18.3 Absolutism in Europe

[Preview] Which of these words would describe your house?

• Grand & roomy

• Luxurious & elegant

• Moderate & functional

• Small & cramped

• Other

[p1] What is ABSOLUTISM?

• The state of being stable, strong enough to endure.

• A political system in which a ruler holds total power.

• A new religion founded by Louis XIV, merging Catholicism & Calvinism.

• A view of history that denies the United States conquered California from Mexico in 1848.

[p2] Who served as Louis XIII's chief minister, and greatly strengthened the monarchy's power?

• Cardinal Richelieu

• Frederick William

• Jean-Baptiste Colbert

• Stephen Colbert

[p2] Who took over supreme power in France after the death of his minister Cardinal Mazarin in 1661?

[p2] What title/myth did Louis XIV foster for himself as he sought to be the sole ruler of France?

• The Sun King

• The God-Man

• The Leviathan

[p3] For what purposes did Louis XIV use his palace at Versailles? THREE of these are found in the textbook.

• The personal household of the king (ie where he lived full-time)

• The location of the chief offices of state (ie the government's capital)

• The place where powerful subjects came to find favors & offices for themselves

• The king's private hunting lodge, where he would not be bothered by anyone

• A school where France's best minds gathered to teach the latest scientific theories

[p3] What economic philosophy did Louis' controller-general Jean-Baptiste Colbert follow in order to increase France's wealth & power?

• Capitalism

• Mercantilism

• Socialism

• Absolutism

[p3] What did Louis develop to increase his royal power, leading him to fight four major wars between 1667 & 1713?

• Colonies in North America & Africa

• A large & powerful navy

• A standing army of 400,000

• A fair justice system & a code of laws

[p4] How did Louis XIV leave France upon his death in 1715? Select TWO from this list.

• Surrounded by enemies (he'd fought four major wars)

• Many French people were in poverty (he spent lavishly on buildings & wars)

• With an extensive colonial empire in Africa & East Asia

• Deeply divided over religion, with nearly 1/3 of Frenchmen being Protestants

[p4] Read the primary source attached to this section: "Louis XIV to his Chancellor (1661)." (You can click on this image to enlarge it.) How were decisions in Louis XIV's government to be made?

• The king would give each minister general guidelines, then they would make laws & decisions that followed the guidelines.

• The king would make all decisions personally, & the ministers would only do what he told them to do.

• The king would consult with an elected Parliament, & approve of good laws made by them.