East rop v west rop
Each class will divide itself into groups, West Rop & East Rop.
- Within each group, you will organize yourselves & break up the content/cover all aspects of the content.
- Be responsible, have fun with it, make it educational & school appropriate. You will have all day today, over the weekend, along with Tuesday to plot/film/edit & post your Rop Battle Video etc.
- QUALITY > QUANTITY
- HARD CAP OF 10 MINUTES FOR VIDEO, BUT IT SHOULD BE SHORTER & SWEETER
- WE WILL WATCH ALL FOUR VIDEOS ON A WEDNESDAY IN CLASS.
- 10 breakdown below
1. Foundation of Power
- Western Europe:
- Monarchs centralized power and curtailed the influence of the nobility.
- The intendant system in France allowed for bureaucratic control, placing middle-class officials in charge.
- Sovereignty was embodied in the monarch, who was not subordinate to national assemblies(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Louis XIV exemplified this, famously stating, “L’état, c’est moi” (I am the state)(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe:
- Monarchs were more dependent on the nobility for governance and military support.
- Nobility retained considerable local power, particularly over their serfs.
- Monarchs were often "first among equals," needing noble support to maintain their rule(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- In Prussia, the Junkers (noble class) played a dominant role in military and governance(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Western Europe:
- Serfdom had largely disappeared by the 17th century, particularly in countries like France and England(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Peasants had greater personal freedom and fewer obligations tied to land ownership.
- Rural workers still paid taxes and tithes but had some legal rights(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Monarchs, like Louis XIV, focused more on controlling the middle class than rural peasants(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe:
- Serfdom intensified during the 16th and 17th centuries, especially in Russia, Prussia, and Poland(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Peasants were bound to the land and had very limited mobility, often subjected to hereditary servitude(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Lords controlled the judicial systems in their territories, which further oppressed the peasant class(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- In Russia, serfdom was seen as necessary for nobles to maintain their estates, leading to severe restrictions on peasant freedom(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Western Europe:
- Armies were professionalized and maintained during peacetime, such as Louis XIV’s large standing army(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Monarchs used military strength as a tool for expansion, exemplified by the numerous wars of Louis XIV(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- However, military culture did not permeate society to the extent it did in Eastern Europe.
- France’s military was more focused on maintaining the balance of power in Europe rather than being the foundation of societal structure(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe:
- Militarism was a core part of society, especially in Prussia, which became known as the “Sparta of the North”(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Rulers like Frederick William I of Prussia invested heavily in military growth, often spending the majority of national revenue on the army(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Military service was integrated into noble life, with the Junkers serving as military officers(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern European rulers, such as Peter the Great, built massive armies to both defend and expand their empires(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Western Europe:
- Economies were dominated by mercantilism, with monarchs like Louis XIV and his minister Colbert aiming to make France self-sufficient(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Monarchs promoted the growth of industries like textiles, shipbuilding, and arms production(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Trade monopolies were established in overseas colonies to boost wealth(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- France also heavily invested in infrastructure, building roads and canals to promote internal trade(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe:
- Economies were primarily agrarian, relying heavily on serf labor for large estates(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Little focus was placed on industry, and Eastern European economies remained less developed than their Western counterparts.
- Nobles benefited from the increased agricultural output, while peasants were bound to labor for free or minimal wages under systems like robot in Austria(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Trade was limited, and the lack of ports in places like Prussia restricted economic expansion(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Western Europe:
- Monarchs sought to control the nobility by integrating them into court life, such as at Louis XIV’s Versailles(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Nobles were often excluded from direct political power but were appeased with ceremonial roles(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- The intendant system in France replaced local nobles with bureaucrats, reducing noble influence in governance(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Western Europe saw the rise of a stronger middle class, which also contributed to the weakening of noble power(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe:
- Nobility maintained significant power, especially over serfs and local governance(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- In Prussia and Russia, nobles controlled the military as well as the economy of their estates(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- The Habsburgs in Austria and monarchs in Prussia traded political power with the nobility in exchange for military support(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Nobles' influence often grew stronger as monarchs relied on them to maintain order and stability, particularly in times of war(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- 6. Religious Influence
- Western Europe:
- Monarchs like Louis XIV viewed themselves as heads of their national churches, often asserting control over religious institutions(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685, removing religious tolerance for Huguenots and enforcing Catholic orthodoxy(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Catholicism remained dominant in France, Spain, and other parts of Western Europe, with monarchs actively shaping religious policies(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- There was some tension between monarchs and the Pope, especially as monarchs sought to limit papal influence in domestic affairs(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe:
