The Age of AbsolutismThe Age of AbsolutismSpain and France

Sections 1 and 2

TRIVIATRIVIA

• In 1900 there were still quite a few absolute monarchies in the world.

TRIVIATRIVIA

• In 2008 There are only a few absolute monarchies left:– The Vatican– Brunei– Swaziland– Saudi Arabia– Liechtenstein

The VaticanThe Vatican

• Pope Benedict XVI• Elected pope in 2005

and will rule until he dies or he chooses to resign.

• Absolute authority over the Catholic faith and Vatican City in Rome.

BruneiBrunei

• Sultan of Brunei.– Picture of his

60th birthday with his first two wives as they went to his birthday party for 4000 of his dearest friends in 2008.

SwazilandSwaziland

• King Mswati III• Has not kept promises

to bring democracy to his people.

• Collects wives and bankrupts the country.– 14 by September.

• Uses the Virgin Dances to choose his next wife.

Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia

• 84 year old King Adullah.

• Collects all the oil revenue that comes to Saudi Arabia and decides how it will be spent. – Estimated worth $21

billion.

Liechtenstein – a step backward?Liechtenstein – a step backward?

• In 2008 the people of Liechtenstein voted to make Prince Hans-Adam absolute, abolishing the Constitutional powers over him.

The rest of monarchiesThe rest of monarchies

• CONSTITUTIONAL.• There are limits on their

power.• Only 13 left in the

world.

One family in particular keeps popping up in the history of absolutism …One family in particular keeps popping up in the history of absolutism …

• THE HAPSBURGS– (Sometimes history

books say Habsburg)

– Ruled in different areas of Europe from 1519 – 1918.• Mostly Spain and

Austria.

The Hapsburg Empire in the 1500s – 1600sThe Hapsburg Empire in the 1500s – 1600s

• This family didn’t get their lands by war. – They never were

very good generals. • The Hapsburgs married

to get more land and power.

The Hapsburgs had “distinctive” featuresThe Hapsburgs had “distinctive” features• That became more

noticeable as cousins (and more) tended to marry more than a few generations.

How did the Hapsburgs end up ruling in Spain?How did the Hapsburgs end up ruling in Spain?

• Remember Ferdinand and Isabella?– They united Spain in

1492.– Helped Columbus

find a new world.

Ferdinand and Isabella had a problem:Ferdinand and Isabella had a problem:

• They had had six children.

• They all died as young adults – with the exception of one daughter – Joanna.– Joanna had an

“interesting” nickname in history.

Joanna the MadJoanna the Mad

• Joanna had been married off to an Austrian prince – Phillip the Handsome (Hapsburg).

• Joanna was really, really, REALLY attached to her husband.– Obsessed might be

a better word.

Joanna and Phillip had a sonJoanna and Phillip had a son

• Charles• Poor Charles witnessed his

mother’s bizarre behavior with his father and eventually she was locked up with his corpse.

• Charles was raised by Grandfather Ferdinand who didn’t like a less than full-blooded Spaniard becoming the king.– Remember the blue

blood?

Charles V took over in 1519Charles V took over in 1519

• Ruled the riches of Spain and most of what was to become Germany, the Netherlands, parts of Italy too!

• Took the title Holy Roman Emperor.

Charles V –BIG mistakes in ruling.Charles V –BIG mistakes in ruling.

• Tried to force all his subjects to be Roman Catholics.– He lost. Lutheranism

spread and the German princes got to choose the religion of their people.

• TREATY of TRENT ring a bell??

• Fought against the Muslim Ottoman Empire in Turkey for control of the Mediterranean.– Kind of lost.

Charles V - ABDICATESCharles V - ABDICATES

• Found being king to CUMBERSOME.– Maybe a bit of

depression from his mother’s side?

Philip II (ruled 1556 – 1598)Philip II (ruled 1556 – 1598)

• 29 years old when he took over for his father.

• Ruled 42 years.• With the help of all the

silver and gold his country was taking from Mexico / South America he made himself ABSOLUTE in power in Spain.

• “I am the state.”

Philip II: The Good Qualities of a KingPhilip II: The Good Qualities of a KingHe spent most of his time

managing his government.

