Conflict and Absolutism

(12 slides)
Protestant Reformation and Demand for Reforms
○ Conlifct & Absolutism in Europe
■ Italian Renaissance is well underway
■ Fall of Constantinople begins Europe’s exploration
■ Protestant Reformation and the solidifying of the absolute powers of the
Monarchs (Reformation leads to Absolutism)
■ Russia is unified and is ‘on an island’ of its own
○ Europe in Crisis
■ The French Wars of Religion: Huguenots, Henry IV and Edict of Nantes
■ Crises in Europe: Economic and Social Crisis (Inflation and Population
Increase), the Witchcraft Trials
■ The Thirty Years’ War: National Sovereignty
○ Protestant Reformation
■ The Catholic church tried to reform but were unsuccessful and led to
corruption
■ John Wycliffe was vilified for translating parts of the Bible into English and
thought priests were unnecessary for salvation
■ The Hussites, followers of Jan (John) Hus in Bohemia were declared heretics
for similar beliefs and burned at the stake
■ Also people believed the church suffered further when it failed to stop the
Black Death

HRE: War of Religions and the Revolt

○ Wars of Religion
■ Charles V fought the German Lutheran Schmalkaldic League, resulted in the
1555 Peace of Augsburg, allowing each German State to choose if it’s ruler
would be Catholic or Lutheran
■ The 30 Years War involved most of Europe, except England
■ Led to many parts of the Holy Roman Empire choosing which religion to follow
■ Gave those regions more power, and the war itself was economically very
destructive
○ HRE & Revolt
■ Corruption in Catholic Church led to calls for reform
● Calvinism spreading – appealed to the middle class due to emphasis
on hard work
■ Charles V left HRE and Austria to brother Ferdinand
■ Philip II (Charles V’s son) got Spain, the Netherlands, colonies
● Philip II of Spain (strict Catholic) set up Inquisition to crush Calvinism
and raised taxes
○ The Revolt
■ 1566 – Calvinists revolted, destroyed churches and libraries
● 20,000 troops sent and Council of Blood set up
■ Phillip sent troops to crush rebellion (led by Alexander Farnese) and civil war
raged for 10 years
 ● Prince William of Orange (“the Silent”) led the 17 provinces of the
Netherlands
● Spain held the 10 southern provinces, the 7 northern provinces formed
the Union of Utrecht/United Provinces
○ North = Protestant
○ South = Catholic
■ 1581 – Spain invaded again, England helped the Protestant Netherlands
● Why? Losing money from wool trade, commercial cities falling, William
the Silent killed, possible Spanish threat of England
○ England vs Spain
■ Charles V abdicated as ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, left Spain to his son
Philip II
■ Took the Catholic Crusade to the Netherlands, and tried to conquer and
convert England
■ 1588, England defeated the Spanish Armada aka 200 ships vs. 100, the
weather helped, and led to English superiority over the seas

Reforms: Outside Germany, Catholic Reformation, Witch Hunts, Religious Wars

○ Counter Reformation / Catholic Reformation
■ Increased the use of the Inquisition, sometimes allowed the use of torture to
achieve its ends
■ The Jesuits were founded
■ The Council of Trent, corrected some of the Church’s abuses, also published
an index of prohibited books, considered dangerous to one’s faith of read

The Spanish Armada

○ Spain’s Conflicts
■ Spain’s Militant Catholicism
■ Resistance from the Netherlands
■ Protestantism in England
■ Defeat of the Spanish Armada
○ Armada
■ 1587 – with urging of Pope, Phillip prepared a fleet to attack England
● 2 choices: attack English navy in Channel and then invade or
assemble in low countries and stage a cross-channel assault
■ 1588 – Spanish Armada defeated by the English fleet and bad weather
○ Effects of Spanish Armada
■ Spain
● rebuilt navy
● still conflict with England
● United Provinces (Dutch Netherlands) recognized
■ England
● Rise in Nationalism
● Elizabeth gained more respect
● Rise in World Superpower

(9 slides)
Thirty Years’ War
 ○ Emergence of Modern Nation States
■ Included the Tudors in England, Valois in France and Queen Isabella and King
Ferdinand in Spain.

New Monarchs and the Spanish Inquisition

○ Monarchs asserted their power and believed in having absolute rule

English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution

○ Bureaucracies increased, as did the middle class at the expense of lords and
churches
○ War & Revolution in England
■ Revolutions in England: The Stuarts and Divine Right, Civil War and
Commonwealth (Cavaliers/Royalists VS. Roundheads/Parliament), The
Restoration, A Glorious Revolution
■ Legal and Political Thought: Thomas Hobbes, John Locke
○ Charles I
■ Cavaliers, Nobles & Landownders
○ Parliament
■ Roundheads, Oliver Cromwell, London militia, Puritans
■ CROMWELL WINS – CHARLES I EXECUTED!! GG
■ *Hobbes wrote Leviathan – saw English Civil War – King MUST be absolute!
○ Evolution of Constitionalism
■ AKA the Puritan Revolution, in 1642
■ Supporters of the Parliament vs. monarchy, and Parliament initially won killing
Charles I
■ William and Mary signed the English Bill of Rights in 1689 which assured
individual liberties
■ Also stated that the English monarch had to be Anglican since he/ she would
be head of the Church of England
○ Hobbes & John Locke
■ Both liked the idea of a social contract
● Hobbes: Wrote The Leviathan, believed that people were inherently
wicked and needed a strong government
● John Locke: believed that people were good and needed government
with restraints to protect people from tyranny. Argued people had a
right, and even a duty to rebel against a government that broke the
contract

