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Apr 11, 1516
Charles V Inherits 2 Crowns
In 1516, Charles I became King of Spain and ruler of the Spanish colonies in America. When his grandfather died in 1519, Charles I became higher to the Hapsburg Empire which inclueded the Holy Roman Empire and the Netherlands. When he became the ruler of both empires, he took the name Charles V. -
Apr 11, 1550
Spain's Golden Age
The century from 1550 to 1650 is known as the Spanish Golden Age. This is due to the brilliance of its arts and literature. King Philip II was a great patron of the arts and also founded academies of science and matematics. The Spanish Golden century also produced several outstanding writers. One of these known authors was Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote the reknown Don Quijote. -
Apr 11, 1560
Huguenots, Religious wars
From 1560 to 1590 religious wars between Catholic and French Protestants, called Huguenots, tore France apart. The worse incident happened on August 24, 1572 during a royal wedding. The Catholic royals plotted a massacre of 3000 Huguenots. For many, this massacre symbolized the complete breakdown of order in France. -
Apr 11, 1580
Armada Sails Against England
By the 1580s, Philip II saw England's queen, Elizabeth I, as his protestant enemy. Philip prepared a huge armada to carry a Spanish invasion force to England so that English attacks would stop. The Spanish predicted that they would subdue the English, but this prediction did not come true. -
End of Huguenots Religious Wars
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The Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years War was a series of wars fought mainly in Central Europe. It began in Bohemia, present-day Czech Republic, when a few rebellious Protestant noblemen tossed two royal officials out of a casle window in Prague. This act is known for the Defenestration of Prague. It sparked a general revolt. -
English Parliament Response
In 1625, Charles I inherited the throne. Like his fathe he behaved like an absolute monarch. By 1628 however, his need to rise taxes forced Charles to summon Parliament. Parliament insisted that Charles signed the Petition of Right. For 11 years he ruled without Parliament. -
Building of the Palace of Versailles
Louis XIV turned a royal hunting lodge into the Palace of Versailles. No expenses were spared and Palace of Versailles became the perfect symbol of the Sun Kings' wealth and power. It has nobles, officials, and servants. -
Peace of Westphalia
The Thirty Years War ended and the peace of Westphalia emerged. These were a series of treaties accepted by the exhausted combatants. These treaties aspired both powers to bring about a general european peace and settleinternational problems. Among the combatants, France was a a clear winner. -
A King is Executed
On a cold January day of 1649, King Charles I was condemned to death by the Parliament for being a “tyrant, traitor, murderer, and enemy of the public”, before being executed Charles said he was the martyr of the people and then prayed, knelt and gave the executioner the sign that he was ready. The execution of Charles I was a message sent by Parliament that said that in England no ruler could claim absolute power and ignore the rule of law. -
Spanish Golden Age's End
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Revocation of the Edict of Nantes
Louis XIV saw France's Protestant minority as a threat to religious and political unity and in 1685 revoked the Edict of Nantes. More than 100,00 Huguenots fled France. Their loss was a serious blow to the country's economy because the Huguenots had lots of skills and shops. -
Revocation of the Edict of Nantes
Louis XIV saw France's Protestant minority as a threat to religious and political unity and in 1685 revoked the Edict of Nantes. More than 100,00 Huguenots fled France. Their loss was a serious blow to the country's economy because the Huguenots had lots of skills and shops. -
The English Bil of Rights
Before the rulers, appointed by parliament, could be crowned, they had to accept several laws passed by parliament in the year 1689 that became known as the English Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights ensured that Parliament would be superior to monarchs and that monarchs could not ignore or suspend laws without the consent of the “House of Commons”. This Bill also barred any Roman Catholic from sitting on the throne and ensured the traditional English rights of the people. -
The Great Northern War
In the year 1700, Peter the Great began a long war against Sweden who at that time dominated the Baltic region. At the beginning of the war Russia was humiliated by its defeat. Peter rebuilt his armies to make them more like the European armies and finally in the year 1709 he defeated the Sweden Kingdom and won territory in the Baltic Sea. -
War of the Austrian Succession
Frederick II of Prussia seized the rich Hapsburg province of Silesia shortly after Charles's death. This war emerged and lasted 8 years. Maria Theresa went to Hungary to appeal for military help from the Hungarian subjects. She never succeeded in forcing Frederick out of Silesia. -
Rise to Power- Catherine the Great
Catherine, a German princess by birth came to Russia at the age of 15 to marry the Russian heir. She fully embraced Russian culture, religion and language. Catherine became queen with the help of the military in 1762, after her husband, Tsar Peter III was murdered by a group of Russian army officers loyal to Catherine. Weather Catherine was involved in the assassination is not known. -
A Ruthless Absolute Monarch
Catherine was a ruthless absolute monarch like Peter the Great. Catherine allowed exemption from taxes and increased the stranglehold on peasants. When peasants rebelled she took firm actions to stop them. As a result peasant condition grew worse in Russia and more peasants were forced into serfdom. Catherine was also determined to expand Russian territory; she waged the Russo-Turkish war against the Ottoman empire and gained a port on the Black Sea in 1774.
