2. Following the Age of
Exploration, Spain had
become the wealthiest and
most powerful nation in
the world, controlling a vast
territory.
Philip II of Spain made
Spain even more powerful
when he took control of
Portugal and all it’s
territories.
Spain now had a kingdom
that circled the entire
world.
3. King Philip continued to expand
the Spanish kingdom.
King Phillip believed he ruled by
divine right, meaning that he
believed his authority came
straight from God.
He felt it was his duty to defend
the Roman Catholic Church from
the Protestant Reformation.
This great undertaking would
consume his life and bring him
into conflict with other countries.
4. Like Ancient Rome, Spain’s wealth,
power and enormous territory led
to some serious problems.
The prices of goods constantly rose.
(inflation)
Also, unfair taxes hit the poor,
keeping them from ever building up
any wealth of their own.
As prices rose, Spaniards bought
more goods from other lands. The
wealth from the Spanish colonies,
then, began to flow to Spain’s
enemies.
5. Philip took matters into his own hands and
looked to expand his kingdom even further.
He decided to take on England, the only
other country that rivaled Spain in
economic and military might.
Elizabeth I, daughter of King Henry VIII, was
Protestant.
Philip did not like the fact that England had
become tolerant to Protestant religions and
wished to “return England to Catholicism”.
While he claimed to do this in the name of
God, this invasion was more likely politically
motivated.
6. Phillip sent a huge armada – a fleet
of warships – to invade England.
The Spanish ships were no match
for the English navy, however.
Spain had a much larger fleet but
England had smaller, faster ships
and better firepower.
The Spanish were battered on
numerous confrontations. When
they finally decided to return home,
most ships were lost in a terrible
storm.
7.
8. This was a terrible loss
for Spain and an
enormous victory for
England.
From here on, the
power in Europe shifted
from the Spain to
England.
Spain’s power and
prosperity started to
decline in the 1600’s.
9.
10.
11. During the later 1600’s, there
were many struggles for religion.
Protestant religions such as
Calvinism became militant
(combative) with Catholicism.
Each struggled for converts and
thus led to religious wars.
One of the most notable was the
French Wars of Religion fought
between the Huguenots and the
Catholics. The Huguenots were
able to overthrow the Catholic
leaders and gain religious
tolerance.
12. Major war in the 1600’s.
Religion, politics and
territory all played a role
in the Thirty Years War.
It is considered the “last
of the religious wars”.
Fought mostly in
Germany, most all major
European countries
except England were
involved.
13. The Thirty Years War was
Europe’s most destructive
war ever.
Weapons such as the
flintlock pistol and the
musket fitted with a bayonet
were introduced during this
time.
About 4 million people had
died, and the economy of
Germany was in ruins.
14.
15. Better firearms and
mobility on the
battlefield meant that
soldiers had to be well
trained and disciplined.
Governments then
started to support
standing armies.
By 1700, France had a
standing army of around
400,000.
16. The Alexandre Dumas
novel, “The Three
Musketeers”, takes place
in France during the Thirty
Years War. In the novel,
the Musketeers are sworn
to protect King Louis XIII’s
throne from the evil
Cardinal Richilieu who tries
to assume the throne.
17. As a response to the growing
crises in Europe, many
countries sought stability by
increasing their monarch’s
power.
This ideal is known as
absolutism, a system which the
ruler has total power.
Absolute rulers could make
laws, levy taxes, administer
justice, control the state’s
officials and determine foreign
policy.
Possibly the best example of
absolutism is France under the
18. Took power at age 23 He was very much
Was the sole and Catholic and against
absolute ruler of France Protestants like the
Everything had to be Huguenots.
passed through or He destroyed their
approved by him churches and schools.
He made a myth about Many fled the country
himself, calling himself
the “Sun King” for he
believed he was the
light of the people.
19. He also worked hard to
increase the wealth of France.
He helped increase the French
industries and also encouraged
his people to buy French goods
and not from foreign countries.
Louis made France one of the
most powerful nations in
Europe.
France also had more people
and a larger army than any
other country.
20. Louis enjoyed a life of
luxury at his court. He
built a huge and
beautiful palace at
Versailles near Paris.
He also made sure that
nobles had to depend
on his favor in order to
advance in society.
21.
22.
23. With his large standing
army, he waged war,
forcing many countries
to alliance against
France.
He was able to add
more lands to France
and expand the empire;
however, at his death in
1715, he left France
debt-ridden and
surrounded by
enemies.
24. During King Louis’ reign there was
a prisoner held in the Bastille.
The identity of the prisoner is
unknown because his face was
concealed by an iron mask.
There has been much discussion
and debate about the identity of
this man. Some even believe was
a government official, enemy, or
that he may have been the twin
brother of King Louis XIV himself!
This myth was even subject in
Alexandre Dumas’ novels.
25.
26. Following the death of
Elizabeth I, England would also
experience its own civil war.
In essence, it was a struggle for
power between the king and
Parliament; however, religion
also played a major role.
King Charles I believed that the
king was chosen by God and
therefore, he could rule
however he felt and neglected
Parliament.
27. There were many Puritans who
served in the Parliament and they
disagreed with the king’s belief in the
Church of England.
He made life difficult for the Puritans
by imposing high taxes on them.
This angered the Puritans for they
felt he had no right to do so.
As a result, thousands of Puritans left
for the America’s rather than adhere
to the king’s religious policies.
Some stayed; however, and opposed
the king’s authority.
28. Eventually, civil war broke
out between the two sides,
the king’s supporters and
Parliament’s supporters.
Parliament won due to the
New Model Army and their
bold, new leader, Oliver
Cromwell.
The New Model Army was
made up of extreme
Puritans who believed they
were doing battle for God.
29. Cromwell purged Parliament of all
those who did not support the
Puritan cause.
They even tried and executed King
Charles for treason—the first time a
king had ever been executed in
public!
This revolution helped lay the
foundations of the current
government in England, which is a
limited constitutional monarchy and
also gave religious tolerance towards
the Puritans.
30. Other examples of
absolutism in Europe
would be Frederick
William who came to
power in Austria.
Known as the “Soldier
King”, he expanded his
kingdom to include Prussia
and modern day Czech
Republic and Hungary.
This empire would soon
rival France in power.
31. Russia also had its own example of
absolutism when Ivan IV took power.
Ivan was the first Russian ruler to take the
title Czar, which is Russian for Caesar.
Later czars such as Peter the Great would
“Europeanize” and modernize Russia.
His goal was to make Russia a great power.
He strengthened the army and created
Russia’s first navy.
He introduced many new European
customs to reform and modernize Russia.
By Peter’s death in 1725, Russia was one of
the most important European states.
32. New ways of thinking
arose during this time in
the intellectual
movement called the
Enlightenment.
Thinkers tried to apply
reason to solve real world
issues such as poverty
and peace.
By using reason, people
thought, it is possible to
make society better.
33. Due to the political revolutions and upheavals in Europe,
there were changes in philosophies regarding politics. Two
English writers were important to this movement.
THOMAS HOBBES JOHN LOCKE
Thomas Hobbes emphasized John Locke on the other hand argued
the importance of social against having an absolute ruler. He
order and thought this could believed in freedom, equality and the
only be achieved by placing natural rights of the people.
the power into one absolute He felt that the people and the
ruler. government should have a mutual
The best government, he contract and belief. The government
said, is that of a strong king should protect these “natural rights”
who can force people to or else the people had the right to
obey. overthrow the government.
34. Enlightenment ideas had
strong influence on the
American and French
Revolutions, which came at
the end of the 1700s.
Locke’s ideas are found in
the Declaration of
Independence and the
United States Constitution.
