3.1 European Rulers- II

• History
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2

3.1 European Rulers

Lesson objectives

- What absolutism is

- How European kings (like the French and English) became so powerful
- How the Dutch Republic had a different form of government 

What did we do last time?

What word belongs to the description?
'government system in which the monarch has unlimited power'

Which ruler had absolute power?

1. Louis XIV
2. William III
3. Maurits van Oranje-Nassau
4. Johan van Oldenbarnevelt

Which sentence is INCORRECT?
Louis XIV made France an absolution monarchy in which:

1. The king made all the decisions.
2. The king was accountable to the States General
3. The king's power was limited by nothing and no one
4. Ministers were servants and advisers of the king

What word belongs to the description?
'French Calvinist'

Persons this section

Louis XIV

France 1643 - 1715

Maurits van Oranje-Nassau

Stadtholder of the Republic of the United Netherlands

Johan van Oldenbarnevelt

High regent / Grand Pensionary of the Republic of the United Netherlands

William III

England 1688- 1702

Why did William III not have absolute power as king?

Discuss in pairs:

Why did William III not have absolute power as king?

How was the Republic governed?

Complete the assignment

STates- General 

• Making decisions about war
• Foreign Affairs  

stadholder

• High Command Army and Fleet 

GRAAFSCHAPPEN (counties) 

• nobility in the countryside 

VROEDSCHAPPEN

• Regents ruling in the cities 

Appoints

Send representatives + pay taxes to:

Send representatives +

pay taxes to:

Independant States

• own government 
• own courts of law 

Appoints

Grand Pensionary 

• Secretary of State-General 
• Contacts with foreign countries (diplomacy) 

Gives advice

The Republic

In the 17th century, the Netherlands was a republic: the Republic of the United Netherlands. The highest government in each region was the States. The regions worked together in the States General, which took decisions about foreign policy and the army.

 

Administrators in the cities, regions, States and States General were called regents. Often these were a few wealthy families. Such a rule by a privileged upper class is called an oligarchy.

In the Republic:

1. The States had no influence and the State Gernal was very powerful
2. The stadholder took all important decisions and the States General gave him advice.
3. The states were very independent, but they took some decisions together in the States General.
4. All important decisions were taken in the States meetings of the States

Cooperation between stadtholders and regents did not always go well.

An example: Prince Maurits and Grand Pensionary Johan van Oldenbarnevelt

Explain why this example is an good example of the bad cooperation.

Most countries in Europe in the 17th century were governed by a [.................1................. ..]
The Netherlands was not a kingdom, but a [.................2...................]
The Republic of the United [.................3...................] consisted of seven independent

 [..................4...................]
Each state was governed by the [.................5...................] in which representatives of the [.................6...................] and the [....... ...........7...................] sat
In The Hague, representatives of the regions met in the [.................8.................... ]
There they made decisions on [.................9...................] and [.... ..............10..................]

Put the right words in the right places:

States General

States

monarch

republic

nobility

Netherlands

states

cities

the army

foreign politics

'In the days of regents and monarchs, the Republic was an oligarchy.'
Explain this sentence, use the word "regents" in your answer.

Lesson objectives

- What absolutism is

- How European kings (like the French and English) became so powerful
- How the Dutch Republic had a different form of government