AP EURO Unit 3 Review (Everything you NEED to Know!)

Absolutism gained traction due to a weakened Catholic Church and the rise of merchant classes seeking stability. Louis XIV, known for saying 'I am the state,' is the quintessential absolute monarch. His rule was shaped by the Fronde, a noble rebellion that convinced the populace of the need for a strong ruler. Louis consolidated power through the intendant system, relocating nobles to Versailles, revoking the Edict of Nantes, and military expansion financed by mercantilist policies under Jean-Baptiste Colbert.

Peter the Great westernized Russia, which was lagging behind European standards. He introduced political reforms requiring noble service, religious reforms by replacing the patriarch with the Holy Synod, and cultural reforms like requiring Western dress and beard shaving. His reforms, though increasing taxes, modernized Russia and brought it into the European mainstream.

While many nations turned to absolutism, England moved towards constitutionalism, limiting the monarch's power through Parliament. Tensions, especially over the divine right of kings claimed by James I and Charles I, economic troubles, and religious differences (Puritanism vs. Anglicanism), led to the English Civil War (1642-1651). Oliver Cromwell led the Parliament's New Model Army to victory, culminating in the execution of Charles I and the establishment of a short-lived, authoritarian republic under Cromwell.

After Cromwell's death, the monarchy was restored with Charles II and then James II, who proved unpopular due to his perceived Catholic leanings. The Glorious Revolution of 1689 saw William and Mary ascend the throne without bloodshed, largely ending the divine right of kings in England. They signed the English Bill of Rights, establishing a constitutional monarchy and strengthening Parliament's power over taxation and law.

The Dutch Republic became another exception to absolutism. Its strategic location and trade made it prosperous. After an 80-year war for independence from Spain, led by William of Orange, the Dutch Republic emerged as a wealthy commercial empire. It established an oligarchy governed by urban gentry and wealthy landowners in the States General, a form of representative government.

After the Peace of Westphalia, European wars shifted from religious conflicts to maintaining a balance of power. Examples include the Partition of Poland (1772-1795), where Russia, Prussia, and Austria divided Polish territory to prevent any one power from becoming too strong. The Battle of Vienna (1683) saw a coalition prevent Ottoman expansion, and the War of Spanish Succession (1702-1713) ensured France and Spain remained separate entities despite Louis XIV's grandson inheriting the Spanish throne.

The pursuit of the balance of power led to military expansion, pioneered by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden with his professional standing army and new military technologies. Concurrently, the Agricultural Revolution in Britain and the Netherlands increased food production dramatically despite fewer farmers. Innovations like crop rotation (replacing fallow fields with nutrient-restoring crops), the seed drill, mechanical hoe, and cast iron plow, combined with new crops from the Colombian Exchange like the potato, led to better health and longer lifespans.

Economic shifts included labor and trade being freed from guild restrictions, notably in England's wool industry, leading to direct wages for workers and increased productivity. The cottage industry, or 'putting out system,' saw merchants paying individuals to produce goods in their homes, laying the groundwork for industrialization. This increased demand eventually pushed manufacturing into early factories, powered by water, with specialized workers producing textiles.

The growth of the market economy fostered new financial institutions like the insurance industry, which encouraged entrepreneurial investment. Specialty banks emerged, providing venture capital for starting businesses and factories. European dominance in the world economy was driven by continued mercantilist policies and increasing demand for New World products like sugar and cotton. This demand led to an increased use of enslaved African labor and the transatlantic triangular trade, which significantly contributed to a growing consumer culture in Europe.

Unit 3 of AP European History focuses on absolutism and constitutionalism, two new forms of government that emerged as states centralized power after the wars of religion. Absolutism involves monarchs consolidating all state power, while constitutionalism limits government power through law and representative bodies.