He seldom hunted, jousted and did the “kingly” things. He concentrated on making sure his control was complete.

Lived almost like a monk.

Philip IIPhilip II

• His palace THE ESCORIAL was like a church, a residence and a tomb for the royal family.

Philip II: The so-so qualitiesPhilip II: The so-so qualities

• Had a number of marriages.

• Marriage was not for love or a partnership, it was to get land, power and sons to inherit.– Married Maria of

Portugal (his double cousin)

• One child, deformed. Died in childbirth’

– Married Mary Tudor• No children.

Philip II: So-So QualitiesPhilip II: So-So Qualities

• Wife #3: Elisabeth of France. She was 14 and he was 59 when they married. – Between 19 until she

died at 23 she had 5 pregnancies, only two daughters lived.• It appears Philip

actually kind of liked her.

Philip’s last marriagePhilip’s last marriage

• Married his niece Anna of Austria.– They popped out 5

children, four being sons before dying at 31 of a “contagion.”

Philip’s “my bads”Philip’s “my bads”

• No one could tell a king “this isn’t a good idea, dude.”

• Philip didn’t learn from his father about going to war to force people to believe a certain way.

Philip tried to force Protestants to switch religions.Philip tried to force Protestants to switch religions.

• The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium didn’t like Spain’s absolute ruling, high taxes.

• When the Inquisition arrived in the 1560s – the Dutch attacked and war lasted for twenty years.– Drained Spanish

resources.

Philip’s DISASTER: The Spanish ArmadaPhilip’s DISASTER: The Spanish ArmadaPhilip had had troubles with

his former sister-in-law Elizabeth Tudor since she became Queen of England.She was ProtestantShe encouraged English

pirates to attack Spanish ships.

She had dared to execute Mary, Queen of Scots in 1586.

ELIZABETH HAD TO GO!

Philip sets out to take out Queen ElizabethPhilip sets out to take out Queen Elizabeth

• Sent an incredible ARMADA (fleet) of ships to invade England.– 130 ships– 20,000 men– 2,400 pieces of

artillery.

– England only had 34 serviceable ships.

The Spanish ArmadaThe Spanish Armada

• Many ships got separated due to the winds and the waves of the English Channel area.

• They weren’t ready for Elizabeth’s more maneuverable ships and the new technique of battle - the BROADSIDE attack.

Armada losses:Armada losses:

• Less than a thousand men returned home.

• It was a CATASTROPHIC loss.– Spain would never

be the same again.

King Philip’s Response? It wasn’t his fault!King Philip’s Response? It wasn’t his fault!• "I sent the Armada

against men, not God's winds and waves."

Decline of Spanish Power Decline of Spanish Power

• After Philip II, his successors weren’t as smart or as willing to work at ruling.– But they wouldn’t

share the power.

Decline of Spanish PowerDecline of Spanish Power

• Costly wars were draining Spain of needed money.

• Treasure from the Americas made most Spaniards abandon farming and manufacturing.

• The king taxed the middle class – not the nobles.

• Expulsion of the Jews and Muslims took away a skilled artisan class.

• Spanish ships were easy prey for English, Dutch, French, etc. pirates.

The last Spanish HapsburgThe last Spanish Hapsburg

• Too much inbreeding had left the Hapsburgs having stillbirths, mental issues, and physical disabilities.

• Charles II (the last Hapsburg) descended from Joanna the Mad 14 times.

• The family ceased to exist by 1700.

The Hapsburgs in SpainThe Hapsburgs in Spain

• What lessons about what a leader should do can we learn from Philip II?

• What should a king NOT do?

There can be some good things that come from an absolute monarch.There can be some good things that come from an absolute monarch.

• Sponsors of the arts.• No one can tell them to

put a cap on spending!– The earrings date

back to the 1600s and are still worn by the Spanish queen today.

Spanish Art in the Golden AgeSpanish Art in the Golden Age

• El Greco (1541 – 1618)– The Greek– Art that inspired

artists in the 20th century.

