Charles V: Grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella Hapsburg Empire: Included HRE and Netherlands Constant warfare Enemy: Ottoman Empire Too scattered for one person to rule Divided empire and left to enter monastery

Philip II Son of Charles V Strengthened Catholic Church Made own power absolute Silver from Americas Isolated Absolute monarch: ruler with complete authority Divine right: believed his authority came directly from God

Attempted to advance Spanish Catholic power Defeated Ottomans Protestant rebellions in

Netherlands/Luxembourg Richest part of empire Opposed high taxes and Spanish rule 1581: Protestants declared independence

Became known as Dutch Netherlands Official recognition in 1648

Queen Elizabeth I was chief Protestant enemy Supported Dutch against Spain Encouraged English “Sea Dogs” to plunder treasure ships Looted Spanish cities in Americas

Spanish Armada Huge fleet to carry Spanish invasion force to England 1588 130 ships 20,000 men 2,400 pieces of artillery

Battle in English Channel Spain lost many ships

English ships were lighter and faster Storm blew in and scattered the Armada

Power and prosperity slowly declined Lack of strong leadership Phillip II’s successors weak Costly wars overseas Treasure from Americas led to neglecting farming and commerce Heavily taxed middle class

Weakening the group that supported royal power Expulsion of Muslims and Jews deprived economy of skilled

merchants and artisans American gold led to soaring inflation Late 1600s: France replaced Spain as most powerful European nation  

1560-1590 Huguenots (French Protestants) vs. Catholic

majority Tore France apart St. Bartholomew’s Day 1572: Royal wedding

celebration Massacre of 3,000 Huguenots Day symbolized complete breakdown of order in

France

1589: Huguenot Prince inherited throne Became Catholic

“Paris is well worth a Mass” Edict of Nantes: 1598

To protect Protestants Religious toleration

Goal of “a chicken in every pot” Government

Justice, roads, bridges, agriculture Reduced influence of nobles Royal absolutism

Killed by assassin in 1610 Son Louis XIII inherited throne

1624: Appointed Cardinal Armand Richelieu Sought to destroy Huguenots and nobles Outlawed armies

Disorder Fronde

Uprising Nobles, merchants, poor rebelled

“I am the state” Divine right Took sun as symbol of divine power Estates General did not meet

Strengthened royal power Strongest army in Europe 300,000 soldiers

Finance minister Mercantilist policies Farming, mining High tariffs on imported goods Encouraged overseas colonies in Americas Wealthiest state in Europe

Louis turned royal hunting lodge into immense palace

Spared no expense Symbol of wealth Housed 10,000 people Nobles and servants Elaborate court ceremonies Levee: ritual of rising

Hold royal wash basin, handing king his diamond buckled shoes

At night, ceremony repeated in reverse

Ruled for 72 years French culture replaced Italy as the “standard” for European

taste Wars

Poured vast resources into wars Gained some territories

English and Dutch fought to maintain balance of power Wars of Spanish Succession

Philip V of France inherited throne of Spain European powers worked to prevent alliance France signed Treaty of Ultrecht in 1713 to end wars Agreed not to unite two crowns

Persecuted Huguenots by revoking Edict of Nantes 100,000 fled Among most hardworking and prosperous of Louis’s subjects

1485-1603 Ruled by Tudor dynasty Divine right Valued good relations with Parliament Henry VIII

Consulted Parliament, but they often did what he wanted

Elizabeth I Consulted and controlled Parliament Popular and successful ruler

Elizabeth died in 1603 without an heir Throne passed to Stuarts

Ruling family of Scotland Neither as popular nor skilled as Tudors

James I Claimed divine right House of Commons fiercely disputed him Dissolved Parliament Dissenters: Protestants who differed with Church of

England Puritans New translation of the bible (King James Version)

1625: inherited throne Absolute monarch Imprisoned foes, squeezed nation for money

Petition of Right Prohibited king from raising taxes without consent of

Parliament or imprisoning anyone w/o just cause Dissolved parliament in 1629

Created bitter enemies Strict Anglican rules: people feared Catholic revival

Calvinists Scots rebelled Summoned parliament in 1640 Revolt

1640 Lasted until 1653 Actions triggered greatest political revolution

in English history Tried and executed chief ministers Parliament can not be dissolved Abolition of bishops Charles led troops into House of Commons Parliament raised own army

Lasted from 1642-1649 Major challenge to absolutism Odds favored Cavaliers (Supporters of Charles

I) (Roundheads) Forces of Parliament

Oliver Cromwell New Model Army Defeated Cavaliers

Put king on trial Condemned him to death

“Tyrant, traitor, murderer, public enemy” Beheaded 1st time a ruling monarch was executed by own

people Sent signal that no ruler could claim absolute

power and ignore the law

House of Commons abolished monarchy, House of Lords, official Church of England

Declared a republic Oliver Cromwell led Supporters of Charles II attacked England 1652: Parliament exiled most Catholics to land

west of Ireland Levellers suppressed

Rule of Saints Root out godlessness Sunday set aside for religious observance Closed all theatres Frowned on dancing, taverns, gambling Read the bible Education of all people Religious freedom Welcomed Jews back

Cromwell died in 1658 Puritans lost England 1660: newly elected Parliament invited Charles

II back from exile Restoration of monarchy Puritan ideas endured Limited monarchy

Inherited throne Flaunted Catholic faith…feared he would restore Holy

Catholic Church William and Mary (daughter and her husband) invited to

rule Bloodless overthrow English Bill of Rights

Required monarch to summon parliament regularly Parliament- power of the purse Banned Catholic from sitting on the throne Trial by jury No excessive fines/cruel and unusual punishment Habeas corpus- no person could be held without being charged

for a crime Religious freedom

Voltaire- French philosopher Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman,

nor an empire Patchwork of small states Electors North Protestant South Catholic

Religious and political causes Began in Bohemia Protestants tossed two officials out of a castle

window in Prague Sparked revolt Widened into general European war HR emperor tried to roll back the Reformation

Fighting took toll Armies burned villages, destroyed crops and killed without

mercy Murder and torture Famine and disease Wolves stalked deserted streets Severe depopulation 1/3 of entire German population died in the war Peace in 1648 Peace of Westphalia Netherlands and Swiss Federation recognized as

independent Left Germany divided into 360 states

Emerged as new protestant power Hohenzollern rulers united lands Frederick William I

Best-trained army in Europe Frederick II

Seized Silesia from Austria Made Prussia a great power

1750 Great Powers of Europe:

Austria Prussia France England Russia

Formed alliances to maintain balance Rivalries

Prussia vs. Austria Britain vs. France

Seven Years’ War Prussia, Austria, Russia, France, Britain battled in Europe On 4 continents Treaty of Paris ended wars Gave Britain huge empire