- Religion often played a less central role in governance, though in Russia, the Tsar also headed the Russian Orthodox Church(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe’s religious landscape was more diverse, with Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, and Protestantism often competing for dominance(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- The Ottoman Empire, which controlled parts of Eastern Europe, practiced relative religious tolerance, particularly toward Christian subjects(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Habsburg Austria suppressed Protestantism, as seen with rulers like Leopold I, but also had to manage a multi-ethnic and multi-religious empire(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
7. Centralization of Power- Western Europe:
- Western monarchs like Louis XIV centralized power through a strong bureaucratic system that reduced the power of local lords(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- The use of professional bureaucrats and the intendant system helped Louis XIV and others directly control their states, bypassing local nobility(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Centralized taxation and legal reforms were used to consolidate power, allowing monarchs to fund large standing armies and monumental projects like Versailles(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Central authority was largely unquestioned by the late 17th century in France, with Louis XIV reigning as the quintessential absolutist monarch(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe:
- In contrast, Eastern European monarchs often struggled to fully centralize power due to the entrenched power of the nobility(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Nobles held vast control over their lands and serfs, making it difficult for monarchs to impose their will without noble cooperation(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Peter the Great in Russia made significant strides toward centralization, creating a more unified Russian state with new administrative divisions(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- However, Eastern European rulers, particularly in Austria and Prussia, still had to negotiate power-sharing arrangements with local aristocracies(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- 8. Cultural and Artistic Patronage
- Western Europe:
- Monarchs like Louis XIV used their wealth and power to patronize the arts, promoting cultural grandeur as a symbol of their absolute authority(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- The construction of Versailles was not only a political tool but also a symbol of the king’s cultural dominance, with art and architecture reflecting his divine right(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- French culture became the standard across Europe, with other monarchs aspiring to replicate Louis XIV's court and cultural achievements(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Western European absolutist rulers were great patrons of the Baroque style in art and architecture, emphasizing splendor, power, and control(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe:
- Cultural patronage was less prominent in Eastern Europe initially, though rulers like Peter the Great began to adopt Western styles during the 17th and 18th centuries(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Peter the Great's construction of St. Petersburg and the Peterhof Palace were attempts to emulate Western European grandeur and sophistication(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern European rulers gradually adopted Enlightenment ideas and Western artistic styles, although often lagging behind their Western counterparts(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- The focus in Eastern Europe remained more militaristic and practical, with less emphasis on culture as a symbol of state power until later periods(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- 9. Cultural Influence and Legacy
- Western Europe:
- Western European absolutism, especially in France, was marked by a flourishing of the arts. Louis XIV's court at Versailles became the epicenter of European culture(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Monarchs used cultural patronage to reinforce their power, commissioning grand works of architecture, painting, and music to display their dominance(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- The Baroque style, exemplified in places like Versailles, symbolized the grandeur and power of the monarchy(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- French became the dominant language of diplomacy and culture in Europe, showcasing the influence of France’s absolutist regime(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe:
- In Eastern Europe, cultural influence was more fragmented, as empires like the Habsburgs and Russia ruled over ethnically and linguistically diverse populations(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Peter the Great's efforts to modernize Russia included importing Western European cultural practices, but cultural life was more restricted to the elite(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Architectural projects, such as the building of St. Petersburg, were designed to showcase the power and modernity of the Russian state, echoing Western styles(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Cultural patronage in Eastern Europe, while significant, did not reach the same central role in absolutism as it did in Western Europe, where it became a political tool(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- 10. Wars and Foreign Policy
- Western Europe:
- Western European monarchs often engaged in wars for territorial expansion and to maintain or shift the balance of power. Louis XIV, for example, fought numerous wars aimed at expanding France’s borders(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Western Europe developed a system of alliances to check the power of dominant states, such as the coalition against France during the War of Spanish Succession(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Diplomacy and international treaties played a crucial role, with agreements like the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) serving to limit the ambitions of powerful monarchs(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Warfare was driven by state interests, economic control, and the pursuit of glory, as seen in the reign of Louis XIV(c06-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe:
- Eastern European rulers engaged in wars not only for expansion but also for consolidation of power within their fragmented empires. For instance, the Habsburgs fought wars to centralize their authority in the diverse Austrian Empire(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Eastern Europe faced constant threats from external powers, particularly the Ottoman Empire, leading to frequent military conflicts like the Siege of Vienna in 1683(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Unlike the balance-of-power politics of Western Europe, Eastern European conflicts often involved struggles for survival and the preservation of their territorial integrity(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).
- Peter the Great’s wars against Sweden in the Great Northern War were aimed at gaining access to the Baltic Sea and establishing Russia as a European power, reflecting Eastern Europe’s focus on regional dominance(c08-euro-ppt-absolutism…).