El Greco – The Disrobing of Christ and View from ToledoEl Greco – The Disrobing of Christ and View from Toledo

Views from the Escorial (Es-kohr-yal)Views from the Escorial (Es-kohr-yal)

Spain’s Golden Age: LiteratureSpain’s Golden Age: Literature

• Miguel de Cervantes– Tried to be a soldier.– Captured by Muslim

pirates and held for 5 years.

– Got a job to get supplies for the Spanish Armada – got arrested and jailed for EMBEZZLMENT.

– Had written 30 plays that had never sold.

– A life of hardship and adventure – and poverty.

Wrote Don QuixoteWrote Don Quixote

• Don Quixote has read too many tales of chivalry, and imagining himself a Medieval knight in the 1600s takes off across the Spanish countryside with his practical servant Sancho Panza to prove himself a brave knight.

Don QuixoteDon Quixote

• First modern novel.• Considered the equal

of Shakespeare.• The musical Man from

La Mancha is based on the book.

Sometimes we say someone has a quixotic personality.Sometimes we say someone has a quixotic personality.

• Someone that pursues foolish or unrealistic romantic ideals.

France in the Age of AbsolutismFrance in the Age of Absolutism

Remember:Remember:

• Often the worst type of wars are CIVIL WARS.– Shatter lands and

families.– People are desperate

for peace and order.– They tend to turn to

whoever offers them that hope.

• They might surrender their rights to feel safe.

– Afghanistan?

Remember:Remember:

• Why else did the English agree to let a king return to their country and let him have absolute power again in 1660?

France had the same problem in the 1500s.France had the same problem in the 1500s.• Specifically religious wars

between Catholics and Huguenots (French Protestants) tore the country apart 1560s – 1590s.– 1572: St. Bartholomew’s

Massacre.• 3,000 killed.

– Huguenots and Catholics had gathered for a wedding to stop the violence.

» The Catholics attacked.

Henry of Navarre Henry of Navarre

• A Huguenot prince – he inherited the throne.

• The majority of the nobility refused to allow a Protestant to rule them.

• “Paris is worth a mass.”– He became Catholic.– Issued the Edict of

Nantes, granting religious toleration and other freedoms.

Henry IV of FranceHenry IV of France

• Set out to repair France.• Used his absolute powers

to make his rules felt throughout the land.– Repaired roads, built

bridges, revived agriculture so people could live, brought justice.

– GOAL: “A chicken in every pot.”

Henry IVHenry IV

• While he was doing all that, he also had quite a few mistresses along the way!

• His Catholic queen was a political arrangement and he didn’t really worry about her feelings.

Henry IV - Assassinated!Henry IV - Assassinated!

• Much loved by his people.

• But some Catholics still thought he gave too much to the Huguenots.

• He was stabbed to death as he was going to visit a mistress in 1610.

Henry IV’s son is only 9 years old!Henry IV’s son is only 9 years old!

• The Nobles saw a chance to get back their powers.

• The Catholics and Huguenots were fearful of the future.

Louis XIIILouis XIII

• Very troubled upbringing for a future absolute monarch.

• Nobles tried to kidnap him.• His mother was

bankrupting the country with her frivolous entertainments and making him anti-Protestant.– Picture supposed to be “The

Birth of Louis XIII.”

Louis XIII gets an advisorLouis XIII gets an advisor

• Cardinal Richelieu (1585 – 1642)

• Helped Louis rule France.– Had more cunning

and capability than Louis.

– Absolute loyalty for 18 years.

Richelieu strengthens Royal AuthorityRichelieu strengthens Royal Authority

• Had to destroy the powers of the nobles and the Huguenots.– Huguenots were allowed

to keep their religion, but couldn’t have walled cities or their own armies.

• Destroyed the walls.– Destroyed the fortified

castles of the nobles and their personal armies.

• Gave them positions at Court or jobs in the King’s army.

Louis XIII was content to let Richelieu do the work.Louis XIII was content to let Richelieu do the work.• He liked hunting more.• Liked art.• Didn’t like his wife

Anne of Austria at all.• They had married when

they were both 14 in 1615.

• No children until …

1637: 1637:

• Louis XIII and Anne found themselves with their court in a small hunting lodge for the night, taking shelter from a terrible rainstorm.

