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Apr 2, 1516
Charles l Becomes King of Spain
In 1516, Ferndinad and Isabella's grandson, Charles l, became King of Spain. He also became the heir to the Holy Roman Empire and the Netherlands. Because he was the ruler of this empire, Charles took the name Charles V. During his reign, he faced wars against Protestants and Ottomans. -
Jun 24, 1556
Charles V Gives Up His Title
Tired of fighting for the Hapsburg, Charles V gave up his titles and entered a monastery. He divided his empire, giving part of it to his brother, Ferndinand, and the other part to his son, Philip. -
Oct 14, 1571
Battle of Lepanto
Phillip II fought many wars in an attempt to expand Spanish Catholic Power. This war was fought against the Ottoman empire in the Meditterean. With the help of Itialina Allies, they managed to defeat an Ottoman fleet off the coast of Greece. The battle was seen as a great victory and proof of Spain's power. -
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Thirty Years’ War
The war began in Bohemia when Ferdinand tried to assert royal power over nobles. A few rebellious Protestant noble men began a general revolt which turned into the war. After thirty long years of fighting, tired armies agreed to sign a series of treaties, which stopped the war. -
Charles I Comes to Power
Charles I believed in the divine right therefore ruling like an absolute monarch. Throughout his reign, he had constant problems with Parliament like ignoring the petition of rights. The constant battle between power that Charles and parliament fought eventually led to a civil war in England. -
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English Civil War
The English Civil War inflicted a major challenge in absolutism. In the beginning it seemed like Charles' forces would win but thanks to Oliver Cromwell, Parliament forces defeated the King's. To end the war, Charles was captured, put into trial, and publicly executed. -
Louis XlV Inherits French Throne
After his father's death, five year old Louis inherited the throne to a unstable and bankrupt France. He ran the empire with his chief minister, Mazarin, until he was old enough to rule by himself. -
England Becomes a Republic
After Charles was executed, the House of Commons abolished monarchy, the House of Lords, and the Church of England, declaring England a republic. This was known as the Commonwealth led by Oliver Cromwell. In 1658 after facing many challenges against the Commonwealth, Oliver Cromwell died and in 1660 Commonwealth in England ended. -
A Change In Power
After Mazarin's death, Louis XlV decided to take control of the government and become an absolute ruler. He believed in his divine right to rule, took the sun as the symbol of his power, and became known as Sun King. -
Versailles is Built
Louis built the immense Palace of Verailles. He spent enormous amounts of gold and made it the most magnificent building in Europe. It housed nobles, officials, servants, and of course, the King. Versailles represented the power of France in Europe, and still remains a lasting legacy. -
Peter the great takes the throne
When Peter was ten years old, he rightfully fulfilled his duties as heir to the Russian throne. He took control of the government seven years later. Even though he was not well educated, the tsar was curious. During his reign he passed a policy of westernization which is the adoption of western ideas. He also passed laws that assured nobles control of their lands, he strengthened the military, controlled the Russian Orthodox Church, and using autocratic methods, he made social and economic refun -
The Bill of Rights
After Charles II was removed from power, Parliment elected Mary and William as future heirs to the throne. Before they could be crowned, they had to accept the Bill of Rights. This act stated that parliament had power over the monarchy and it restated the rights of English citizens. -
The great northern war
In this year Russia began a war against the kingdom of Sweden which dominated the Baltic region. At the beginning, Russia suffered many defeats. Because of this, Peter rebuilt his army and defeated the Swedes, winning the territory along the Baltic sea. Here he built the new capital city St. Petersburg. -
Maria Theresa is born
Maria Theres was one of the greatest Hapsburg empresses.She was determined and took great control of her empire. She was also intelligent, capable, and transformed Austria. Maria Theresa also preserved her empire and won the support of most of her people. She reorganized the bureaucracy and improved tax collection. -
Catherine the Great comes to throne
Catherine was a German princess by birth and came to Russia when she was 15 to marry the heir of the Russian throne. She won the loyalty of the people, and in 1762 her mentally unstable husband was murdered. With support of the military, she took over the Russian throne. As a ruler, she reorganized the government, codified laws, and began educating the children of the empire. She proved to be an efficient, energetic, and smart empress. -
Frederick ll Becomes King
Frederick, king of Prussia, built one of the greatest armies the empire had seen. He was a patron of the arts and used his disciplined army to force all surrounding empires to recognize Prussia as a great power. He was later renamed as Frederick the Great.
