• ermerged as a nation after revolting against Spain in 1572.
• powerful because of republic, high city population, tulip cultivation, and all the trade and commerce that came into their ports
• declined economically due to the death of William III/now lack of strong leadership, lost technological superiority in ship building
• saved from becoming completely insignificant by its continued fincancial dominance over other counties

louis XIV's great-grandson (5 years old). His regent was the Duke of Orlean's, who would rule for him until his death in 1720. His regency was marked by scandal and corruption

• hired to be financial manager of France
• believed increase in paper $ would stimulate economy
• organized Mississippi Co. and a monopoly on trade with Louisiana
• Encouraged speculation of the MI Co. stock

• speculation on this Co. occurs, but investors then sold their stocks for paper $, which they sought to exchange for gold
• not enough gold to back up the increase in paper money
• In Feb. 1720, all gold payments were halted in France --> Mississippi Bubble had burst!

French Parlements

France's courts which were dominated by the nobility. They had the power to recognize or not to recognize the legality of an act or law by the monarch, but could not legislate.

Cardinal Fleury

Louis XV

• became chief minister of the french court in 1726
• attempted to solve France's financial problems, and fixed some of the debt, but could never draw sufficent tax revenues from nobles or church to stablize the country
• died in 1743

• Tories- made up of the nobles, the gentry, and the Anglicans, were conservatives who supported the monarchy over parliament, and wanted Anglicanism to be the state religion
• Whigs- middle class Puritans, favored Parliament and religious toleration

took over the bulk of the English govt in 1715 and dealt with the South Sea Co. scandal, which was similar to the Mississippi Bubble scandal

company that had been assigned to manage British national debt by exchanging govt bond for company stock

• price of stocks crashed in 1720 when investors sold their holdings and took speculative profits
• under Walpole leadership, parliament was able to honor the national debt*

• members were elected from units called boroughs, and it was easy for one rich family to dominate the polls and elect a member of parliament
• "rotten boroughs"- Pitt Family did this
• house of commons could be controlled in this way
• wealthy landowners dominated England because they were the ones represented in Parliament

Charles XII

(r.1697-1718)

• suceeded Gustavus Adolphus and ruled Sweden

Great Northern War

(1700-1721)

• war between Russia and Sweden
• Rusia began to drive west into Swedish territory
• Sweden eventually loses

Battle of Narva

1700

• Charles XII of Sweden defeats Russians in this battle

• largest and most stable political entity to arise after the collapse of the Roman Empire
• dominant power in Muslim world
• diverse population that included Roman Catholics and jews as well as muslims

Sejm

• legistative body made up of polish nobles
• practice called liberum veto- the opposition of any member could require the body to disband
• called *exploding the diet*

Fredrick William's nobles; they received the right to demand obedience from their serfs through an agreement...they had to obey the Hohenzollerns

Fredrick William I

• "King IN Prussia"
• Kabinett govt- lower officials submitted all documents to his office, which he looked at alone, avoiding the influence of ministers and ruled alone
• expanded military

• tsar of Russia
• belived that the power of the tsar must be made secure from the jealousy of the boyars (old nobility) and greed of streltsy
• increased military
• modernized/westernized Russia
• developed a navy
• St. Petersburg

• new capital city of Russia
• imitated Versailles
• symbolized Peter's rejection of Russian life and focus on westernization

• Holy Synod- consisted of several bishops headed by a procurator general...this body would govern the church in accordance with the tsar's secular requirements