Haley: Absolute Monarchs

     An absolute monarch is defined by Princeton as "a monarchical form of government where the monarch exercises ultimate governing authority as head of state and head of government " Is hard to believe that there once were and still are governments the were like that. Each ruler practicing absolutism was great but they had an even greater downfall. 

     One of the great leaders who took on a country for themselves is Louis XIV. Louis XIV was born in 1643 and died in 1715. He was known as Louis the Sun King. He was so named for his love of art and culture. He was an absolute monarch that was extremely well loved. He believed the the way to conquering Europe was through 
     The only downfall of Louis XIV was his death at the age of 72. His successors did not follow in his footsteps and the wonderful and optimistic reign in France had ended.
     Phillip II of Spain was yet another great absolute ruler. He was an extremely intelligent ruler, much like his father Charles V. He had a group of advisers to keep him in balance, but he was the sole authority. He was one to really encourage the practice of Catholicism, even when the times were changing and the Protestant Reformation was highly prominent. 

     His downfall came from within his own family. Phillip was married to Queen Mary I. Her sister was Queen Elizabeth I of England, yet another absolute monarch of the time. Phillip accused Elizabeth of assisting the Dutch rebels when they revolted against Spain. 
     Well, speaking of Queen Elizabeth I, She came to reign after the death of her brother. She ruled without a husband, which was a bold yet dangerous move for the time. For many months after her coronation, she was overwhelmed by marriage proposals. She never wanted to marry and she never did. 
    When England was threatened, Elizabeth was ready, almost every time, though she herself never actually went into battle. The one time that Elizabeth was not prepared was when the Armada from Spain was headed to England, she was not ready. England fought back hard and was able to come out on top. No one ever expected her to prevail as a queen ruling all of England by herself. Elizabeth ruled until her death in 1603.  

     Ivan the terrible. You've heard the name before. He was an absolute ruler of Russia from 1530-1584. After Ivan the Terrible, Russia was an Empire, but it was left a broken empire. He was hungry for blood. He's considered one of the maddest rulers in history. This was his greatest downfall. His hunger for power and is need to conquer was never satisfied. That in its self was his worst mistake. 

     Emperor Kangxi was one of the longest reigning emperors of China. His reign was 60 years, it was such  long reign because he came to power at the age of only 8. He knew how to rule. He was fair and just, though it took may years for a child to truly transform into an emperor.

Works cited: 

"The Emergence of Russia (Overview)." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 14 May 2014.

"1450-1750 - Absolute Monarchies." 1450-1750 - Absolute Monarchies. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2014.

VÁRKONYI, ÁGNES. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.

PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.\

"The Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors." The Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.

"NEW SCHOLARSHIP." Reign of the Kangxi Emperor. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.

"Chinese Emperors." Chinese Emperors, Monarchs,China Feudalistic History, Emperor Qinshihuang, Huangdi,. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.

"Elizabeth I." Elizabeth I. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.