Strong Monarchies

History Test

Absolutism:

Philip ii

• He was born in Spain in 1527 and was educated there too.

• Started to rule in 1556. Wanted Spain to continue in the leading power of Europe and the World.

• Concentrated in 3 domestic issues: the weakness of the central government, the religious problems, and the financial dificulties caused by Wars and rebellions.

• Centralized the government and placed the capital at Madrid.

• Religious problems: Jews and Moors were converted to christianity but as Philip suspected them of secretly practicing their former religion he ordered the inquisition. Many persons supected of heresy so they Left the country, but the Moors that were left in spain revolved against the Savage persecution in 1571

• Spain got envolved in foreign Wars an couldn´t pay the costs. They had to raise the taxes. Had a financial problem.

Relations with Portugal and England

• 1580, Philip claimed the Portuguese throne. Portugal and all its colonies became provinces of Spain.

• Spain had to defend the portuguese colonies and their trade because English, French and Dutch attaks made it difficult.

• After 60 years Portugal got independent

• English sea dogs attacked spanish ships and Queen Elizabeth did´nt stop them

• Philip was Catholic and England was protestant so he wanted to restore the country to be catholic

• In 1588 England won the Invincible Armada against Spain

• England became a great sea power, Spain started to decline

Spanish rule in the Netherlands

• Philip was considered a foreigner in the Netherland, people resented him.

• Netherland was hard to rule because it had 17 provinces and no central administration. The country was divided by languages

• The northen provinces spoke Flemish and were Calvinists and the southern provinces were Catholic and spoke French

• There was trouble with the taxes and the mechantilist restrictions imposed by Spain in the Netherlands

• To centralize the government Philip took away the Rights of the local self government and placed spanish officials who ruled Netherlands as a Spanish colony

Dutch Independence

• The Dutch revolt was lead by William the Silent, prince of Orange, a small state in southern France.

• The 7 protestant provinces formed a league called the Union of Utrech in 1579. They became The United Provinces of the Dutch Netherlands

• In 1581 these provinces got independent from Spain.

• There was a war, Dutch against Spain. The Dutch attacked Spanish and Portuguese ships and colonies. And the coast of Spain

• This war continued after the death of Philip in 1598

• When the Hapsburg emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were faced in the religious revolt that ended up in the Thirty Years War, the Dutch fought against spain and the Hapsburgs.

• In 1648 Spain was forced to yield . The Treaty of Westphalia ended up the Thirty Years war and recognized the independence of the Northen Netherlands.

• The southern provinces remained for a while under the rule of Spain.

Henry IV

• Ruled France from 1589 to 1610, was the first one of the Bourbon family to be king.

• He was the leader of the Huguenots befote he became king.

• He said that a Protestant couldn´t unite france and he wanted a Sorong, united, peaceful Kingdom so he he adopted Catholisism for political reasons

• To end the religious wars Henry issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598. The Edict of Nantes gave the Huguenots freedom of worship and equal political rights with the catholics. Hugenots were permitted to have military fortifications and self government.

• In 1453, at the end of the Hundred Years War, the power of the king was made supreme over the nobles in France. Henry brought the nobles under royal control reducing their privilages and making them obey his orders

• Henry chose the Duke of Sully as his chief minister to carry out some domestic reforms.

• Sully couldn´t make the system just, clergy and nobility didn´t pay taxes Orly the members of the middle class and the peasents did. But he discarged the dishonest tax collectors and th estate controlled the taxation process.

• The treasury of France became larger. Roads were improved, Canals were built an France became more prosperous

• Henry and Sully encouraged merchantilism, they gave subsides and monopolies to merchants and explorers.

• Under his ruling France settled in Quebec, Canada

• Henry was assassinated in 1610

Louis XIII

• He was only 8 years old when his father Henry was killed.

• Marie de Medici took the rule of the country, she had great ideas but couldn´t carry them out.

• She didn´t tolerate religion. She was very catholic and didn´t allow any Huguenot to serve her. Sully was removed from his position.

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