Crisis+&+Absolutism+in+Europe

Brodie, Jake, Chase
 * Crisis & Absolutism in Europe ** 1550-1715

__" We shall cut off the Kings head with the crown upon it!"__ - **Oliver Cromwell**

The period of time that spanned from about 1550 to about 1715 was a very troublesome time. There were many things going on during this time that made being a prosperous country hard to do. Some examples of these troubles were religious insecurities, war, plague, new land, inbalance in government, and terrible rulers. Even though there were many bad things that happened during this time period there was a share of good things that happened. Some examples of these good things that happened during this time period would be worthy rulers, new thoughts and ideas, the beginning of religious equality, and a better government.

One of the most noticeable troubles of this time was the religous insecurities. An example that could show this was the feud between the Huguenots and the Catholics. Many of this time periods quarrels or feuds had to deal with religous differences, one such example is the Spanish Inquistion. The plague also hit pretty hard when it was introduced to this region of the world. This plague was very deadly and if you happened to be infected with this disease your chances of survival were slim to none and it was to the point where there were up to 1,000 reported deaths a week due to this nasty sickness. The reason why there was such an inbalance in government was because some people didnt agree with the fact that there was a monarchy and that the monarchy would control everything. This was especially true if there was a unfit ruler and they made bad desicions. So at one point a man by the name of Oliver Cromwell restored order by abolishing the monarch and the House of Lords by creating the Rump Parliament and beheading the king. This brought England to a commonwealth or "republic" which gave more rights to the people.

To go along with the troublesome times there were many influential times. Some good things that came about during this time was worthy rulers, new thoughts and ideas, the beginning of religous equality, and a better government. An example of a worthy ruler and the beginning to religouls equality was when Elizabeth Tudor I came to be the Queen of England. Once Queen she became the leader of Protestand Europe and abolished laws that had favored the Catholics. This thus gave a more equal setting for all religions that had made its place in Europe. That of course wasnt the only thing that was good about this time, there of course were other things such as the spread of new thoughts and ideas. One such invention came about and this invention was called the flintlock musket which was a weapon that had started to change war in the 1600's. This development of weapons made war a lot more dangerous giving soldiers a weapon that could kill from a distance other than the more traditional hand to hand combat. One man who was very interested in the West development was Peter the Great. He was a Russian czar who had traveled to Europe and saw all the new ideas and inventions and ultimately wanted to bring those ideas back to Russia thus wanting to westernize or Europeanize Russia. So I guess it could be said that without all these good and bad things coming about maybe life today would be a whole lot different than it is.

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Terms: __Inflation-__ A rise in prices that was a major economic problem that was caused by a huge influx of gold and sivler from the Americas and the growing population. __Witchcraft-__ The practice of magic by peope who were supposedly in league with the devil. This was one of the main religious zeals that led to the Spanish Inquisition. __Absolutism-__ A system in which a ruler holds total power. This system was tied to the idea of the divine right of kings which states that the rulers recieve their power from God. __Commonwealth-__ "Republic." After Charles I execution on January 30, 1649 the Parliament next ended the monarchy and House of Lords and then declared England a commonwealth or "Republic." __Armada-__ A fleet of warships. Philip II sent the Spanish Armada to invade England in the late 1500's but he didn't have enough power and the Spanish Armada was easily defeated. __Czar-__ The Russian word for Caesar. In the sixteenth century Ivan IV became the first ruler to hold the title of czar. __Boyars-__ The Russian nobility. Ivan had crushed the power of the boyars as he expanded his territories eastward. __Mercantilism-__ Dominated economic thought through the seventeenth century. Says that a nations prosperity of a nation depended on a large supply of bullion. __Militant-__ Combative religions. Calvinism and Catholicism were highly militant towards each other. __Junkers-__ A Prussina landed aristocracy that was made up of many officials of The Commissariat.

People: __William Shakespeare:__ He was the master of the English language and he was a actor, shareholder, and dramatist. He founded the acting company called the Lord Chamberlains Men and put on performances in many places for broad audiences especially in the Globe theatre. Queen Elizabeth I was even a fan of Shakespeares works. __Elizabeth I:__ Became Queen in 1558. She was claimed the only supreme governor of both church and state according to the Act of Supremacy. She was leader of the Protestant nations of Europe and abolished the laws favoring the Catholics which helped her solve some of the religious problems she had inherited from her half-sister Mary Tudor. __Oliver Cromwell:__ He was a man who was sick of the monarchy so he established the Rump Parliament and had King Charles I beheaded and the House of Lords abolished thus makeing England a commonwealth. __Louis XIV:__ "Sun King." A very powerful ruler who didn't want to share his power with anyone else. He chose the location for the builing of The Palace at Versailles and he tried to keep all of the nobles there so that he could keep an eye on them so they wouldn't plot to overthrow his power. Guy Fawkes: __Philip II:__ "Most Catholic King." He was the son of Charles V and his reign went from 1556 to 1598. Philip II ushered a age of Greatness for Spain both politically and culturally. He insisted on conformity to Catholicism and strong monarchical authority. __Cardinal Richelieu__: Louis XIII's chief minister. He strenghtened the power of the monarchy and he also took away the Huguenots military and political rights but kepth their religious rights. He also tamed the nobles by setting up a network of spies to uncover plots by the nobles to rebel against the government. __Peter the Great:__ Became czar in 1689. After he became czar he made a trip to the West. When he returned to Russia he wanted to Europeanize Russia and introduce European technology. John Locke: __Charles I__: Believed in the divine right of kings. Tried to impose more ritual on the church whic then led to thousands of Puritans escaping to the Americas. Oliver Cromwell had him executed on January 30, 1649.

Links: Palace at Versailles- Tells about the history of Versailles and it also tells about Louis the XIV and how he came about choosing that location for the palace. Spanish Inquisition- Gives a four paragraph description of the Spanish Inquisition and what happened during it and a important general of the Spanish Inquistion. Elizabeth I- These two web pages give a biography of the life before and during Queen Elizabeth I time as queen. The Globe Theatre- This webpage gives a description of the location, history, and layout of the Globe Theatre. It also has information on the shareholders of the building. The Spanish Armada- Gives information about the setting up of the Spanish Armada, the causes of the attack on England and some of the problems that led to the Spanish Armada's defeat. Habeas Corpus Act- Gives the definiton of the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679. Salem Witchcraft Trials- Gives a long explanation of the Witchcraft Trials and why this event happened. The London Plague- This webpage gives information about how the London Plague got spread and some facts about the London Plague. Thirty Years War- Gives a very extensive amount of information having to due with the Thirty Years War and many other related things to do with it. Rump Parliament- Gives a definintion of what the Rump Parliament was and how it came to be.



Timeline: 1520- Mannerism movement begins in Italy. 1558- Elizabeth I becomes queen of England. 1566- Violence erupts between Calvinists and Catholics in the Netherlands. 1598- French Wars of Rligion end. 1618- Thirty Years' War begins in Germany. 1648- Peace of Westphalia ends Thirty Years' War. 1689- Toleration Act of 1689 is passed in English Parliament. 1690- John Locke develops theory of gevernment. 1701- Frederick I becomes king of Prussia.