Absolutism and Constitutionalism in Western Europe: 1589-1715

ABSOLUTISM AND CONSTITUTIONALISM IN WESTERN EUROPE: 1589-1715
èAbsolutism: derived from belief in “divine right of kings”
sovereignty: embodied in the person of the ruler
Jean Bodin (1530-96): gave theoretical basis for absolutist states; wrote during Fr. civil wars
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679: Leviathan
state of nature: anarchy results; central drive in every man is power
Man’s life in a “state of nature” was “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short strong,”
Ideas most closely identified with Voltaire: Enlightened Despotism (18th c.)
è Constitutionalism
John Locke, Second Treatise – natural rights: life, liberty and property
state of nature: humans reasonable & well disposed but handicapped by lack of gov’t
(Note: Rousseau’s “state of nature”-- humans essentially good but a few men take
property and resources corrupting communities. i.e., civilization corrupted humans; sought economic equality whereas Locke sought equality of opportunity)
French Absolutism in late 16th through mid-17th centuries
Henry IV (Henry of Navarre) (1589-1610) – Bourbon dynasty
Duke of Sully (1560-1641): his reforms enhanced power of the monarchy
mercantilism: increased role of state in the economy
reduced royal debt, reformed tax collection, and improved transportation
Louis XIII (1610-43):
His regency plagued by corruption & mismanagement (mom ruled until he was of age)
è Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642): laid foundation for absolutism in France
Intendant System: sought to weaken nobility
Replaced local officials w/ civil servants who reported directly to the king
Largely filled by middle-class
Further developed mercantilism: increased taxation to fund military
Peace of Alais (1629): Huguenots lost fortified cities & Protestant armies
Began dictionary to standardize the French language
Foreign policy, esp. 30 Years’ War, weakened Hapsburg Empire
è Louis XIV (r. 1643-1715) – the “Sun King” L’état, c’est moi (“the state is myself”)
Best model of absolutism in Europe
Cardinal Jules Mazarin (1602-1661) : controlled France while Louis XIV a child
The Fronde: aborted revolution directed against Mazarin
“Divine Right theory of rule”: Bishop Jacques Bossuet
France had largest population in Europe (17 million): Accounted for 20% of pop.
Versailles Palace: became a pleasure prison for the French nobility
Religious Policies
Edict of Fountainbleau—revoked Edict of Nantes
Repressed Jansenism (a kind of Calvinism within Catholic Church)
Mercantilism
Jean Baptiste Colbert (1661-1683):promoted mercantilism esp. “bullionism”
His goals was self-sufficiency for France; built roads & canals; gov’t supported monopolies; cracked down on guilds
è By 1683, France leading industrial country: textiles, mirrors, lacemaking,
foundries for steel making and firearms
Weaknesses:
Poor peasant conditions (esp. taxation) resulted in large emigration
Louis opted for army instead of navy; France later lost naval wars w/ England
War in later years nullified Colbert’s gains; Louis at war for 2/3 of his reign
French Classicism
Art: Nicholas Poussin (1593-1665)
Drama: Moliere (1622-1673)
Jean Baptiste Racine (1639-1699)







è Wars of Louis XIV: initially successful but eventually ruinous to France
Creation of modern army
William of Orange (later King William III of England) thwarted Louis’ expansionism
War of Devolution (First Dutch War), 1667-68
Second Dutch War (1672-78) – Invasion of the Dutch Rhineland
Peace of Nijmegan (1678-79): France took Franche-Comté from Spain
League of Augsburg (formed in 1686): HRE, Spain, Sweden, Bavaria, Saxony, Dutch Rep.
War of the League of Augsburg (1688-97) – ( King William’s War): ended in status quo
William of Orange (now king of England) brought England in against France.
War of Spanish Succession (1701-13) – (Queen Anne’s War)
will of Charles II (Hapsburg king): all Spanish territories to grandson of Louis XIV
Grand Alliance: England, Dutch Rep., HRE, Brandenburg, Portugal, Savoy
Battle of Blenheim (1704)
Treaty of Utrecht (1713):
Britain was biggest winner: gained asiento from Spain, Gibraltar and Minorca.
partitioned Spanish possessions: Belgium given to Austria
Louis’ grandson enthroned, prevented unification of Bourbon dynasties.
Kings recognized in Sardinia (Savoy) and Prussia (Brandenburg)
Costs of Louis XIV’s wars: destroyed French economy, depopulation, weakened Louis XIV.

