Search For Sovereignty: Law And Geography In European Empires

Abryl Navarro DBQ Essay During the 1500s and 1600s, Western Europe experienced a period of governments ruled by ab-solute monarchs. Absolute monarchies are forms of government in which the monarch has abso-lute power over the people. The absolutism was caused by religious and territorial conflicts which was crated fear and uncertainty. Rulers/ Kings abused their power of absolutism over their sub-jects.

The 17th century of European history, colloquially known as the “Age of Crisis”, gave rise to a new form of government: absolutism. Religious wars, economic troubles, inflation, and new agricultural challenges such as the Little Ice Age wracked the nations of Europe and caused tremendous fear and uncertainty among the masses. Thus, as many felt that life itself was endangered, they were willing to accept the rise of a strong, independent ruler who might lead them from the darkness. In this way, absolutism emerged- a new form of monarchy based on a hereditary ruler with complete authority. Perhaps the most well known example of an absolute monarch in European history is Louis XIV, the ruler of France from 1643 to 1715.

← Cobban, Alfred. The Absolutist Rulers of Europe. 1969. The 1700s-Headlines in History. Ed. Stuart A. Kallen. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc, 2001. 37-46

Changes are an important part of history, and a natural part of life. In the case of geography throughout history, the world has made many changes to its borders and who has grievances with one another. From the High Middle Ages of olden Europe, to the twentieth century, change has occurred. These changes have unified and broken ties between countries and regions time and time again throughout history. There are many forces that push toward and against unity throughout time. The world map became what is today because of both unity and division marking change in the past.

In 17th-18th century Europe, the age of absolutism, absolute monarchs ruled most of Europe. Absolute monarchs are rulers that have complete control over the government and its people. They claimed to rule by “divine right,” where their authority comes from God and they were above the law. The views of being a proper role as an absolute monarch differed very much between rulers and their subjects. Certain rulers had ideas that both the people and ruler should be united, some abused their power with no sympathy towards the people they rule, and the subjects that suffered from the rulings of the monarch had a completely different perspective than the rulers that were in power.

The 16th and 17th centuries were a powerful time for European monarchies. Absolutism had taken hold, allowing Kings to have powerful rules over their states. This was due to the absolute monarchies that had taken hold and the belief in a divine right that kept them there. This allowed the countries under the rule of powerful monarchs to thrive and prosper. Absolute monarchies and the belief in a divine right to rule made absolutism a period of prosperity in 16th and 17th century Europe.

After the European expansion to the American continent at the end of the fifteenth century, many monarchs began to become absolute rulers. In between the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, absolute powers began a rise in mainly Western Europe; while Eastern Europe experienced absolutism in the mid eighteenth century. But during the absolute monarchs rise to power, the population of each sovereign state had an abundance of diverse attitudes towards sovereignty. These diverse opinions arose for acknowledgement of different urgencies for an absolute monarch to attend to; these groups were sovereign monarchs, peasants, and nobility. One of the main views that dominated the growth of absolute power was the monarch’s.

In northern Europe after the Middle Ages, monarchies began to build the foundations of their countries that are still in affect today. During the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries these “New Monarchs” made many relevant changes in their nations. During the middle of the fifteenth century Europe was affected by war and rebellion, which weakened central governments. As the monarchies attempted to develop into centralized governments once again, feudalism’s influence was lessened. This “new” idea of centralization was reflected in the monarch’s actions. Rulers tried to implement peace and restore the idea that the monarchy represented law and order in the nation. These New Monarchs were able to build armies due to taxation, and

The 16th and 17th centuries brought up the proposition of an absolute monarch, this is a ruler with total power over a country or territory. The idea of kings being chosen by God, or the divine right of kings, lead to absolutism, which was seen throughout Europe. Monarchs could be tyrants, they could take away the rights of their citizens. Monarchs could also be prosperous, improving their country economically, military, or gaining foreign alliances. Europe's absolute monarchs left the 16th and 17th centuries prosperous due to the fewer conflicts, the morals of monarchs, and everybody had an equal chance at upward-mobility.

Thesis: Rulers during the period from 1450 to 1750 viewed themselves ruling with God’s name and have great power and diverse methods to rule their lands, and they are expected to do everything for their people and have great diplomatic policies.

During the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe, absolutist leaders, mostly monarchs, controlled all aspects of a country as well as its citizens. This absolutist control would come to have a mostly negative effect on Europe as a whole, but some monarchs were not tyrants. Most monarchs were seen as gods in the eyes of their citizens, absolutist leaders were given reasons to be cruel from writings, but some monarchs were prosperous leaders and led their countries well.

What was once considered a territory of rural communities and towns grew to states consisting of large urban cities. As the society of the states became more complex and integrated, dependence upon the parent country began to dwindle. As the states matured, their inhabitants were no

A further change would be laws and government changes in territorial states using effective institutions of commanding loyalty from subjects. In a way of not overthrowing those in power. Great lord’s authority was limited and had to do with decentralized network of feudal relationships. Feudal relationships are an ongoing of you give me something and get something back in return. In the 11th- 13th century nominal monarchs of Europe asserted their authority while other states began to appear.

Feudalism- monarchy attempts to control the lands of the realm through agreements with regional leaders.

The one constant theme from any period in history we examine seems to be that of change. As Europe began to take shape, it did so with an expansion and contraction rate that was dramatically impacted by changes in political organizations, positive and negative economic forces, and through shifts in social structure. The path to the creation of the European empires was a long and tedious journey. Sixth century feudalism gave way to the creation of a central authority. The thirteenth century was scarred by the Black Death but it brought about economic changes that would resonate well into the Renaissance period of the fifteenth century. Nation-states began their formation as the need for a centralized government dictated. With each step