All history seems to build on itself, and political history in Europe is no different. From the Renaissance and the birth of new monarchies, through the rise of absolutism, political ideas have evolved and changed. The year 1648 marked the start of a new political period in Europe, largely due to the rise of absolute rulers and the increased effects of mercantilism on politics, however, as like before, issues of religion continued to influence the government and politics, causing this turning point to herald in a new era of political dominance over the people.
One way in which 1648 became a distinct political period was the rise of absolute rulers such as Louis XIV. Theses absolute rulers differed from their pre-1648 counterparts in many ways in that very little curbed their power. Louis XIV did not share any of his power with a chief minister, unlike the majority of his predecessors. He also took away much of the power of nobles of the sword, giving it instead to nobles of the robe, an easily controllable bourgeois. As a show of his dazzling power, he built the Palace of Versailles, which further controlled nobles by occupying their time, and draining their pocketbooks. Although this seems to be a far cry from the decentralized governments of previous rulers, in reality there were many events leading up to 1648 that played a role in the formation of Louis XIV’s absolute …show more content…
The English Civil War, which occurred during this time, underlines this idea. The primary effects of the English Civil War were political, as it caused the formation of the English Bill of Rights, it put measures in place to constrain the power of the king, and created a politically significant parliament. However, the primary causes of the English Civil War were religiously focused. This is a remnant of previous European wars which carried through
One way in which 1648 became a distinct political period was the rise of absolute rulers such as Louis XIV. Theses absolute rulers differed from their pre-1648 counterparts in many ways in that very little curbed their power. Louis XIV did not share any of his power with a chief minister, unlike the majority of his predecessors. He also took away much of the power of nobles of the sword, giving it instead to nobles of the robe, an easily controllable bourgeois. As a show of his dazzling power, he built the Palace of Versailles, which further controlled nobles by occupying their time, and draining their pocketbooks. Although this seems to be a far cry from the decentralized governments of previous rulers, in reality there were many events leading up to 1648 that played a role in the formation of Louis XIV’s absolute …show more content…
The English Civil War, which occurred during this time, underlines this idea. The primary effects of the English Civil War were political, as it caused the formation of the English Bill of Rights, it put measures in place to constrain the power of the king, and created a politically significant parliament. However, the primary causes of the English Civil War were religiously focused. This is a remnant of previous European wars which carried through