The Age of Absolutism - Expository Pragraphs - Assignment Example

The Age of Absolutism- Expository Paragraphs Table of Contents Renaissance, Reformation Contributing Factors to the Absolutism Age 3 2. Three MostImportant Lessons for Great Monarchs, Three Most Important Not to Do Recommendations 3 3. Highlighting the Transition from the Renaissance to the Exploration Age, the How of the Periods Direct Connection to Absolutism 4 4. Similarities and Differences of the Reigns of Russias Peter the Great and Frances Louis XIV 5 5. Similarities and Differences of Englands Elizabeth I and Austrias Maria Theresa 6 6. The Bad and the Good of Absolute Monarchy as Demonstrated in Palaces Such as the El Escorial, Versailles and St. Petersburg 7 7. Why the Peasant and Serf Masses Were Willing to Support Absolute Monarchies 8 8. Comparison and Contrast of the Reigns of Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great and Maria Theresa 9 9. Three Absolute Monarchs, How They Increased/Brought Ideals of Humanism Into Their Respective Countries 10 References 12 1. Renaissance, Reformation Contributing Factors to the Absolutism Age The literature tells us that in practice, the monarchies undertook various measures to make sure that they had absolute control of power over their territories. The nobles became the subjects of the king, and the monarchy also made sure to dilute the power and influence of the assemblies of representation. This consolidation, the belief in order and power, arguably have their roots in the focus on the material and the worldly in the Renaissance, as well as the strengthening of the distinctions along class lines during the prior two periods. These developments augured well for the monarchies being given the philosophical as well as the social underpinnings for the Absolutism age, with the king securely in command and in control of his jurisdiction. It can be said too that the Renaissance and the Reformation brought into life forces in France that were especially conducive to the rise of Absolutism, as evidenced by the fact that it was in France as well as in Spain that royal absolutism first took root effectively as the normative mode of organizing power (Pearson, 2010; History World International, n.d.) 2. Three Most Important Lessons for Great Monarchs, Three Most Important Not to Do Recommendations Three of the most important lessons for Great Monarchs revolve around the effective actions of the Louis XIV, who was most effective in establishing the parameters of his power and can be construed as having set up a template on how to effectively run the state with the king firmly entrenched at the center of that states power and universe. One, he made sure that the nobles answered to him and respected the power structure that the great monarch set up, while at the same time making sure that the nobility had a place in that power structure. As long as the nobility respected the power of the king, they continued to enjoy their privileges and their social standing, This meant that their social standing as nobles came to depend on the perpetuation of the power structure where the king had absolute power. Two, the great monarch made sure that he controlled government to the exclusion of other key parties, including the nobility. Three, the king made sure to support culture and the arts, knowing that these can be used as instruments to further entrench himself in power and to embed the monarchy in the social and cultural fabric of the country. Three recommendations on what not to do, meanwhile, revolve around avoiding the mistakes of the Spanish monarchy. One, do not let internal controls of territories go weak to the point that portions can attempt to cede. This is a failure of power. Two, tied to this, do no let the monarchys armies go weak. Three, do not wage external wars that you cannot win (Pearson, 2010; History World International, n.d.). 3. Highlighting the Transition from the Renaissance to the Exploration Age, the How of the Periods Direct Connection to Absolutism The transition from the Age of the Renaissance to the Age of Exploration is said to be a natural progression, with the Renaissance providing the philosophical and moral foundation and fuel for the age of exploration that followed. There are several strains to this transition and fuel, One is that the exploration age is a natural offshoot of the Renaissance drive to discover and to learn, to see farther. This is the why and the what of the exploration age. Second, there was an economic impetus to seek out new territories in search of riches and economic gain, apart from the philosophical yearnings and the yearning to discover for knowledges sake. A third strain is tied to the drive for religious conversion of non-Christians in the rest of the world, a missionary zeal. A fourth strain is political and cultural, with the growth of the European territories naturally translating to a desire to project political and cultural influences outward to new territories (Kreis, 2002). This transition directly ties to the absolutism age, in that the exploration age enabled the kings to amass economic and political power, and to leverage that power to consolidate their control over their territories and kingdoms (Pearson, 2010; History World International, n.d.; Kreis, 2002). 