Absolute Monarchs

Ivan IV

Aug 25, 1530

He was born on 25 August 1530 in Kolomenskoye, Russia. His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state spanning almost one billion acres, approximately 1,562,500 sq mi. Ivan managed countless changes in the progression from a medieval state to an empire and emerging regional power, and became the first ruler to be crowned as Tsar of All the Russians.

Ivan IV

Jun 16, 1552

On 16 June 1552 Ivan IV led a 150,000-strong Russian army towards Kazan. The last siege of the Tatar capital was commenced on 30 August. Under the supervision of Prince Alexander Gorbaty-Shuisky, the Russians used ram weapons, a battery-tower, mines and 150 cannons. As a result of the Kazan campaigns, Muscovy was transformed into the multinational and multi-faith state of Russia.

Ivan IV

Mar 28, 1584

Ivan IV died on 28 March, 1584. Ivan's legacy is complex: he was an able diplomat, a patron of arts and trade. Also he founded Russia's first Print Yard, a leader highly popular among the common people of Russia, but he is also remembered for his paranoia and arguably harsh treatment of the nobility.

Charles I (Spain)

Jan 30, 1600

Charles I was born on Novemeber 19, 1600 and was executed on January 30, 1649. He was king over England, Scotland, and Ireland. He tried to enforce too many laws and boundaries onto his people, which lead eventually to a civil war. In 1629, Charles dismissed parliment, which gave him complete control. He ruled alone and had all the power. Charles was tried for treason, proved guilty, and executed, He was considered an absolute monarch because he was the sole ruler over all 3 countries.

Louis XIV

Sep 5, 1638

Louis XIV (5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715), was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who ruled as King of France from 1643 until his death. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any monarch of a major country in European history. He became one of the most powerful French monarchs and consolidated a system of absolute monarchical rule in France that endured until the French Revolution. During Louis's reign, France was the leading European power and it fought three major wars.

Louis XIV

Apr 20, 1654

In 1654 he was declared of age. After the death of Cardinal Mazarin, in 1661 Louis resumed his reign over France. After Mazarin’s death in 1661, Louis XIV broke with tradition and astonished his court by declaring that he would rule without a chief minister. King Louis XIV was able to capitalize on the widespread public yearning for law and order. This resulted from prolonged foreign wars and domestic civil strife to further consolidate central political authority and reform.

Peter I

Jun 9, 1672

Peter I alsoknown as Peter the Great was born on 9 June 1672 in Moscow, Tsardom of Russia. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from 7 May [O.S. 27 April] 1682 until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother. Through a number of successful wars he expanded the Tsardom into a much larger empire that became a major European power. He led a cultural revolution that replaced some of the traditionalist and medieval social and political systems.

Louis XVI

Sep 1, 1715

(1 September 1715) was the passing of Louis XVI. What made him an absolute monarch was when he instated that he would rule the country without the support of chief minister. This gave him even more power and control over his country because he was not being held back by a chief minister.

Peter I

Oct 22, 1721

Peter's last years were marked by further reform in Russia. On 22 October 1721, soon after peace was made with Sweden, he was officially proclaimed Emperor of All Russia. Some proposed that he take the title Emperor of the East, but he refused. Gavrila Golovkin, the State Chancellor, was the first to add "the Great, Father of His Country, Emperor of All the Russias" to Peter's traditional title Tsar.

Frederick Williams

Aug 14, 1740

Williams was born in 1688 and died in 1740. His main goal while ruling was to bring Prussia back to glory, and he did this by building an army. Frederick dismissed all of his fathers ministry, in order to establish a purely personal government. This way Frederick could make all of the decisions he wanted without interference. Williams died of old age, but left a fully equipped army of 80,000 men and a full treasury for his son and heir.

Similarities and Differences

Feb 23, 2015

These absolute monarchs all have different characteristics and attributes that made them either succeed or fail. Some of the monarchs were able to completely flip their country around for the better like Frederick Williams did for Prussia. But others abused their power and eventually failed their countries like Charles I did. The absolute monarchs of the past used their absolute power for one of two things. To better themselves, or to better their country.

Similarities and Differences

Feb 23, 2015

The monarchs that bettered their country would typically succeed, but the monarchs that used the power for themselves, typically failed. Some of the monarchs were ruthless and used fear to gain even more power like Ivan IV of Russia did, the monarchs that did this typically failed also. Therefore, absolute monarchs from the past had absolute power over their countries, and the ones who used it to make their country better succeeded, and those who did not failed.

Peter I

Feb 23, 2015

Peter declared war on Sweden, which was at the time led by King Charles XII. Peter's northern armies took the Swedish province of Livonia (the northern half of modern Latvia, and the southern half of modern Estonia), driving the Swedes into Finland. In 1714 the Russian fleet won the Battle of Gangut.