Absolute Monarchies Dbq

Absolute monarchies had all the power in Europe. Their kingdoms were powerful and accomplished. Although absolute monarchies empowered and enriched their kingdoms, they were still largely detrimental because of King Louis XIV of France, debt, Frederick the Great’s seizure of Silesia, and the city of St. Petersburg. King Louis XIV of France was an absolute monarch. During King Louis XIV reign, from 1645 to 1715, absolute monarchs, such as himself, were honorably called gods. He had divine power. In the book The True Law of Free Monarchies, by King James I of England, states “… for kings are not only God’s lieutenants on earth, and sit upon God’s throne but even by God Himself they are called gods . . . Kings are justly called gods, for that they exercise a divine power upon earth . . .” (Doc.1) King Louis XIV was treated with immense respect and was seen as an angelic figure. His subjects (citizens) had

King Louis XIV enormous debt caused chaos and financial distress to his kingdom. In Memoir of Problems Faced upon Taking the Throne, written by King Louis XIV, it states, “ Everywhere was disorder . . . The finances were entirely exhausted, so much so that we could hardly find the ways and means. Much of the most necessary and most privileged expenses of my house and my own privy purse were in debt beyond all that was fitting, or maintained [through loans], to be a further subsequent burden.” (Doc.5) The debt of King Louis XIV was very troublesome. It caused his once powerful and rich kingdom, to plummet. The article Memoir of the Reign of Louis XIV, by the Duke of Saint – Simon: Louis de Rouvry, states, “He wished to reign by himself. His jealousy on this point unceasingly became weakness . . . He liked nobody to be in any way superior to him.” (Doc.6) King Louis XIV was selfish and discourteous. King Louis XIV pernicious reign caused his kingdom to be monetarily unstable and damaged. Unlike King Louis XIV, Frederick the Great not under