4. Similarities and Differences of the Reigns of Russias Peter the Great and Frances Louis XIV The two monarchs share many similar strategies to consolidate their hold on power, with both of the kings making use of deliberate actions to make sure that the nobility did not interfere with the monarchys running of the affairs of the government, and basically removing the fangs of the noble families who had the potential to agitate for change and to challenge the power of the monarchy in government, politics and the running of the state finances. In the case of Peter the Great too, the consolidation of power extended to making sure that the Church was subordinated to the power and office of the monarchy, and so in this way made sure that the Church was not a threat to the power of the king, but rather that the Church provided the moral and spiritual backing to legitimize the rule of the king as well as the power of the king over the entire territory in all matters. Both monarchs also waged wars to increase their territories and their power, and both also were checked in their ambitions by determined forces, Peter the Great by the Swedes, and Louis XIV combined forces of the Dutch, the Spanish and the English. Of the two, though, one can say that the differences are in the area of eventual success of the campaigns and of the rule in general, with Peter the Great presiding over the expansion of the territory, the development of its economy, and the establishment of educational reforms and systems of lasting impact, and all in the name of consolidating the monarchys power over Peter the Greats territories (TV-Novosti, 2011; Pearson, 2010; History World International, n.d.; Kreis, 2002) 5. Similarities and Differences of Englands Elizabeth I and Austrias Maria Theresa The two queens were heirs to the throne, with the line of succession being more pronounced and clearer for Maria Theresa as opposed to the murky and convoluted path to the throne that Elizabeth I had to go through. In the end, both women would prove to be very capable rulers, who repulsed and prevailed over aggressors, in the case of Elizabeth I Spain. In the case of Maria Theresa, it would be Frederick II, from Prussia. The similarities extend to the way the two queens came to power via special interventions. In the case of Maria Theresa, that intervention consisted of a special decree that allowed a woman to succeed his father as king, where tradition insisted that a man be the rightful successor. Moreover, whereas Maria Theresa was married, and would lose her husband during her rule, Elizabeth I was unmarried at the time of her ascension to the throne. There are more profound similarities, on the other hand, with regard to the lucidity and the competence with which the two women rulers presided over their peoples and occupied the seat of power of their states. On the other hand, where the account of Elizabeth Is rule was marked by an emphasis on the struggle and the difficult path to ascension, in the case of Maria Theresa the emphasis is on the humanity and kindness of her rule, and the firmness with which she doggedly pursued the conflict with Frederick II (TudorHistory, n.d.; Vinsko, 1998). 6. The Bad and the Good of Absolute Monarchy as Demonstrated in Palaces Such as the El Escorial, Versailles and St. Petersburg There are two sides to the palaces at El Escorial in Spain, St. Petersburg in Russia, and Versailles in France. One side depicts the grandeur and the power of absolute monarchy, and the hold that they had over the political, social and religious levers of the states during the peak of their power, surpassing the power of the Church and projecting that power over the large and magnificent structures that were their home. It is to the testament moreover of the great monarchs of the age of absolutism that the palaces were built at the peak of the power that the great monarchs held during their time, with Peter the Great, King Philip II, and Louis XIV all credited with building their respective palaces as homes that were supposed to withstand the test of time. At the height of their powers one can see that the good consisted in the order that the monarchies were able to impose on their kingdoms, and the level of social and economic organization, as well as political organization, that allowed for the kingdoms to flourish to the point of being able to erect the magnificent symbols of monarchical power. On the other hand, this power was achieved at the cost of the reduced power of the rest of the citizens in the kingdom, with the power eventually serving the perpetuation of the interests of the king and the monarchical family, rather than the ordinary citizen and the nobility, whose powers were clipped to make way for the concentration of that power in the hands of the king or queen (TV-Novosti, 2011; Pearson, 2010; History World International, n.d.; Kreis, 2002; Historvius, 2014). 7. Why the Peasant and Serf Masses Were Willing to Support Absolute Monarchies It can be seen that even as the absolute monarchies benefited mainly the king and his family, as well as the nobility, the immense power of the king translated to a sense of order in the territory, and with it a measure of peace that allowed for economic activities to take root and to benefit even the ordinary peasant and serf. The power of the monarchy too meant that there was order even in religious affairs, leading again to the establishment of some semblance of order and predictability in the lives of the citizens. It can be argued that for these reasons alone there was enough to motivate the ordinary peasants and serfs to support the monarchies. They had little choice arguably, given their relatively weak position in comparison to the nobility and the king, which held the economic and political power, and the support of