Absolute Monarchs Pros And Cons

During the early 1600s, a series of crop failures termed the "little ice age" wrecked havoc in Europe. This period was quickly followed by the Price Revolution, a massive inflation due to a currency surplus, which destroyed the European economy. Both of these events greatly weakened the current feudal government, allowing absolute monarchs to establish power over their countries. Many of these monarchs took similar paths when gaining power, mimicking each other in their ideas and actions. In the 1600s and 1700s, absolute monarchs similarly grew and consolidated their power by supporting the image of divine right, asserting control over the nobility, and growing their militaries.

Many absolute monarchs consolidated their power by establishing

Frederick William I, the "Soldier King", consolidated his power by forcing all men to receive military training so that they could be kept in reserve. The only way for a king to raise an army previously was to ask the nobility if they could borrow their guards. Frederick William I, by creating his own military, became a completely independent absolute monarch. Louis XIV created a French army in this image, going as far as to standardize uniforms, weapons, and training regiments. Despite all of these military improvements, the most significant change was in Russia. Peter the Great, after returning from a tour of Western Europe, realizes that a great country is determined by its strong military and is determined to create one of his own. Peter the Great not only required all nobles to serve in the military but he forced every man, peasant or noble, to start at the same rank. This simple move not only increased military power but decreased the power of the nobility as well, creating an ideal situation for absolute power. Every great nation needs a military and all great absolute rulers established a firm military presence on their quest for