 2. He legislated that French art be classical, looking back to Greece and Rome 3. He was portrayed as Apollo, or the Sun itself 4. Built Versailles 5. His daily routine ii. King must be in control 1. He worked tirelessly 2. He drew assistance from the professional classes 3. Never called the Estates General 4. Outside the capital he circumvented noble power by relying on intendents drawn from the professional class iii. The King must be wealthy 1. When he took the throne France was in severe debt after 40 years of war 2. Jean Baptiste Colbert ( ) who centralized the economy and brought in revenue from the colonies 3. Louis could levy taxes at will a. He could pay for Versailles, bureaucrats and a military but left an impoverished peasant class. 4. A King must impose religion

3 a. France had been divided, Louis controlled the Church in France but not French Protestants b. He revoked the Edict of Nantes c. Encouraged ,000 to convert. d. Troop Quartering Dragonnades e. Many French protestants fled, to Germany, England, the Netherlands and America i. This hurt the French economy 5. The King must have an army a. His military reforms resulted in the best army in Europe b. He used that army in the War of Spanish Succession, by attempting to become King of Spain i. The last Spanish Hapsburg, Carlos II ( ) presided over a rapidly declining empire. ii. Carlos the Bewitched died with no heir c. Protestant Netherlands spearheaded the resistance to the French, fearing the unification of Spanish and French Military power would be devastating for Protestant Europe. F. English Constitutionalism a. Most problems facing the English monarchy in the 1600 originate from the policies of Henry VIII i. His personality was larger than life, which was difficult for his successors ii. He worked to increase his power but relied on parliament 1. Made himself head of the church 2. But had to negotiate with parliament, which just increased their power 3. Later kings would have to work through parliament to gain the religious changes iii. Financial Matters 1. He fought costly wars and spent lavishly, but he seized Catholic Church property 2. Parliament had the right to approve taxes iv. Religious Trouble 1. He separated the England from the Roman Catholic Church but did little to settle the religious divide 2. Later this allowed radicals on both sides to try and impose their beliefs on others v. Foreign Policy 1. England had problems with Spain 2. Was in a war with Scotland and France 3. England struggled against more powerful and wealthier countries G. King James VI ( ) a. He became King after Elizabeth died with no children b. It was difficult for the English people to accept a Scottish King c. James was hardly in control of the country

4 i. He relied on parliament and aristocrats heavily d. Financially James was not wealthy i. The administration was inefficient and corrupt ii. He spent lavishly iii. He dramatically increased the debt e. He could not unite England religiously i. England was mostly Anglican ii. Catholics were a tiny hated minority iii. Ireland was heavily Catholic, but was ruled by Scottish and English Protestants iv. James dealt with these problems by ignoring them. H. Charles I ( ) a. He was more of a rigid King who expected obedience, often refusing to compromise b. He suspended Parliament repeatedly, and beginning in 1629 he governed without parliament for 11 years. c. He was more extravagant than his father i. Had the most extensive art collection in Europe ii. He taxed heavily, which led to tax revolts in 1638 d. In matters of religion he was Anglican, and expected people to worship as he did i. He promoted Bishops who supported a more Catholic style Anglican Church ii. He persecuted Puritans iii. He was married to a Catholic, these things would lead people to believe that he was a secret Catholic I. The English Civil War a. By 1642, Parliament viewed themselves as representing the interest of the nation, not Charles b. Both Parliament and the King, called up troops i. The King relied heavily on aristocrats and militia (Cavaliers) ii. Parliament developed a profession fighting force, The New Model Army, which defeated the King in 1646 iii. The King was put on trial and was convicted of High Treason 1. During the trial the king questioned its legitimacy 2. He was publicly executed in It was the first time the English judicially executed a king J. The Commonwealth a. Immediately after the execution, Parliament declared England a republic b. The landowners and merchants were now in control, but many people were dissatisfied c. Levelers Members of the army who pushed for religious toleration, legal reform and universal male suffrage d. The Commonwealth also ended religious censorship as a result people began exploring the boundaries of religious practice i. The Baptists (Dippers) believed that baptism should be by choice and postponed until adulthood ii. The Seekers people who went from church to church

5 iii. The Diggers led by Gerard Winstanle, who believed Jesus wanted property to be shared iv. The Ranters who thought that nothing was sinful unless an individual believed it to be so v. The Muggletonians who believed in the last prophet was an English tailor named, Lodowick Muggleton vi. The Quakers led by George Fox, believed that all people contained God s inner light, claimed that there was equality of sexes and class. e. Religious Toleration and freedom of speech created virtual chaos i. The ruling elites began to rethink these freedoms ii. To establish a more conservative authority, the army named Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector K. The Lord Protector a. Cromwell was a hard worker and strong leader i. He divided England into 11 military districts, ruled by a major general, like the French intendents ii. They were charged with maintaining order, including suppression of speech, social behavior and moral laws, which made them unpopular b. Cromwell was a Puritan and granted religious toleration to protestants c. He pursued an aggressive Protestant foreign policy i. He crushed rebellions in Ireland and Scotland ii. He won a trade war against the Netherlands iii. Captured Jamaica d. Cromwell did fix England s finances but left a lot of resentment L. The Restoration a. After Cromwell s Death and a year of instability the Stuarts were restored to the monarchy b. Charles II ( ) i. Was lazy but charming ii. He kept many mistresses and lived a lavish lifestyle iii. Did not try to interfere with religion c. James II i. Was a military minded king ii. A hard worker, but openly practiced Catholicism iii. He tried to convince parliament to legalize Catholicism, which was unpopular but tolerated, because James had no heirs. However when he had a son, who was raised Catholic M. The Glorious Revolution a. In1688, William of Orange and his wife, James sister Mary, invaded England b. James II fled to France c. Parliament asked William and Mary to take the Crown i. This solved many problems 1. These monarchs were chosen by Parliament, ending the debate over the godliness of kings

6 2. The King would continue to be powerful, but could not rule without parliament 3. The English economy was growing through war and trade 4. Religious toleration would be granted to Puritans, because they supported the Revolution 5. William would bring England into war with France, in the first in a series of seven conflicts between the two countries. 6. The Glorious Revolution was Europe s first complete departure from the Great Chain of Being.