UNIT 6:

ABSOLUTISM IN EUROPE
(1500-1800)
NAME:

PERIOD:
The state of monarchy is the supreme thing upon earth; for
kings are not only Gods lieutenants on earth, and sit upon
Gods throne, but even by God Himself they are called
gods Kings are justly called gods, for that they exercise
a divine power upon earth God hath power to create
and destroy, make or unmake at His pleasure, to give life or
sent death, to judge all and to be judged nor accountable to
none, to raise low things and to make high things low at His
pleasure And the like power have kings

1. What style of rule do you think King James I

described?

2. Do you believe this is a good style of rule?

A QUICK REVIEW
TERMS

Definition

Task

Autocracy

A government in which the ruler has unlimited power

and use it in an arbiter manner.

Is this good or bad?

Centralized Government

A government in which power is concentrated in a

central authority to which local governments are
subject.

How might you benefit from a strong

central government? What problems
might you have?

Nation-States

An independent geopolitical unit of people having a

common culture an identity

How do you unite a nation?

Nobility

A social class that possesses more acknowledged

privileges or eminence than most other classes in a
society, membership thereof typically being hereditary.
Elites during the Middle Ages.

Can you give an example of this in the

US?

Bureaucracies

A system of departments and agencies formed to carry

out the work of government

Can you give an example of this in the

US?

Parliament

A body of representatives that makes laws for a nation

What is this similar to in the US?

Estates-General

An assembly of representatives from all three of the

estates, or social classes, in France

What might the benefit of this group for

the French?

Absolutism Vocabulary
Term
A. Absolute
Monarchy
B. Divine Right

C. Philip II

D. Cardinal
Richelieu
E. King Louis
XIV

F. Intendant

G. Frederick the
Great
H. Ivan the
Terrible
I. Peter the
Great
J. Westernizatio
n
K. Glorious
Revolution

Definition

Importance

L. English Civil
War
M. Dictator

N. Constitutional
Monarch
O. Oliver
Cromwell
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS-IN COMPLETE SENTENCES
1. What are some common characteristics of absolute monarchs?

2. What are some causes of absolute monarchs?

3. What are some effects of absolute monarchs?

ABSOLUTE RULER REPORT CARD:

Give each ruler a grade for the report card categories listed. At the end of the chart, answer why you gave each ruler
their grade.
RULER

Philip II

Louis XIV

Controlled
the
Nobility

Controlled
the
Peasantry

Controlled
the Military

Controlled
Religion

Controlled
Taxes and
Spending

Final
TOTAL
Grade

Explanation-How Absolute
were they?

Charles I

Peter the
Great

FINAL VERDICT: WHAT RULER WAS THE MOST ABSOLUTE AND WHY?

AGE OF ABSOLUTISM MAP: 1648

DIRECTIONS: Match the leader to the nation he/she ruled and shade that nation with the matching color.
RULER-NATION-COLOR

Yellow
Louis XIV-FranceRed
Charles I-EnglandPeter the GreatFrederick the
Maria Theresa-

Navy
Russia-Green
Great-Prussia- Orange
Austria-Purple

Philip II-Spain-