Age Of Absolutism Research Paper

Peter the Great is known as the "emperor Peter", who was the Tsar and first Emperor of Russia. Peter the Great is historically important because he is a great emperor in the Russian history. He led a cultural revolution that replaced some of the traditionalist, medieval social and political systems with ones that were modern, scientific, westernized. Peter's reforms made a lasting impact on Russia and many institutions of Russian government trace their origins to his reign. Peter the Great helped the society through the politics, and helped the economics advanced. Most importantly, he influenced on many other people.

Peter recognized that his country was falling behind the European countries in knowledge, technology, trade, and governing ability. Using his absolute power as a czar, he brought in foreign advisers to help him modernize, westernize and educate his people. Peter had a great respect for Europe, and his reforms had a lasting influence in Russia, though there was of course opposition from the more conservative nobles.

Absolute monarchy or absolutism means that the sovereign power or ultimate authority in the state rested in the hands of a king who claimed to rule by divine right. Kangxi and Louis XIV were both shining examples for absolutist rule. Age of Absolutism was between 1610 and 1789. Absolutism is a term used to depict a type of monarchical power that was not at all restrained by institutions, for example, legislatures, social elites, or churches.

Nicole Lee 2nd Period Honors World History November 3, 2014 Absolutism Absolutism was a way of rule that was developed in the mid 1600s in which one authority figure or monarch controlled and held all aspects of society. This political doctrine gave a single person virtually unlimited power to do as he or she pleased. It is debatable whether or not giving all this power to a single person was wise however, on certain occasions, there were rulers that used their sovereignty for good and put the needs of their people first.

Both Peter the Great and Catherine the Great were the former Emperors of Russia. They were the Russians ruler before the 17th century and also they were followers of Ivan IV. They used mysteries, dishonesty, etc for the foundation of their time, and they never thought that the Russia will have modernization. Mostly, the change came when Peter the Great and Catherine the Great came to power. Also, She expanded the territory of the Russian Empire and had improved as time pass by, and policy was following from the Westernization.

Absolutism is a form of government where all power and authority rests exclusively in the hands of monarchs. Jean Domat though that legitimacy of absolutism came from god and also from being unequal. He states in the text” because all men are unequal by nature that is to say by their basic humanity… People are differentiated by their status unequal which makes government necessary. Basically, Jean Domat thought absolutism was legit because he wanted everyone to go by the same laws, treated as somewhat equal and follow the same leader. People within the monarch were always to act in a certain manner. The first duty was obedience to the government it also included performing what was ordered, restraining from what was forbidden, shouldering public

The Age of Absolutism was an historical period when several rulers in Asia and Europe sought to centralize their political power. Citizens of their nations had experienced multiple types of rulers which led to them the belief that rulers should be a combination of leadership types. Since the citizens did not really know what they were looking for or wanted their nation to be, it led to giving king's absolute power over their provinces and countries. Over time the kings began to believe that their supreme power was given to them by God in a belief known as Divine Right. Absolutism first began with the country's need for money, their breakdown of feudalism, continuous warfare's, exploration and the declining of influence of the churches.

The 16th and 17th centuries in Europe marked a time of great change among the governments of the continent. The scientific revolution and enlightenment allowed for more rulers to keep their absolute power but also be a bit more tolerant and helpful to the people they ruled. The idea of having one person in charge kept political fights out of decision making as the King did what the King wanted which lessened the blood shed. Despite having some descenters the absolutism in Europe was a period of prosperity within the European countries. Absolutism helped bring centuries of prosperity to Europe has economies, populations, and some peace grew in Russia, Britain, and France from this period of absolute monarchies.

Absolutism is a system of government in which the ruler has total control. The Age of Absolutism was the period around the 17th and 18th centuries when Europe was ruled by very powerful monarchs. Monarchs ruled “by the grace of God.” There are quite a few monarchs that reigned during this time period, the Absolutist governments included France, Spain, Central Europe, and Russia. In France absolutism flourished and affected its political, economical, and socio-religious aspects in many ways.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "absolutism" as “the political situation where a monarch controls all aspects of government without any checks or balances.” Some of the most prominent examples of absolutism occurred in seventeenth century England with monarchs such as James I and his son, Charles I. Many historians agree that the fall of absolutism began in England during this time period. Absolutists based their theory of government on the Divine Right of Kings, which states that kings receive their authority directly from God and to challenge them would be a sin.

Absolute monarchy is the notion that the monarch rules will unlimited power, only omitted by divine law or natural law. During the seventeenth century, absolutism was ineffective in England, while it flourished in France. Comparatively, causes of its decline in England were similar to those of its former rise in France. These being; raging war(s), nobility power, religious tensions, and need for money. Whereas, the two countries were also different in respect of how each country’s monarch went about their divine right.

The foundation of absolutism was built in the late sixteenth century. The idea behind it is to centralize the monarch’s power ensuring he has control over all aspects of government along with religious power. There were many strong advocates of absolutism throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth century. In an attempt to defend absolutism to others, many of these advocates shared their justifications to such political beliefs. Among these justifications are: the belief in the divine right of kings, the necessity of a supreme ruler in government, and the “State of Nature”.

Of all the rulers in Europe that successfully used absolutism to create one of the strongest monarchy would be Louis XIV also known as "The Sun King" of France. He controlled France’s money and had various ways to get it, as well as keep his power, and he also knew how to delegate jobs to intelligent and loyal people. One of the ruler that was not successful in creating a strong and united monarchy using absolutism was the father and son of the Stuart dynasty who was James I and Charles I. These two never got along with the english parliament and always did things to upset their citizens and so they never were really popular nor respected amongst their people. The reason why absolute monarchy floundered in England but flourished in France was due mainly to the capability of ruler, the present political situations, and the economic stability of each country when the idea of absolute rule was introduced.

During the 16th Century there was a rise in absolutism power throughout European monarchs. “Absolutism, the political doctrine and practice of unlimited, centralized authority and absolute sovereignty, as vested especially in a monarch or dictator. The essence of an absolutist system is that the ruling power is not subject to regularized challenge or check by any other agency, be it judicial, legislative, religious, economic, or electoral” (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica). Thomas Hobbes and Jacques Benigne Bossuet were two theorist of the 16th century that wrote books and articles justifying absolute rule and the benefits of this form of government. Absolutism is an effective form of government as shown through the reign of Louis XIV in France between 1638-1715. Louis XIV’s ability to have successful internal affairs, foreign affairs, and financial stability made him a successful ruler.

The government theory of absolutism is defined as a single person having absolute authority over a country or state. The ruler is said to have gained his power from God, otherwise known as a divine right monarchy. This theory suggests that if the king was chosen by God, he would maintain supreme authority, because God Himself had supreme authority. Absolutism allowed the king to have the sole power to create laws, taxes, foreign policy, and settle issues within the states over which he ruled. This form of government was commonly used throughout Europe during the 17th century because it allowed for an attempt at a centralized government. During the reformation in Europe during the 16th and early 17th century, most forms of government were decentralized. This caused chaos and resulted in much religious warfare. The people believed a country controlled by a central ruler would unite and bring peace to their chaotic system.