The Dutch Republic and Social Order

○ Dutch Republic
■ Republic of United Provinces of the Netherlands – 7 No. Provinces
● Established at Peace of Westphalia
■ 17 cent – Golden Age
th

● Dutch ideas and attitudes helped shape new and modern world view
■ Government- model of modern constitutional state
● An oligarchy of wealthy merchants (Regents) handled domestic affairs
in the local Estates in each province
 ● Each province sent delegates to the “States General” - ran foreign
policy
● The States General appointed a representative or stadholder, in each
of the provinces – chief executive
■ Were a confederation - weak union of strong provinces
● Temptation!! Attacked by Spain, France, England
■ Had middle-class value of hard work
■ Religiously tolerant- even to Jews
● Attracted much foreign capital and investment
■ Highest standard of living in the 17th century
● Amsterdam – bank and trade
● Fishing – cornerstone of economy
● Huge merchant marine – largest in Europe
■ Dutch East India Company – joint stock company
■ War of Spanish Succession – beginning of the end

(8 slides)
Absolute Monarchs
○ England Monarchy
■ Constitutional Monarchy – govt limited by law
■ Balance b/w power of govt and rights of its people
○ Henry VIII (Tudor)

■ Worked with Parliament to break with Catholic Church

■ Act in Restraint of Appeals – Pope has no say
■ Act of Supremacy – made Henry head of Church of England
■ Consulted Parliament when in need of $ - Parliament passed new taxes
○ Edward VI
 ■ Protestant
■ Young (king at 9)
■ Device for Succession
■ Lost Scotland to France
■ Weak - tuberculosis
○ Mary I (Bloody Mary)

■ Catholic
■ Married Philip II
■ Burned Protestants – “Marian Persecutions”
○ Elizabeth
 ■ Anglican, Elizabethan Settlement
■ Mary, Queen of Scots – thought she was plotting to overthrow her
■ Virgin Queen – never married
■ Conflict – Spanish Armada
■ Flexible, managed finances, manipulated Parliament, hard worker
■ Left debt
○ James I (Stuart)

■ Son of Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth’s 2nd cousin

■ He was also James VI of Scotland – united England and Scotland under one
crown
■ Believed in divine right and wouldn’t share power with Parliament
● “Trew Law of Free Monarchy” – divine right theory
● Above all laws and freedoms
■ Parliament used to being consulted on important matters
○ House of Commons – educated and economically strong,
Protestant (Calvinist)
 ■ Religious split
● Some Puritans – “purify” the church – no Catholic elements
● James was Protestant but was sympathetic to Catholics
■ Parliament wants to increase power – conflict with King tears nation apart
○ Gunpowder Plot
■ Failed plan to blow up Parliament and kill James I
■ Catholics were upset that James was Protestant
■ 36 barrels of gunpowder
■ Unsuccessful – letter tipped the king off
■ Guy Fawkes – hanged
● Supposed to be hanged, drawn and quartered
○ Charles I

■ James’ son, like father would not back down to Parliament

■ Let William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, lead England back to Roman
Catholicism
● Tried to force Scotland to be Catholic
■ Signed Petition of Right (1628) – limited power by not allowing new taxes,
quartering of troops, martial law – Charles ignored it
■ 1629-1640 – ruled w/o Parliament and passed illegal taxes
■ 1640-1660 – “Long Parliament” – laws to limit King
● 1641- Triennial Act – Parliament meets every 3 years
■ Scots (Presbyterian/Calvinist) revolt
● Charles needs to finance an army
● Parliament will not give army
■ Irish rebel
■ Charles declares war on Parliament
○ Interregnum
■ 1649-1660
■ Time in between monarchs
○ Oliver Cromwell “Protectorate”
 ■ England becomes a commonwealth (elected reps)
■ Instrument of Government - constitution
■ Ended up being a military dictatorship
● 12 military districts each under a general
■ Puritan law – nothing sinful
■ Religious toleration except for Catholics
■ Crushed revolts in Scotland and Ireland
■ Navigation Act – English goods must be sold on English ships
■ Welcomed Jews back
○ Charles II

