Absolutism was a time in history when kings and queens would rule their countries with complete power and authority. The five guiding principles that monarchs used to rule their country are as follow. The first one is that, a ruler should rule their country or Principality with absolute authority, the second one is that, “Might makes right” which is if the ruler has the power to do something then they should do it and they do not need to explain themselves, the third principle is that, a ruler should us military force when necessary to keep a country well defended and safe, the fourth is that, that ruler should not be worried about whether or not he or she is loved or feared but instead should focus on ruling the country in the best way possible. The final principle is a ruler should elect an able body of advisors to help in ruling the country. The five guiding principles of ruling a country impacted the countries of the monarchs who reigned during the Absolute Era in many ways. Three of these monarchs that that used the guiding principle were, Queen Elizabeth I, who ruled over England for 45 years from 1558 to 1603, King Louis XIV who ruled over France for 79 years from 1638 to 1715, and Catherine the Great ruled Russia as empress for 34 years from 1762 until 1796. The first monarch is Queen Elizabeth I, who used the guiding principles to rules England. Queen Elizabeth used her might to keep herself safe and did not give the reason ast why she had done this. For example, “When Mary [Queen of Scots] fled to England in 1568 to escape problems in Scotland, Elizabeth put her in prison. Later Mary plotted with Philip II’s [king of Spain] ambassadors in England to kill Elizabeth and seize the throne. Elizabeth found out about the pla... ... middle of paper ... ...an. 2014. "Catherine II." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. . "Elizabeth I 1533–1603 English Queen." Renaissance: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. Paul F. Grendler. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. 44-47. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. "Elizabeth I,." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. . "Louis XIV." Arts and Humanities Through the Eras. Ed. Edward I. Bleiberg, Et Al. Vol. 5: The Age of the Baroque and Enlightenment 1600-1800. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 64-66. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. "Louis XIV." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. .
Elizabeth I was the queen of England from 1558 to 1603. Elizabeth I had many qualities of an absolute ruler and these qualities helped her to make a stronger England. Among the areas that Elizabeth I had absolute power were, her total control of politics in her country, her complete ability to use the military to keep and increase her power, and her complete influence over the social and cultural situation of England.
Enlightened absolutism is a form of absolute monarchy inspired by the Enlightenment. During the 18th century, the Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that spread across Europe and beyond. The thinkers of the Enlightenment, known as philosophes, introduced ideas from the advances in science to change the way that people thought about government and society. Philosophes wanted to replace superstition, tyranny, and injustice with reason, tolerance, and legal equality. Many rulers in Europe and Russia used certain ideals of enlightened absolutism to govern their people and state. Although rulers agreed to some aspects of the ideals they were not true believers of the reforms. To maintain their power, they convinced society that they were
Doran, Susan, et al. "Elizabeth I." World History in Context. Gale, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
Elizabeth I, daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn, a reputable young queen who was only 25 years old when she earned the title The Queen of Great England in 1558. After being crowned a queen, Elizabeth started bringing success to her people and country that she had been recognized as one of the most successful and significant monarchs England ever had. Her noticeable character was engraved deep inside the history of England as a country and Europe as a continent; her mark could not have been passed by unnoticed, and it is only appropriate to bring light upon it.
Frightfully stimulated as a child from a home intrusion by Parisians during an aristocratic revolt in 1651, Louis XIV realized his rule would be decisive, militant, and absolute (458). His lengthy reign as Frances’ king and how he ruled would be the example that many countries throughout Europe would model their own regimes under. With this great authority also came greater challenges of finance and colonization. In the 17th century, the era of absolute monarchs were the means to restore European life (458).
Elizabeth the first, born on September 7, 1533, is the most different and intriguing monarch in the English history (Dunn). Elizabeth is known as the Virgin Queen all of her reign. She used that image to keep out of marriage, prevent war and become one of the most beloved monarchs of the people. This image helped her also fend off Mary Queen of Scots claim to the throne. Between her vivacious and often volatile personality she led her kingdom well up until the day she died on March 24, 1603 (Alchin). The kingdom went into genuine morning for their queen of The People who had made herself loved by all of her subjects.
During the late 17th and early 18th century, many European nations such as France and Russia were absolute monarchies. Even countries such as England had kings who at least attempted to implement absolutism. Indeed the concept of absolutism, where the monarch is the unquestionably highest authority and absolute ruler of every element in the realm, is certainly appealing to any sovereign. However, this unrestricted power was abused, and by the end of the 18th century, absolutism was gone. Absolutism failed because the monarchs' mistreatment of the population caused the people to revolt against their rule and policies. There are many factors which caused this discontent. For one, there was a great loss of human lives. Louis XIV of France participated in four wars, while Peter of Russia ruthlessly executed anyone who stood against his will. Secondly, monarchs attempted to change religious beliefs. This was notable in England where rulers such as James II desired to convert the Anglican nation into Catholicism. Finally, the burden of taxation was more than the population could support. France was brought into huge foreign debt, English kings constantly attempted to raise money, and Peter of Russia increased taxes by 550 percent. These are some of the key reasons why absolutism failed in Europe.
