05 PARLIAMENTARIANISM AND ENLIGHTENED DESPOTISM
1 ABSOLUTISM AND PARLIAMENTARIANISM
PARLIAMENTARY MONARCHIES
ABSOLUTE MONARCHIES
PARLIAMENTARY REPUBLICAN POLITICAL SYSTEMS
From a political point of view, absolute monarchies and parliamentary monarchies ended between the first years of the century and its final decades.
18th century marks the end of the Modern Age and the beginning of the Contemporary Age
Some characteristics
were legitimised by an ideology that supported the superiority of the king’s power over all others
include a growing centralisation of political and administrative decisions in the royal courts and the monarchy’s government bodies
permanent army under the orders of the king
royal treasury able to raise revenue and the marginalisation of the courts and parliaments structured in estates.
LOUIS XIV (1643–1715)
the most representative example of an absolute monarchy.
were selected on the condition that they sign the Bill of Rights
parliamentary model remained stable throughout the 18th century
THE BIRTH OF THE KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN
After Glorious Revolution in 1688
developed institutional and legal systems
controlled the monarch’s power
through
local corporations
wealthy classes
action of the courts and parliaments made up of major landowners
parliament chose new monarchs
Mary II
William III of Orange
1707: the Act of Union was signed,
England and Scotland shared a parliament
Scotland and England began sharing the same king in 1603
although each country maintained its legal and educational systems.
These republics common in the Holy Empire and on the Italian Peninsula
They achieved high levels of economic and cultural development
were governed by members of the nobility and wealthy middle class
However, as they did not make up large states, they were weak against the military power of the great monarchies.
remained in place in some parts of Europe
The exception was the United Provinces
2 ENLIGHTENED DESPOTISM
Monarchs thought that the Enlightenment ideas
Academies were in charge of carrying out studies and projects that were in the interests of despotic governments
Important Enlightenment thinkers
ADDITIONAL REFORMS
This model implemented in various European countries starting from the middle of the 18th century.
GALLICANISM
incorporated ‘trickledown’ reforms inspired by the Enlightenment
CATHERINE ‘THE GREAT’ (1729–1796)
was a variant of absolutism
worked as government advisers or ministers under absolutist monarchs in...
Spain
Russia
Prussia
And others
France
Their job was rationalise how monarchies functioned to improve their administrative and institutional bodies
would help them govern more efficiently and legitimise their power
were other common reforms to improve the functioning of monarchies within Enlightened despotism
Political reforms
Regalist reforms
Economic reforms
consisted of
within the context of the French absolute monarchy
interference of royal power in ecclesiastical matters
called Gallicanism
was in contact with the most important Enlightenment thinkers of the period
was an example of enlightened despotism
she only implemented the reformist ideas that strengthened her power
implemented reforms in central and provincial government
Voltaire
D’Alembert
Diderot
Her harsh policies for peasants led to popular uprisings
