New Monarchies

In period 1000-1300, various places in Europe saw the rise of feudal monarchies as kings
wrested law-making and tax-collecting authority from the nobles in their realm as a result of
their growing ability to put together an armynot all of it feudalgreater than the army of
any single noble and frequently greater than those of several of the most powerful nobles
working in concert. Kings still relied upon nobles and their feudal armies to make up some
portion of their own military and still had to be wary of nobles whose defensive positions
made them less vulnerable and therefore more independent. However, the centralization of
kingly power was well underway until the 14th century when a number of political, social,
economic and natural crises and catastrophes tore the fabric of monarchical power apart,
returning to days of justice by personal vendetta and creating bastard feudalism based on
money and not fealty. Following these crises, kingsespecially those in France, England
and Spainworked once again to centralize and consolidate their power, achieving this goal
far better than their predecessors had, in large part because of the Military Revolution. These
much stronger monarchies have been given the name New Monarchies by historians.
Characteristics of New Monarchies 1450-1550
(These appear at various times and in differing degrees in the three different states considered New
Monarchies)

Appearance after a period of crisis or disorganization;

Re-centralization of power far more intense and successful than previous
governments;
Creation of royal standing armies, usually mercenary;
Expansion of royal law and the royal judiciary to all parts of the kingdom and the
imposition of uniform justice throughout;
Expansion of the royal bureaucracy;
Major expansion of royal taxation to cover cost of military and bureaucratic support;
Reshaping of relations between king and nobles as nobles become officers in kings
army and members of the royal bureaucracy and judiciary, not holders of independent
power;
Granting of privileges and special status to nobles to placate them for loss of real
power, the most important privileges being exemption from most taxes and a
monopoly on high military and civilian posts, other privileges including right to use
crests, demand respect, fight duels;
The monarchs use of royal councilsa large advisory council of limited power to
placate nobles who desire a role in decision-making and a small council of trusted
advisors to shape and execute policy;
The beginnings of the sense of national identity that comes from more uniform
governance, law and justice, and, in some cases, religion.

The New Monarchies help lay the foundation for the absolutisms of the 17th and18th
centuries, although there will be in many realms a new, temporary period of disunity and
dispersed power as the effects of the religious reformations are felt.