AP European History AMSCO Guided Notes
3.7: Absolutist Approaches to Power
AMSCO Guided Notes
AP European History Guided Notes
AMSCO 3.7 - Absolutist Approaches to Power
Essential Questions
- How did absolutist forms of rule affect social and political development from 1648 to 1815 ?
I. Absolute Monarchies
1. What is absolutism and what factors contributed to its widespread acceptance in 17th and 18th century Europe?
2. Why did absolute monarchs claim divine right to rule, and what problems did this create?
3. How did the relationship between monarchs and aristocrats determine the nature of absolutist rule?
II. Monarchs and the Aristocracy
1. What were the main problems that absolutism posed for European states?
2. How did Louis XIV's statement "l'état, c'est moi" reflect the nature of absolute monarchy?
III. Philip II of Spain
1. What were Philip II's major accomplishments and how did his governing style contribute to Spain's decline?
2. How did Philip II's suspicion and centralized decision-making affect the efficiency of Spanish government?
IV. James I of England
1. How did England's parliamentary system differ from the absolutist systems developing in France and Spain?
2. What conflicts arose between James I and Parliament over taxation and royal power?
3. How did James I's defiance of Parliament regarding his son's marriage set the stage for future conflict?
V. Louis XIV of France
1. How did Louis XIV use intendants and the court at Versailles to consolidate his absolute power?
A. French Society
1. How did Louis XIV's construction of Versailles and his military campaigns transform French society?
2. What was the Fronde and how did it influence Louis XIV's approach to controlling the nobility?
B. The French Economy
1. What mercantilist policies did Jean-Baptiste Colbert implement and why were they ultimately unsuccessful?
2. How did Louis XIV's revocation of the Edict of Nantes affect France's economy and population?
3. Why did Louis XIV's military spending and taxation policies leave France's treasury in poor condition?
VI. The Westernization of Russia
1. How did Russian tsars maintain control over their multiethnic empire through relationships with the boyars?
A. Studying Western Europe
1. Why did Peter the Great believe Russia needed to modernize and what did he learn from his Grand Embassy?
2. What was Peter the Great's goal in the Great Northern War and how did he use his victory?
3. How did Peter the Great use St. Petersburg to advance Russia's economic and political position?
B. Reorganizing Institutions
1. What reforms did Peter the Great implement to modernize Russia's science, technology, and education?
2. How did Peter the Great use taxation, conscription, and the Table of Ranks to strengthen his absolute rule?
3. How did Peter the Great's reorganization of the Russian Orthodox Church increase his control over the institution?
VII. Catherine the Great
1. How did Catherine the Great come to power and what was her first major action as empress?
2. Why is Catherine the Great considered an "enlightened despot" and how did her reading of liberal philosophers influence her policies?
3. How did the Pugachev Rebellion change Catherine's plans for reform and what were her major territorial accomplishments?
Key Terms
Philip II
Cardinal Richelieu
Grand Embassy
House of Lords
Fronde
Great Northern War
House of Commons
courtier
Russian Academy of Sciences
James I
Palace of Versailles
Charles I
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
boyar
Louis XIV
tsar (czar)
Holy Synod
Cardinal Jules Mazarin
Peter the Great
Catherine the Great