3.7 - Absolutist Approaches to Power

The Rise of Absolutist Rulers (1648-1850)

Introduction: Between 1648 and 1850, European monarchs saw their power grow significantly, marking the height of absolutism. Absolutism refers to a form of governance where political power is concentrated in the hands of the monarch, often at the expense of the nobility and the church.

Definition of Absolutism:

• Absolutism is the process by which political power shifted away from the nobility and the church, concentrating in the hands of the monarch. This allowed the monarch to hold the majority of power within the state.

Factors Leading to Absolutism:

• Weakened Influence of the Church: The Protestant Reformation and the Peace of Westphalia reduced the Catholic Church's influence, leading to greater tolerance of Protestant practices and less interest in religious warfare.

• Economic Changes: The expansion of global trade led to the rise of merchant classes who supported absolutist monarchs for the stability they could provide.

Consolidation of Power by Monarchs:

• Weakening the Nobility: Absolute monarchs reduced the power of the noble class by creating large bureaucracies that handled the administration of the kingdom. These bureaucrats were directly answerable to the king, unlike the nobility, who had previously held significant administrative power.

Key Absolutist Monarchs:

• James I of England:

  • Influenced by the idea of the divine right of kings, James I believed that his authority came directly from God and that he was answerable only to God, not to Parliament or the people.

  • His attempts at absolutism were thwarted by the English tradition of limited monarchy, established by the Magna Carta, leading to the English Civil War and the failure of his absolutist ambitions.

• Philip II of Spain:

  • Philip II reached the peak of absolutism in Spain by uniting the Iberian Peninsula and repelling the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean.

  • However, his reign also saw the decline of Spain’s power due to the rebellion in the Spanish Netherlands and the failure of the Spanish Armada.

• Louis XIV of France:

  • Known for his famous phrase "L'état, c'est moi" ("I am the state"), Louis XIV epitomized absolutism by centralizing power and reducing the influence of the nobility through the intendant system and the construction of the Palace of Versailles.

  • Louis also imposed religious uniformity by revoking the Edict of Nantes, which led to the persecution of Protestants (Huguenots) and their emigration from France.

• Peter the Great of Russia:

  • Peter the Great transformed Russia into a more modern state by westernizing its political, cultural, and religious institutions.

  • He required nobles to serve in the army or civil administration, reorganized the Russian Orthodox Church, and even imposed a beard tax to enforce Western cultural norms.

  • Despite the harshness of his reforms, Peter’s efforts brought Russia into the mainstream of European development.