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Period: Jan 1, 1500 to
Absolute Monarchs
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Feb 24, 1500
Charles I is born
Charles I is born. During his reign, Charles I fought 4 wars against his nemisis, Francis I of France. He also strongly supported the expansion of Spanish colonies in the Americas. He also shared the throne of Spain with his mother Joanna for a number of years until her death. -
Apr 16, 1521
Charles I calls Martin Luther to the Diet of Worms
As ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles I opposed the Protestant Reformation form the beginning. This is an example of how Charles I was a monarch who strongly regualted religion in all 3 of his empires. -
Aug 25, 1530
Ivan IV is born
Ivan IV is born. Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible, was a very capable leader who was loved by the masses, but treated nobility harshly. He was prone to mental episodes, during one of which he killed his eldest heir. He supported fine arts and trade, and founded Russia's first Print Yard. -
Jan 16, 1547
Ivan IV is appointed Tsar
Tsar is a title which implies absolute and unquestionable power. It also ties to religion; it is a ruler who is determined and appointed by God. -
Sep 21, 1558
Charles I dies
Charles I made the monarchy of Spain a more absolute government. A rebellion, known as the Revolt of the Comuneros, rose because Charles I refused to elect any Castillian candidates for government positions. Charles I was also a very strong supporter of the Counter Reformation, and pushed for the Council of Trent and the Diet of Worms. -
Ivan IV dies
The Terrible which is often associated with Ivan IV comes from the Russian word grozny, which was a term used to describe rulers. In it's archaic usage, it means courageous, magnificent, and one who strikes fear into enemies and people into obedience. The 1550's rained hardships across Russia, from drought and famine to invasions and blockades. After several treasons, Ivan IV became paranoid and fled the country, agreeing only to return when he was granted absolute power. -
Louis XIV is born
Louis XIV is born. He ruled France for 72 years and 110 days, the longest reign of any monarch in major European countries. He was involved in the transformation of Versailles from a hunting lodge to a palace. During his reign, France fought in 3 major wars, the Franco-Dutch War, the War of the League of Augsburg, and the War of the Spanish Succession. -
Louis XIV declares he will rule without a chief minister
"Up to this moment I have been pleased to entrust the government of my affairs to the late Cardinal. It is now time that I govern them myself." Tradition in France had been to rule in cooperation with a chief minster, but Louis XIV wanted to rule on his own. -
Peter I is born
Peter I is born. There were 4 major rebellions during his time, but he managed to brutally supress all of them. He also believed strongly in reforming the Russian Orthodox Church. During the Great Norhten War, he claimed a territory and declared Saint Petersburg to be the new capital of Russia, and increased taxes dramatically to pay for it's construction. -
Peter I changes the calendar
Peter I converted Russia from the old Russian Calendar to the Julian Calendar, and changes the celebration of the new year from September 1 to January 1. This shows that he was an absolute monarch because he altered the national regualtion based on his own beliefs. -
Louis XIV dies
Some of Louis XIV's main goals during his reign were to decrease French imports and increase outports, supporting the arts, and a few feeble attempts to humanize slavery. These attempts included things like prohibiting the seperation of families, and restricting slave ownership to only Roman Catholics. -
Peter I dies
During his 42 year reign, Peter I changed social structures, like abolishing arranged marriages and changing fashion trends for suitors. He also tried to gain much more land for Russia, and participated in the Great Northern War, a 24 year battle in which he gained very little for how many men were lost. He battled for power at a young age and when he took control, he excersised it without assistance or hesitation.
