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Period: 1500 to
Age of Absolutisim
The beginning of an era of absolute rule -
1519
Charles V Crowned
Charles I (Known as Charles V) is picked as king of the Hapsburg empire. He ruled some Germanic states, Spain, and the Spanish colonies in the Americas. He fought wars to rid the Germanic states of Protestantism, but gave up after years of battling. -
Period: 1519 to
Spanish Absolutism
This is the time when Spain was the most powerful European kingdom. The leaders owned most of the Americas, and had vast amounts of wealth from their overseas endeavors. -
1556
Charles V Resigns
He gave up his service as king to become a monk. To make it easier for his heirs, he split the kingdom among multiple rulers to make it easier to manage. -
1556
King Phillip II Crowned
The heir of Charles V and son, ruled parts of Spain, the Netherlands, southern Italy states, and the Spanish Colonies. He was the richest of the two rulers of the Hapsburg empire, he believed himself the guardian of the Roman Catholic church. -
Phillip II's Death
Before dying, he would fight a war against The Queen of England, a protestant. He failed as his Armada of ships took a heavy loss to the wind and the British navy. His death led to the decline of Spain after his newest heirs had no skills to replace him with. -
Period: to
Henry IV
The Huguenot king, brought into a country of religious revolution, takes the throne and makes a new law of religious tolerance. This law ends the wars between the Protestant Huguenots and the Catholic French. However soon after his death by Assassination in 1610, the law disappears. -
Period: to
French Absolutisim
A time period where France was at it's most powerful, before collapsing into the French Revolution. -
Hobbes and Locke
The two English philosophes, are considered the fathers of the Enlightenment. They both lived through the English Civil war, but have completely different thoughts about how Government should work. However they both shared a similar though process, using Reason to think of new ideas. -
Period: to
The Age of Enlightenment
This was a new age of controversial philosophies and ideas, that transcend their period into ours. Many of these ideas are still executed today, despite being heavily suppressed. -
King Louis XIV Crowned
The 5 year old French king is elected, and has a large influence from Cardinal Richelieu, the in placement king for Louis XIII. His policy of ignorance toward the Estates general(French Government) made Louis one of the most powerful kings. He also built the most expensive Palace France had ever seen, The palace of Versailles. -
Peter The Great Crowned
Despite his young age of 10, he became king of Russia in 1682. He was a very open minded king, who in a journey to change, traveled west to learn western ways. He returned the ideas back to Russia. -
Period: to
Russian Absolutism
Despite Russia's vast size, a single Tsar ruled a vast amount of it, ruling it for years to come. -
Period: to
Revolution
Due to the ideas of the Enlightenment and even before it, 2 major revolutions during this time period happened. Those include the English Civil war and the French Revolution. They both had drastically different outcomes, like how England reinstated their ruler, France never again had a king. -
French Enlightenment Figures
Of the many French Enlightenment figures, they all shared 1 thought in particular, the concept of free speech. Many French Philosophes, like Rousseau, spoke out against monarchs, the church, and oligarchies to oppose their wrong doings. Some even died for speaking out, and their writings outright banned. -
King Louis XIV's Death
Before his death, he became a very self-centered king, with a place practically made of gold. He used this power to set him as a god, he ruled for 72 years and died in 1715. Unfortunately, he had set his country for doom, putting his country in debt from war and his palace. -
Peter The Great's Death
Through his power, he used his absolutism to control the masses, but he tried to leave behind a legacy. His efforts were distinguished only until years later. However, this was the end of Russia's most powerful ruler, for now. -
Enlightened Music
During the Period of the enlightenment, new enlightened music started to Appear. Of the most famous, are Beethoven and Mozart, pioneers in the music world, who played their pieces along side the enlightened thinkers of the time. -
Adam Smith's Important book
The Wealth of Nations is Adam Smith's famous book about the economy. It suggests the idea of a supply and demand market controlled by the people, and unregulated by the king. This idea Quickly went over seas to the United States and has a major influence on out modern market. -
Enlightened Despots
During the Enlightenment, there were many Leaders who tried to follow these new Enlightened ideas. They were called enlightened Despots, who tried to win the favor of the people, but unlike the philosophes beliefs, never gave up power or removed injustice. An example is Catherine the Great, who made schools for kids in Russia, but never gave up her power. -
The National Assembly
Body of Government that was originally the third estate in France's 3 body government. They left after realizing the rich people, the two other bodies outvoted their branch made for the middle class and below, 90% of France's population. In protest to a new government, they formed the body in the tennis court next door after being denied access to the meeting room. -
Start of the French Revolution
July 14th of 1789, the angry French revolutionists attack the Bastille in hopes to find weapons and gunpowder. After being disappointed, they ride the guard's head's around on stakes in protest. Despite being the first offense taken on the king, he writes that nothing happened that day. -
The New Government
In France, the national assembly quickly made change, adding a new constitution called the Declaration of the Rights of Man. This gave all citizens rights, including women to a extent. Although it's actual impact lacked, the thought led the next years of the revolution -
King's Execution
After trying to escape France and give their new enemy info about troop movement, he was executed. On the day of January 1793, he said his last words, before getting his head chopped off by the guillotine. The Queen later had the same punishment, but instead received little respect toward her death. -
The Reign of Terror
During this period in September of 1793 to July 1794, thousands were murdered for being suspected of being a traitor to the revolution. The man who stared it, Maximilien Robespierre, ironically was executed in the end, ending the Reign of Terror. -
The Beginning of the Napoleonic Rule
On this year, Napoleon began his major climb to Absolute political power. He was the greatest general France had ever seen, and won the favor of the people by accepting revolutionaries ideas. He would leave a legacy of revolution in all the places he annexed, as hundreds followed the French revolution.