• There weren’t enough bedrooms for everyone.

• Louis and Anne had to share a room.

Nine Months LaterNine Months Later

• Louis XIV is born!• A “miracle” child

Louis XIV becomes kingLouis XIV becomes king

• 1643 and only 5 years old.• Again a rebellion of nobles,

merchants, and peasants wanting less royal control happens.– They called themselves

The Fronde.– Forced the little boy to

hide from them when they invaded his palace trying to kidnap him.

Louis XIV has REGENTS to rule for him until he grows up.Louis XIV has REGENTS to rule for him until he grows up.• His mother, Anne of

Austria.• Cardinal Mazarin

– Handpicked by Richelieu before he died.

• Working together, they kept Louis safe and stabilized France.

– Also became lovers.

Louis XIV grows up:Louis XIV grows up:

• Didn’t trust the nobles or the people.

• Didn’t particularly trust advisors the way his mother or father had.

• At 23 declared “I am the state.”

Louis XIV “The Sun King”Louis XIV “The Sun King”

• No checks on royal power from 1614 – 1789.

• He believed the sun stood at the center of the solar system, so the Sun King stands at the center of the nation.

Louis: Solidifying his powerLouis: Solidifying his power

• Worked hard to run his government.

• Appointed intendants – royal officials – to collect taxes, recruit soldiers, and carry out his policies in the provinces.

• Most positions like this went to the middle class, not the nobles or the Church.

Louis: Solidifying his powerLouis: Solidifying his power

• Built an army that was the strongest in Europe.– 300,000 men.– Used this trained

and equipped army to force his policies at home and abroad.

Louis spends the wealth of FranceLouis spends the wealth of France

• Army and wars• The Palace of

Versailles.– Symbol of Royal

Power– A prison for the

nobles

VersaillesVersailles

VersaillesVersailles

• The best of everything French was on display.– Finest art and

furniture– Best food and wine– Millions of flowers

and gardens.

Louis’ greatest achievementLouis’ greatest achievement

• Convincing the nobles that there was greater “honor” in serving him at Versailles than remaining at their feudal homes.

The NoblesThe Nobles

• Competed to have the privilege of holding the wash basin while the king washed his hands.

• Competed to have the privilege to put on or off his shoes.

• Competed to have the privilege to wake him up in the morning.– And more …

The Nobles were completely cut off from their homes and ancestral dutiesThe Nobles were completely cut off from their homes and ancestral duties

• To serve the King at Versailles was more important.

• Their wives showed up too.– Competing to be

servants to the queen.

– Competing to be the King’s mistress.

A touch of art that Louis XIV fostered - A touch of art that Louis XIV fostered - • Ballet was created

during his reign.– Dancing to tell a

story.

Louis XIVLouis XIV

• Ruled for 72 years.– Got France into some

costly foreign wars over who should be the king of Spain.

– Outlawed the Huguenots, causing hundreds of thousands to immigrate to other countries and America.

– Outlived both his sons and three wives.

• Some grandsons too.

Louis XVLouis XV

• Became king at 5 years of age.

• Much more interested in “pleasures” than ruling.– But to say “no” to a king

was to say “no” to God.• Forced a lot of

people to do things they might not have wanted to do.

– Particularly women.

Gave a great deal of power to his mistressesGave a great deal of power to his mistresses

• Madame Pompadour was an unusually intelligent woman for that time.– Actually did a decent

job ruling France for the King.

– Even though the affair lasted 1742 – 1750, she wielded power until her death in 1764.

The taxes were being collected for a rich lifestyle for 1% of the people.The taxes were being collected for a rich lifestyle for 1% of the people.• Madame du Barry,

another of the King’s mistresses.– NOT a smart

woman.

90% of the people were starving in France90% of the people were starving in France

• There was no money for their needs.

• No nobility around to try to create a better life for the peasants.

Words from this time:Words from this time:

• Frivolous• Folly

Could the king continue to ignore the people?Could the king continue to ignore the people?

• THAT will be learned in the future!

• TIME was running out for absolutism in France.

Those that don’t remember history are condemned to repeat it:Those that don’t remember history are condemned to repeat it: