Components of absolutism:
1.
Ambitious
dynasty
2.
Privileged
but loyal nobles
3.
A peasantry
devoid of rights dominated by nobles
4.
Emergence of
a standing army: war is the main function and expense of the state even during
peacetime.
CONTRAST WITH:
1.
Britain
2.
Netherlands
Countries with absolute
monarchies:
1.
France
(Bourbons, Louis XIV)
2.
Austria
(Habsbourgs)
3.
Prussia
(Hohenzollerns, Frederick William I)
4.
Sweden
(Charles XI and XII)
5.
Russia
(Romanovs, Peter the Great)
Patterns of absolutism:
1.
Role:
Benevolent but strict father, obedient subjects
2.
Need to raise
money for the military
3.
Alliance
between the crown and the nobles
4.
Peasants
losing their rights
5.
Cities losing
autonomy and tax exemptions, mayors became civil servants who bought the title,
government officials became residents
6.
Secularization
of domestic politics and international relations:
a.
Gallican
Church in France. Church appointments by the king, Ending the inquisition, reduced
church authority over marriages, control censorship, establishing state
supervision over education
b.
1716 – Peter
made Russian clergy to take an oath that they would not interfere with state
affairs. He abolished patriarchy, Westernized attire and many details of daily
life.
c.
war for state
reasons, not for religious reasons.
7.
Merging of
the state with the absolute ruler: I am the state.
8.
Symbolism
(uniforms, ceremonies- elaborate pageantry), architecture, art, city planning
(boulevards, geometric cities).
9.
Persecution
of religious minorities (heresy) (Hugenouts, Jansenists)
10.
Patronage
system
How do they fill state
coffers?
1.
Tax more
efficiently (rise of bureaucracy)
2.
Sell honors,
titles and hereditary offices (France)
3.
Sell royal
lands
4.
Sell
monopolies
5.
Tariffs on
imports
6.
Borrow from
financiers
Limits of Monarchic Power
Local powers and
interests
Finances
INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION
Balance of Power
(particularly important player- England)
FRANCE
Louis 14th – Versailles,
more than 10,000 nobles: eat, drinks, hunt, chase women, gamble.
Fronde
Elaborate etiquette,
fashion
Conde – prince supressed
the Fronde.
Regency
Mazarin
Parlement
Nobles of robe
Nobles of sword
Mercantalism –East India
Company –fail
PRUSSIA
Grew with the treaty of
Westphalia
Frederick III established
himself as the king: Frederick I
Frederick William I:
a.
Sergeant King:
turned palacae into military training center
b.
abandoned luxury tailors, only uniforms
c.
firstsystem
of military reserves in Europe.
Junkers
Kept privileges in
exchange for service to the monarch:
a.
Own land,
evict peasants, free from taxation
b.
the right to
export grains without tolls, duties, taxes.
c.
Seniorial
justice over their peasants
Serfdom
Bourgeoise had no power.!!!
Birth of modern
bureaucracy
RUSSIA
Ivan the Terrible, dies
in 1584
Time of Troubles
Peter the Great (ruled
1682-1725)
Muscovy: Sweden,
Poland-Lithuania, Crimean Tartars
Boyars
Chronic shortage of rural
labor
1649: official serfdom
Old believers
Westernization:
ship-making, clothing, etiquette, architecture (St. Petersbourg)
Abolished patriarchate
Two oaths in civil
service: one to him, one to state – distinguishes!
Russia lacked natural
resources and a big merchant class
St. Petersbourg
