Examples Of Absolute Monarchs From The Age Of Absolutism

After studying several absolute monarchs from the Age of Absolutism, I believe that these kinds of rulers helped their nations more than they hurt them. I can think of three absolute monarchs that benefitted their nations greatly, and the first is Catherine the Great of Russia. Catherine seized the throne from her inept husband, Peter III, and began to rule Russia. She was a patron of the arts and a supporter of the enlightenment, especially when it comes to women who participated in the arts. Catherine patroned many female artists and writers in Russia, which is not often seen in the Enlightenment era. Although she heavily promoted female artists, Catherine also befriended several foreign scholars and writers. According to a biography on

livescience.com, “Some regard Catherine as a socially enlightened ruler; she exchanged correspondence with the French philosopher Voltaire.”(Owen Jarus, pg 1) Catherine was not only effective at influencing art; she was an extremely successful military leader as well. Catherine successfully occupied territory in Poland and She defeated the mighty Ottoman Empire several times.

Although she is an excellent example of a helpful absolute ruler, there are others that were even greater. For example, Frederick the Great maintained peace throughout Prussia by tolerating all religions. Frederick the Great made the small state of Prussia a forceful military power by crushing Austria and Saxony in several different wars. Frederick was a genious when it came to military strategy. He began two wars with the neighboring superpower, Austria, and won them both. These victories grew the Prussian economy. Frederick was also a strong patron of the arts. He was friends with Voltaire and he funded many famous german composers. Philip II of Spain is the last example of a beneficial absolute monarch. He rained during the Spanish Golden Age, when the Spanish Empire the the richest and one of the most powerful countries in the world. Philip used the naval might of Spain to destroy the Ottoman Empire’s influence over the Mediterranean Sea, and his colonies in the Americas produced tons of silver that made Spain extremely wealthy. For spanish catholics, Philip’s rule was the peak of the Spanish

Empire.
Many people would argue that absolute monarchs only bring ruin to their countries, and there are certainly some excellent examples. Maria Teresa of Austria is probably the best. Teresa was the absolute monarch in the Austrian Empire during Frederick the Great’s rule in Prussia. It was she who was cheated out of the province of Silesia and the state of Saxony by the Prussians, and unlike Frederick, Maria had no religious tolerance whatsoever. Austria suffered under her rule, and many protestants in the nation were afraid to practice their religion because of Teresa’s harsh catholic laws. Teresa was not the only bad absolute monarch, Louis XIV of France was equally tyrannical. As king of France, Louis was cruel. He ignored the general suffering of his country and surrounded himself with luxury. Unlike previous monarchs, Louis was not as militarily competent. He lost the War of Spanish Succession and control over Spain. Lastly, Louis XIV denied French commoners many rights that modern society considers basic. Voltaire often criticized Louis’ lack of religious tolerance, and the restrictions on free speech that he imposed.
Now that both theories about absolute monarchs have been studied, I will explain why the one I support is more realistic.

First of all, I overshadowed many of Louis XIV’s accomplishments in the previous paragraph. His most important accomplishment is that he established France as a military power that could not be competed with until the French Revolution long after his death. Philip II of Spain created a rich and powerful nation that, for a time, was one, if not the most powerful country in the world. Even after Spain's humiliating defeat against England, the country remained a force to be reckoned with for years. At least when it comes to militaries, absolute monarchs are extremely useful. Four of the the five countries I analyzed (France, Spain, Prussia, and Russia) were all centers for art and literature too. Religious tolerance was a rarity in the 16 and 17 hundreds, but one to the few countries to have it was Prussia, and they had an absolute monarch. In conclusion, I believe that absolute monarchs generally bring more good than harm to their nations because of their support for the arts and their military and economic

achievements.