è Decline of the Spanish Empire (although it remained most powerful military until mid-17th c.)
Spanish Armada, 1588
loss of middle class: Moriscos and Marranos (+ Moors and Jews a century earlier)
inflation
taxation
large number of privileged people who hated work
religion overshadowed politics
defeat in 30 Years’ War: politically and economically disastrous
1640, Portugal reestablished independence.
Treaty of the Pyranees (1659): marked end of Spain as a Great Power
loss of parts of Spanish Netherlands and territory in northern Spain to France
Population in 1660 had declined to 5.5 million from 7.5 million in 1550
Charles II (1665-1700): one of worst rulers in Hapsburg history
No heir to throne resulted in War of Spanish Succession
Spain lost most possessions at Treaty of Utrecht (1713)
Decline of Spain exemplified in Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes (1605)










Constitutionalism in England
James I: belief in “divine right of kings”
King of Scotland; son of Mary “Queen of Scots”
Leadership of Church went to those with Arminian beliefs (predestination but
with “good works”)
Archbishop Laud tried to impose Catholic-style ritual; Puritans dismayed
King claimed “no bishop, no king” to Puritan demand to end bishop control.
Monarchy plagued by lack of revenue (expensive was of Elizabeth drained treasury)
Charles I (1625-1649): sought to rule without Parliament and to control the Anglican Church
Petition of Right, 1628: Parliament attempt to bribe king (taxes) in return for
accepting Parliament’s right to tax, habeas corpus, no quartering, and no
martial law in peacetime
Charles dissolved Parliament in 1629; did not reconvene until 1640
Religious persecution most important reason for civil war: led by Archbishop Laud
Long Parliament – summoned in 1640 (after failure of 2-month “Short Parliament”)
In return for granting taxation, Parliament made demands:
certain high leaders be tried: (Laud eventually executed)
Star Chamber abolished
Parliament could not be dissolved w/o its consent
è The English Civil War (Puritan Revolution; Great Rebellion) – 1642-1649
Cavaliers: supported the king
Roundheads, Puritans opposed king; Oliver Cromwell led “New Model Army”
major issues of the war
Battle of Nasby: Final major battle of war; Scottish Army assisted Cromwell
Division resulted between Presbyterians in Parliament (majority) and soldiers who
were independent and sought congregationalism
New Sects:
Levellers: Radical religious revolutionaries; sought social and political reform.
Quakers: believed in “inner light”; rejected church authority; pacifists
“Rump Parliament”: Pride’s Purge removed all non-Puritans and Presbyterians
from Parliament
Charles I beheaded in 1649
Interregnum: 1649-1660 rule without king
The Commonwealth (1649-1653): a republic – abolished monarch and House of Lords
The Protectorate (1653-1659), Oliver Cromwell Lord Protector (Dictatorship)











è The Restoration (1660-1688)
Parliament in 1660 reelected according to old franchise: Anglicans back in power
Charles II “The Merry Monarch” (1660-1685): Stuarts restored to the throne
Declaration of Breda: Charles agreed to abide by Parliament’s demands
The Clarendon Code, 1661: Anglicans excluded Dissenters (Puritans) from politics
Declaration of Indulgence, 1673: Charles II granted free worship to Catholics
Test Act of 1673: all officeholders must take communion in Anglican Church
Was Anglican response to Declaration of Indulgence
Habeas Corpus Act (1679): no arbitrary arrest and speedy trial
Parliament was split and fragmented into two political parties
Tories: king’s supporters, nobles
Whigs: middle-class and merchants; also high aristocracy
Scotland gained its independence in 1660 as result of Restoration
Charles attempted to impose Anglicanism in Scotland; war resulted
James II (1685-1688): sought to Catholicize England; forced to abdicate
èGlorious Revolution (1688)
William III (William of Orange) and Mary: Protestantism secured in England
Act of Toleration: granted religious freedom (except to Catholics, Jews, and
Unitarians
Bill of Rights (1689): constitutional monarchy
British Constitution: consisted of habeas corpus act, petition of right, and bill of rights
John Locke: Two Treatises on Government: philosophical argument for supremacy of
Parliament
Act of Settlement (1701): only Anglican could succeed to the throne
War of the League of Augsburg (1688-97) – (King William’s War) – (see wars of Louis XIV)
Queen Anne (1702-1714):
Act of Union (1707) – English and Scottish Parliaments merged = Great Britain
Royal veto used for last time
èCabinet System of preparing laws for Parliament developed during early 18th century
Hanoverian Kings: George I, George II, George III
Prime minister became leader of cabinet and responsible to majority party in the
House of Commons.
Robert Walpole (1721-1742) became first prime minister
Weaknesses of British democracy (c. 1800)
Limited suffrage
unfair representation (“rotton boroughs”)
open voting
religious-property requirements for office
hereditary House of Lords
United Provinces of the Netherlands: 17th century = “Golden Age of the Netherlands”
è Confederation of 7 provinces: each province autonomous with its leader--stadtholder
wealthiest and most civilized country in Europe
Calvinism and Arminianism
Amsterdam became center of commerce (replacing Antwerp)
Impact of War of Spanish Succession (Treaty of Utrecht)
Sweden: Gustavus Adolphus (1611-32) reorganized gov’t; nobles dominated army & bureaucracy