17th Century Europe: Monarchies and Conflicts
Spain in the 17th Century
Philip III (Ruled 1598 – 1621)
In the 17th century, Spain suffered a political and economic crisis because three weak kings ruled it. They didn’t rule directly; instead, they had favorites (nobles who governed for them).
Philip III became king in 1598, and his favorite was the Duke of Lerma. In 1609, Moriscos were expelled (they were not trusted), and this damaged the economy because they were peasants. In 1604, he signed a temporary peace agreement with England, and in 1609, with the Dutch rebels in the Low Countries. The Duke of Lerma changed the capital twice to become richer, and Spain joined the Thirty Years’ War.
Philip IV (Ruled 1621 – 1665)
Philip IV’s favorite was the Count-Duke of Olivares. Spain fought many expensive wars. English and Dutch pirates, who attacked the treasure ships from the Indies, made Spain’s financial problems worse. At the Peace of Westphalia, the Dutch gained independence from Spain. In 1640, there were rebellions in both Portugal and Catalonia. As Spanish soldiers had to stay at Catalan homes for war, there was the Reapers’ War, but they defeated the rebels in 1652. The Treaty of the Pyrenees established the Pyrenees as the border between France and Spain. In the Portuguese Restoration War, which lasted until 1668, Portugal became independent. Because of the rebellions, Spain had serious financial, political, and social crises.
France in the 17th Century
Louis XIV (Ruled 1643 – 1715)
When Louis XIV became king, some of the French nobles rebelled. The rebellion was unsuccessful, and it increased the king’s power. Louis was known as the “Sun King.”
He became king at four years old. He ruled himself after the Chief Minister (Cardinal Mazarin) died, so the king’s power increased. He reduced the nobles’ power by controlling them in his court. In 1685, Protestants had to leave France or convert to Catholicism. He made France bigger by winning wars. In addition, he created an empire, founding colonies in America, Africa, and Asia.
When a ruler increases his power while reducing the nobles’ and church’s power, it is called an authoritarian monarchy. Nevertheless, Louis XIV controlled all of the important functions of government. He said that God had chosen him, so it is called an absolute monarchy.
England in the 17th Century
Political and religious conflicts led to a civil war. Charles I was an absolute king, so Parliament got angry, and Protestants thought that Charles was secretly a Catholic.
In 1642, a civil war started. Oliver Cromwell led Parliament to victory, and in 1649, Charles was beheaded. Cromwell made himself a dictator and closed Parliament. He was a Puritan and introduced many rules on moral behavior: he closed theaters, boys were whipped for playing football on Sundays, and women were not allowed to wear make-up.
When Cromwell died in 1658, people wanted the monarchy back. In 1660, Parliament asked Charles I’s son to rule. This is called the Restoration. Charles I’s heirs wanted an absolute monarch, but Parliament didn’t accept this. Therefore, in 1688, James II (Charles I’s grandson) abdicated, and Mary and William of Orange ruled. This is called the Glorious Revolution because it was achieved without a war.
The Bill of Rights was a law created by Parliament. It limited the king’s power, and the power was shared between the king and Parliament.
The Scientific Revolution
Humanists tried to find out more about the world. The voyages of discovery made people more curious: they thought that there were other things they didn’t know about, and new plants and animals were collected, making botany and zoology more interesting. Doing experiments, results didn’t fit with old theories. Scientists used to work for the king, but later, they joined universities to work independently on scientific discoveries. Scientists worked together in societies such as the “Royal Society of London” or in scientific journals. Some of the most important work was in astronomy and physics.