3.3 Absolutism (HAVO)

• History
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 2

3. The Time of Regents and Monarchs

3. Absolutism

Main Questions

1. What is absolutism?
2. How does mercantilism work?

people in this lesson

Colbert

Johan de Witt

Willem III

Michiel de Ruyter

king Louis XIV

Word Duty

KEY WORDS

Absolutism: a system in which a king has absolute power 

Divine right of kings: claim by an absolute monarch that he is made king to carry out God's will

Mercantilism: an economic system in which a country focuses on its own economy and in which 

export is very important 

import: bring products into the country to be sold

export: send products to other countries to be sold

Louis XIV 

After years of ruling together with his chief minister, the French king, Louis XIV, astonished his court in 1661 by declaring that he would from now on rule alone. 

Louis XIV did have a small counsel of high ministers from whom he took advice. He could call or dismiss his ministers at will, listen to their advice or disregard it. When a king has absolute power, we call this absolutism. This meant that Louis took every important decision in France by himself. Louis XIV, as every other king in Europe at that time, believed in the divine right of kings: he claimed that he was made king by God to carry out God's will. During his reign, Louis XIV turned France into a centralised state that was governed from his palace in Versailles.

 

king Louis XIV

Versailles

inside Versailles: the Hall of Mirrors

next slide: watch the animation about the development of Versailles

Use your notebook. Make a schematic like you see below.

Go to this website of the palace of Versailles. 

Write Louis XIV agenda for the next Wednesday. Start by his awakening and end by when he goes to bed.

1. Explain the connection between the keywords "absolutism" and "divine right of kings"

Louis XIV

• He became king at the age of four.
• He married a Spanish princess who was his first cousin
• He built the extravagant palace of Versailles
• He is known as the Sun King. His best known quote: "The state, that's me!"
• he took away the right of worship from French Protestants
• The American state Louisiana was named in his honor.

2. Put the events in the correct chronological order

Louis XIV started to rule as an absolute king

J. v Oldenbarnevelt executed

the WIC is established.

The Twelve Years' Truce is signed

The Peace of Münster is signed

The VOC is established

Mercantilism

Because of the many wars it waged in the seventeenth century, France was almost at the point of bankruptcy. Louis XIV appointed Jean-Baptist Colbert as controller of financial affairs and ordered him to improve the finances of France. Colbert introduced a new economic system, called mercantilism. He suggested that for a country to become more powerful it must get as much gold and silver as it can. To do this that country must export more than it imports. 

If that is the case the country has a favorable balance of trade and thus makes a profit.

Raw materials (like silver, tobacco, spices) from the colonies (= import) were taxed, so the colonists made less profit and France made more profit.

Then France turned these raw material into products and sold them back to the colonies (= export) with profit. At the same time the colonies were not allowed to turn the raw materials into products themselves. They were forced to send the raw materials to the mother country (France). Colonies were also forbidden to trade raw materials or products with each other. The extra gold and silver France received from its export turned it into a wealthy nation once again.

Watch one or both of the next 2 videos that explain mercantilism....

Colbert

3a) Which of the following best describes the term "mercantilism"?

1. an political system in which a country focuses on its own economy and in which import is very important
2. an economic system in which a country focuses on its own government and in which export is very important
3. an economic system in which a country focuses on its own economy and in which import is very important
4. an economic system in which a country focuses on its own economy and in which export is very important

3b) a favorable balance of trade means:

1. import > export
2. export > import

3c) Explain that mercantilism is the opposite of commercial capitalism, used in the Dutch Republic

Summary Lesson 3.3

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