Charles I of England was forced to recall Parliament because he needed money. Parliament recalled, then executed him instead.
This article covers the rise of absolutist “new monarchs” in Europe, and the different paths taken by France and England.
🏛️ Must Know
Who Were the “New Monarchs”
- New MonarchsIn the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, European kings strengthened their military and financial power. Historians call them “new monarchs.”
- Named RulersLouis XI in France, Maximilian in Austria, Henry VII in England, and Isabella and Ferdinand in Spain were absolutist rulers of this kind.
- New InstitutionsThey built standing armies, a permanent bureaucracy, and national taxation systems.
- Overseas RoleSpain and Portugal’s new monarchs also began playing a leading role in Europe’s overseas expansion.
Why These Monarchies Triumphed
- Root CauseThe main reason for their success was social change already underway in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
- Feudalism DissolvesAs the feudal lordship-and-vassalage system dissolved and economic growth slowed, kings got their first real chance to expand control.
- New ArmiesRulers dropped feudal levies for professional infantry, equipped with guns and siege artillery, directly under royal control.
- Aristocracy YieldsThe old aristocracy’s resistance crumbled in the face of this royal firepower.
Taxation and Aristocratic Resistance
- Higher TaxesHigher taxes gave monarchs the revenue to fund larger armies, defend their frontiers, and beat down internal resistance.
- Common ThreadCentralisation still met resistance, and taxation was the common thread running through nearly all opposition to the new monarchies.
- English RevoltsEnglish rebellions occurred and were put down in 1497, 1536, 1547, 1549 and 1553.
- French StruggleLouis XI (1461-83) fought a long struggle against French dukes and princes over royal power.
📘 Good to Know
The Nobility Adapts, Not Disappears
- Tactical ShiftThe nobility survived by shifting tactics, moving quickly from opponents of the new regimes to loyalists within them.
- Same Old LordsThe very same lordly class that had ruled under feudalism kept dominating politics, now with permanent administrative posts.
- Modified FeudalismThis is exactly why royal absolutism has been called a “modified form of feudalism,” not a clean break from it.
Patronage, Money and the Court
- A New PyramidThe king was no longer just the top of a personal-loyalty pyramid. He became the centre of a courtier society and patron-client network.
- PatronageEvery monarchy, strong or weak, needed broad cooperation, and patronage, often paid for in money, secured it.
- New PlayersMoney let merchants and bankers gain court access too, since they could lend kings cash to pay their soldiers’ wages.
France: The Estates-General Sidelined
- Estates-GeneralFrance’s consultative assembly, the Estates-General, had three houses representing clergy, nobility, and everyone else.
- 1614It met in 1614, under the child-king Louis XIII.
- Not Called AgainAfter that, it was not summoned again for nearly two centuries, until 1789, since French kings did not want to share power.
🌟 Great to Know
England: Parliament Prevails
- Great CouncilEven before the Norman Conquest, Anglo-Saxon kings had a Great Council that had to be consulted before any tax was imposed.
- Parliament FormsThis Great Council developed into Parliament, with a House of Lords for nobles and clergy, and a House of Commons for towns and rural areas.
- Charles IKing Charles I ruled for 11 years, from 1629 to 1640, without calling Parliament at all.
- Civil WarNeeding money, he was finally forced to call Parliament. It went to war against him instead, and later executed him and set up a republic.
- RestorationThe republic did not last, but monarchy was restored only on condition that Parliament be called regularly from then on.
Exam Point of View
Exam Wisdom: France vs England’s Divergence
- WhyNo previous-year question on Europe’s new monarchies has appeared in the papers indexed on this site yet. This card offers general exam wisdom instead of a specific citation.
- Watch ForExams like this comparative angle: both countries had a consultative body, but only England’s kept meeting regularly after the seventeenth century.
- TakeawayToday, France has a republic and England has a monarchy, precisely because of how differently their two governments evolved after the seventeenth century.
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