Absolute Monarchy Timeline

King Charles I is Born

Feb 24, 1500

Charles was born in Spain. He was originally crowned Carlos I of Spain, and was also crrowned Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire. He passed many laws and acts and seeked power wherever he could.

Invasion of Mexico

Jan 1, 1519

Charles and Pope Leo X approved an invasion of Mexico. It consisted of thousands of Spanish troops. Led by Hernan Cortes, dozen of ships. This showed the might of the Spanish fleet, and established the Spanish armada as one of the premier naval forces of the era.

Ivan IV of Russia is Born

Aug 25, 1530

Ivan IV (later to be known as Ivan the Terrible) is born on this day. He was a part of the Rurik Dynasty. He became the first czar of Russia when he was 17 years old.

Death of Charles I

Sep 1, 1558

Charles I died in September 1558. He was a true absolute monarch because he had complete power over the Holy Roman Empire. This was an expansive empire that was imfluential in global affairs. He also created an impressive naval force that could dominate others of the era. It was all at his command.

St. Basil's Cathedral is Constructed

Jan 1, 1561

St. Basil's Cathedral was a feat of archirtectural beauty, and it showed that Ivan's reign was not all terrible. While he did expend lots of resources fighting unnecessary wars, he also funded this project. He was fearsome and bloodthirsty but also had a side to him that wasn't.

Death of Ivan IV

Mar 18, 1584

Ivan IV died on this day. He was an absolute monarch. He inspired fear in his subjects' hearts. He was allowed to possess pieces of land that were exclusively under his control, and no one dared oppose him on these matters. He was allowed to deal with deserters and did so cruelly, causing him to rule by fear and to have unlimited power over Russia until his death.

Birth of Louis XIV

Sep 5, 1638

Louis XIV was born in France and into the royal family where he inherited the crown at age 4, while France was unstable and insolvable.

Peter I is born in Moscow, Russia

Jun 9, 1672

Peter I was born as Pyotr Alekseyevich. He was the 14th child of Czar Alexis by his second wife, Natalya Kirillnova Naryshkina. He inherted the throne at the age of 10, and he ruled jointly with his brother, until his brother died when Peter was 24.

Cancelation of the Edict of Nantes

Jan 1, 1685

Louis XIV canceled the Edict of Nantes. This offers protection of religious rights for French Protestants and ordered destruction upon protestant structures (ie. Churches). He did this because he was very Catholic and disliked Protestantism. He ordered destruction and a religion. This established himself as a monarch by placing a religion for all to follow as a part of his rule.

Frederick William is Born

Aug 14, 1688

Frederick William of Prussia is born on this day. He was the second Prussian king. He realiazed that Prussia had to rely on other European powers in order to survive, and he resolved to change that. He turned Prussia into a powerhouse.

Great Northern War

Feb 1, 1700

This is often regarded as the pinnacle of Peter's reign. He defeated the Baltic states and established Russia as a great power, worthy of the Western societies. He also promoted the country's worth by implementing the Julian calendar and updating the alphabet. This was important because it helped to propel Russia into international dominance.

Prussia's Military Expands to 38,000

Jan 1, 1713

In 1713, William successfully established Prussia as one of the leading military powers in Eurpe. He also created a set of reforms to improve life for the peasants. His realization of his country's reliance on other countries was integral in Prussia's new dominence on a global scale.

Death of Louis XIV

Sep 1, 1715

Louis XIV died on september 1st 1715, and had the longest European reign of 72 years. He died of gangrene and made a large cultural impact on France. He appointed himself as the patron of the Academie Franciase which was a body that regulated French language. He also established many facilities for arts and sciences. He also belived that art was meant to glorify the king, not God.

Death of Peter the Great

Feb 8, 1725

Peter the Great died on this day. He died to gangrene in his bladder. He was an absolute monarch because he forcibly modernized the nation. He believed himself better than everyone and even adopted the title of emperor at one point. He controlled the nobility. He had the country wrapped around his finger, and for this reason he was an absolute monarch.

Death of Frederick William

May 31, 1740

Frederick William died as an influential man in Prussian history. He esttablished a series of reforms that improved life in Prussia for the commmoners. This helped him keep his power because of the peasants' love and respect for him. He held the power of his land and used it to change the life of his subjects.