the Church. This is true, even if in many cases they suffered mostly from the conditions of monarchical rule (TV-Novosti, 2011; Pearson, 2010; History World International, n.d.; Kreis, 2002; Historvius, 2014). Moreover, if you look at the prior periods to Absolutism, one can see that the previous ages were characterized by the stringent efforts by the church to make sure that the peasant and the serf towed the line so to speak and to act in ways that were subservient to the teachings of the church and to the power of the authorities, by pain of hell fire, and more immediate coercions that were economic and physical in nature. This laid the groundwork for the ascension of the king and the consolidation of his power without the common people rising up in arms (TV-Novosti, 2011; Pearson, 2010; History World International, n.d.; Kreis, 2002; Historvius, 2014). 8. Comparison and Contrast of the Reigns of Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great and Maria Theresa Catherine the Great ascended to power by virtue of her marriage to the heir to the throne of the Russian Empire, who was the grandson of Peter the Great. She would become empress in a chain of events that would also lead to her husband being overthrown and murdered. During her reign her focus was on the arts as well as on education, even as she is also credited with vastly expanding the land area holdings of the Russian kingdom that she presided over. It is noteworthy that the literature tells of her gradual transition into conservatism later in her reign, after starting off as a liberal and a reformer in her early years as empress. Her greatest strengths were her political savvy and her drive and ambition, while her later inflexibility and conservatism can be construed as weaknesses (BBC, 2014). In contrast, as already discussed earlier, the line of succession for Elizabeth I and for Maria Theresa was based on blood ties, as the two are direct heirs by virtue of blood of their father rulers. In the case of Maria Theresa, she was the sole child of an aging ruler who had no choice but to give her the mantle of leadership of Austria. In the case of Elizabeth, her claim to the throne is also by blood, even as she had to undergo a prolonged journey prior to becoming queen. The focus of the two latter rulers were different in that as opposed to Catherine the Great, Elizabeth Is rule was more about defending territory. The same goes for Maria Theresa. Their territorial successes were more modest, and this is their weakness. On the other hand, Maria Theresas strengths are in the areas of genuine care and kindness for her people and the support that she got from them as a result. For Elizabeth I, her strengths lay in steadfastness in the face of uncertainty, as seen by her standing up to the Armada of Spain (TV-Novosti, 2011; Pearson, 2010; History World International, n.d.; Kreis, 2002; Historvius, 2014). 9. Three Absolute Monarchs, How They Increased/Brought Ideals of Humanism Into Their Respective Countries Catherine the Great emphasized the arts and the humanities as personal interests that also impacted the way the monarchies themselves valued the contributions of these endeavors in the lives of the Russian nobility and the rest of Russian society. Moreover, she continued the focus on education that was started by Peter the Great, and in this case the humanistic tradition was further emphasized with the emphasis on making use of education to uplift the lives and the spirits of her subjects. Peter the Great too is another monarch who in his own time and in his actions also brought important humanistic ideals into the kingdom. His early emphasis on education that had a sectarian bent meant that he too wanted to focus on the human aspects of his rule in order to solidify the monarchical power, true, but also to enhance the lives of ordinary subjects. Finally, as already discussed, the humaneness and genuine kindness that Maria Theresa brought to the monarchy also brought and increased humanitarian ideals into her kingdom, by serving as an example on how the throne is to act and to regard other people, and most especially her subjects. The actions are to be done in the spirit of genuine humanity (TudorHistory, n.d.; Vinsko, 1998; TV-Novosti, 2011; Pearson, 2010; History World International, n.d.; Kreis, 2002; Historvius, 2014). References Historvius (2014). Historic Palaces | List of Palaces Around the World. Historvius.com. Retrieved from http://www.historvius.com/historic-palaces/fr269 History World International (n.d.). Absolutism. International World History Project Retrieved from http://history-world.org/absolutism.htm Kreis, S. (2002). Lecture 2: The Age of Discovery. The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History. Retrieved from http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture2c.HTML Pearson (2010). Chapter 15: Absolutism and State Building in Europe, 1618-1715. The West: Encounters & Transformations Levack et al. Concise Edition. Retrieved from http://wps.ablongman.com/long_levack_wc_1/43/11052/2829515.cw/index.html TudorHistory (n.d.). Elizabeth I Queen of England. TudorHistory.org. Retrieved from http://tudorhistory.org/elizabeth/queen.html TV Novosti (2011). Prominent Russians: Peter I the Great. Russiapedia. Retrieved from http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/the-romanov-dynasty/peter-i/ Vinsko, B. (1998). Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria. Kings.edu. Retrieved from http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/mariatheres.html Read More