Age of Absolutism

The Age of Absolutism takes its name from a series of European monarchs who increased the power of their central governments.  Students are charged with exploring and researching an assigned monarch form the Age of Absolutism.  Each group (of three) will construct a Blog that address two main points from the Major Themes of European History.

Introduction:

Absolutism in Europe was a theory of kingship whereby the monarch ruled a centralized state with absolute sovereignty. Possessing unlimited power, he was not subject to any laws but those of God. Absolutism prevailed from the 15th century to the end of the 18th century and was often used as a unifying force in the consolidation of nation-states. Today, an absolute monarch would be known as a dictator. The theoretical justification for absolutism was derived from various sources and traditions, including the Bible and the practices of ancient civilizations. Above all, two influential figures validated absolutism in the 17th century. In France, Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet  affirmed that absolute power could be justified through the divine right of kings  to rule—an authority given to monarchs directly by God. Since the monarch was God's representative on Earth, his decisions became law without any accountability. In other words, whoever challenged the monarch was challenging God. Political theorist Thomas Hobbes of England, on the other hand, justified absolutism politically rather than religiously. In Leviathan (1651) , Hobbes wrote that absolute monarchy was the only system of government capable of maintaining order among the unruly masses. Practical considerations also accounted for absolutism. After the calamitous 14th century, people were ready to accept a strong monarch, especially if he restored order from chaos. The Protestant Reformation contributed to absolutism as well. Papal influence had weakened in many states, and secular affairs needed guidance from a powerful ruler. To establish order and control, monarchs required a bureaucracy , which in turn helped to maintain central authority. Bureaucrats were responsible for collecting taxes, enforcing laws and royal decrees, and gathering information. With the taxes collected by bureaucrats, monarchs could establish large, standing armies, which further consolidated their power. In addition, 15th-century mercantile policies, which produced unimaginable wealth, contributed to the rise of absolutism. The mercantile notion of a national, self-sufficient economy stimulated production and generated surpluses. To maintain that prosperity, monarchs regulated all aspects of economy and industry and built navies to protect their trade.

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Unit Objectives

1. Identify the critical attributes of absolutism
2. Create a definition of absolutism
3. Describe the political changes in Europe during the Age of Absolutism
4. Construct histories within the context of the monarchies during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries
5. synthesize historic evidence to construct a historiography using major historical themes
6. Identify modern examples of Absolutism

The state of monarchy is the supremest thing upon earth; for kings are not only God’s lieutenants upon earth, and sit upon God’s throne, but even by God Himself they are called gods… Kings justly gods, for they exercise a… divine power upon earth… God hath power to create or destroy, make or unmake at His pleasure, to give life or sent death to judge and to be judged nor accountable to none, to raise low things and to make high things low at His pleasure… And the like power of kings… 

-King James IV/I of Britain, 1609