Monarchy was not at all a new institution in the 15th, 16th, or 17th centuries. It wasn’t even very different with respect to the goals that prevailed in each monarchy. However, the differences between the New and Absolute Monarchy come in the way of the methods, theories, and conditions prevalent throughout the different monarchical reigns.
According to the text book, an absolute monarch is a king or queen who has unlimited power and seeks to control all aspects of society (McDougall little, 1045). In more simple terms, it is a ruler who can do just about anything without having to get permission from anyone, or having to worry about the repercussions. This was a trend that started in the 1600’s by European leaders who were rich, and didn’t like to be told what to do. These conflicts arose with the States-General in France, or Parliament in England who had substantial control. The first countries to have absolute rulers were the traditionally strong countries, such as England, Spain, and of course Louis XIV’s France.
One of the most important elements of Versailles that affected Louis XIV’s reign was the use of propaganda. The Palace contained “paintings, statues, tapestries” (Page) and a general grandness that significantly promoted Louis’ name. Louis himself was a “prominent subject in the artwork” (Montclos 330) and was portrayed as handsome and god-like. Even in the aspects of the Palace where Louis wasn’t literally being represented, the grand nature of Versailles sent out a message that the King was living lavishly, and was therefore very powerful. Louis XIV used the grandiosity of his Palace and the art inside to promote himself to his people.
Queen Elizabeth I of England, was an iconic ruler during the Golden Age of England, and arguably one of the most well known and successful rulers of her time. Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, reigned over England from 1558 until her death in 1603. When Elizabeth took the throne after the death of her half sister, Mary I, England was in a poor economic state. Throughout her time as Queen, Elizabeth was able to repair the economic debt held by England, as well as mend relations within society, caused by many things including religious wars. While these accomplishments were impressive, what was most lasting about her reign is that Elizabeth reigned by herself for the entire time. Elizabeth ruled in a man’s world, making
“I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king-and a king of England too,” (“Elizabeth I” BBC). These were the words that came out of Queen Elizabeth’s mouth. She was the ruler of England from 1559 until her death in 1603. She was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. She was born on September 7, 1533 at the Greenwich Palace, London. (“Queen Elizabeth I” Royal). Elizabeth is best known for the Golden Age of England, also known as the Elizabethan Era (“Queen Elizabeth I” Bio), and also defeating the Spanish Armada. She was crowned queen on January 15, 1559 by Owen Oglethorpe, bishop of Carlisile at Westminster Abbey (“Elizabeth I”, Queen). Elizabeth was strong-minded, but was not a stubborn ruler. She always listened to everybody’s advice, and was devoted to her people. She was strong, able, and independent, but Elizabeth was flexible. She balanced the interests of different people in court (Frey, 341). It is said that she showed her father’s view of the monarchy, and showed great wisdom by refusing directly to the Parliament (“Elizabeth I” Britannia). Queen Elizabeth never married, because she thought that her husband would take over her power. She said that she was married to the people of England (Frey, 341). She never wanted to use the promises of marriage for political purposes (Elizabeth I BBC). England had it’s Golden Age under her rule. She supported education, fashion, literature, theater, and dance. She strengthened England’s economy. She also agreed to have English trading companies in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. She was able to fund Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Rale...
Larmann, R., & Shields, M. (2011). Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe (1400–1750). Gateways to Art (pp. 376-97). New York: W.W. Norton.
A beginner's guide to the Age of Enlightenment. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2017, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/rococo/a/a-beginners-guide-to-the-age-of-enlightenment
“The queen was intense, intellectual and hard to please, a strong willed and outspoken woman who ruled in an era when women were silent, especially when it came to public matters such as religion or politics” (Yancey 17). “English women were considered the weaker and lesser intelligent sex, and their options in life were limited, but they were not overprotected or confined to the home” (Yancey 56). “There was no right to free speech or freedom of the press in Elizabethan England” (Benson 142-4). “the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) that is often considered to be the golden age in English history” (Benson 181). “The population rose significantly during her reign, to about 4.1 million” (Benson 183). Even though it was a height in civilization it had its downfalls. “England’s farming economy was forever changed by the outbreak of a terrible plaque, or infectious disease… killing more than one-fourth of the population in a few years” (Benson 182). “Smallpox, scarlet fever and tuberculosis were just a few of the diseases that regularly killed thousands of people” (Yancey 35). “Elizabethans rarely drank water because it was impure and could lead to sickness.” (Benson 188). “In Elizabethan England one’s ...