■ THE RESTORATION – Monarchy restored, son of Charles I

■ Test Act – must be Anglican!
■ Merry Monarch – restored arts, partied, gambled
■ Worked well w/ Parliament
■ Cabal – council of 5, King’s advisers, members of Parliament
■ Secret treaty w/ France – Charles gets £200,000 annually and he will
re-Catholicize France, support France against Dutch
○ Next in line – brother James II, but he Catholic and Absolutist so hysteria starts
○ 1st Political parties form in Parliament
■ Whigs – don’t want Catholic king (no James II)
■ Tories – defend hereditary monarchy (keep James II)
 ○ Absolutism in Europe:
■ Spread of Absolutism: Decline of Spain, Emergence of Prussia, New Austrian
Empire (Hapsburgs)
○ Europe Culture after Reinassance
■ Art after the Renaissance: Mannerism, Baroque Art and Music
■ Golden Age of Literature: England’s Shakespeare, Spain’s Cervantes and Vega

France: Louis XIII, Louis XIV

○ France under Louis XIV: Richelieu, Louis in power, Versailles, Huguenots and
Catholicism, his Legacy
○ Absolutism increased in France
■ In contrast to England, France became more Absolute in its rule
■ Louis XIII developed a system in intendants, royal officials who were sent out
to the provinces to execute the orders of the central government, also called
tax farmers
■ Louis XIV then built the palace at Versailles where he conducted all of his
business with the Nobles, but his refusal to share power weakened the French
government.
 ■ He expanded the army, but this led to financial trouble
○ Merchantilism, Early Capitalism, Adam Smith
■ In the 17th century, power was measured by how much gold or silver countries
had
■ Mercantilism called for heavy government involvement in the economy, for the
accumulation of capital, aka material wealth available to produce more wealth
■ This led to the formation of the cottage industry
○ Adam Smith
■ Turned against mercantilism and produced The Wealth of Nations
■ He believed in the idea of free trade and to rely on the laws of supply and
demand which will make everyone wealthier in the long run
■ Believed the market would regulate itself
○ Social Order
■ In the Netherlands and Britain, the nobility held power and took an active part
in government
■ In France, the nobles were often ignored
■ While between 1300-1500 the Jews were expelled from Europe, thanks to the
Scientific Revolution, Europe became more tolerant, and they were allowed
back in
Russia: Peter the Great

○ Russia Unifies and Expands

■ Kievan Rus modeled the government on Constantinople, and was adopted by
Moscow with the establishment of the Russian Orthodox Church, to unite the
people behind the leadership
■ Never experienced the Renaissance, but were the main fur traders in Eurasia
■ Russia also traded caviar and honey with the rest of Europe
■ Finally, even though they looked east, they were still a product of Europe
thanks to the Vikings and later on, looked west for technology
○ Times of Trouble & the Romans
■ Russia was without a autocrat or family in control so from 1603 till 1613 it was
a state of anarchy
■ The Zemseky Sobor (assembly of the land) Chose Michael Romanov as the
leader, initiating the Romanov Dynasty- lasting till 1917
○ Peter the Great
 7 feet tall
■
Three main groups trying to get power, Church, Tzar, and Boyars, but Peter
■
won by:
● First defeating his sister to gain the title of Tzar for himself- forcing her
into a convent
● Abolished the position of patriarch, and incorporating it into the
government by establishing the Holy Synod
○ Peter looks West
■ Visited Western Europe in 1697 to observe military and naval tech, tried to
blend (not really)
■ Hired German technicians to build his military
■ Used the navy to gain St. Petersburg, and move the capital to Moscow
■ He designed St Petersburg in a new rectangular grid and built his in-town
home: the Winter Palace
■ Wanted to mimic Western Europe in EVERYTHING!
■ Increased the industry of shipbuilding, and promoted people according to
merit rather than social class with a Table of Ranks
■ Reorganized Russian government into provinces
■ The affected the upper class, but the peasants sank deeper into serfdom
thanks to increased taxes
European State Systems and Peace of Westphalia
○ 1648 Peace of Westphalia gave Sweden, France, & allies new territories
○ HRE GONEEE

Once you’ve completed taking your notes, it's now time to PROCESS and MAKE
CONNECTIONS

Choose at least three below, and annotate (highlight, color code, comment on, etc)
accordingly (make a KEY for your highlighting)!
● Main ideas
● Vocab words - important words
● Questions
● Picture (insert 5-6 images within your notes, reformat to fit)
● Inferences
● Opinions
● Connections to other events
● Significance

Examples of Connections (highlighted, added into notes, commented on, etc.)

❖ Inference - They probably lived next to rivers because of fertile soil and access to water.
❖ Question - Were wealthy people favored by legal codes?
❖ Vocab - polytheistic means the worship of many gods
❖ Connection - Mayans make human sacrifices just like the Aztecs!

SUMMARIZE these notes in 3-4 sentences:

Europe went to war over Protestantism and Catholicism. Monarchs and leaders kept fighting and
switching sides; but literature, philosophy, and the economy (early capitalism) improved. Russia
and Prussia worked hard to become strong and relevant in Europe.