Cause And Effect Of Absolutism

988 Words4 Pages
The absolute rule of Charles I of England and Louis XIV of France resulted in two very different outcomes. The causes as to why this occurred can be pinpointed down to several different reasons. Perhaps the main explanation as to the differences between the implementation of absolutism in each respective nation can be considered to be the differing political situations in both countries. King Charles I attempted to rule without Parliament, in addition to vicariously persecuting those he deemed to be enemies (Hurst). This ended up causing many conflicts that contributed to his downfall. This contrasted with King Louis XIV of France, who had no Parliament to deal with, allowing absolute rule to proceed with considerable more ease than in England.…show more content…
King Charles I was a lot less elegant in dealing with his affairs, leading to a string of conflicts following him as King, as well as being disliked by his people. Charles I, unlike Louis XIV, made little to no effort to distract the public from his authoritarianism. Louis XIV, on the other hand, immediately removed any political influence provincial nobles had, and did so with little fuss, keeping those around him preoccupied with mundane tasks (Biography.com editors - Louis XIV). Finally, another important reason as to why absolutism failed in England involves a difference in the level of control each monarch had over their nation’s government. King Louis XIV controlled virtually every aspect of his government, establishing a system resembling a twentieth century dictatorship and ensuring absolutism could take hold (BBC History). This was not possible for King Charles I to do in England; he had Parliament to answer to. Absolutism failed in England as it was impossible for a monarch to have complete rule over the government, while in France, it…show more content…
Absolutism is a system that requires absolute control, if this is not possible in the host country, then absolutism can not succeed. Since the beginnings of Louis XIV’s reign, the monarchy in France has seen its powers grow, mainly through the actions of Anne and Mazarin who introduced policies in young Louis XIV’s place (History.com staff). Because of this, Louis XIV managed to establish absolutism in France successfully. The monarchy in England had much less control over the nation by itself. King Charles I had frequent conflicts with Parliament throughout his reign. Charles I did not want to answer to Parliament, and ended up ultimately dismissing it in an attempt to instill absolutism in England. However, he found himself being unable to rule without Parliament, and needed to call it back to raise funds for war (Biography.com Editors - Charles I). Eventually, King Charles I’s conflicts with Parliament resulted in a civil war, and then with him being tried for treason and

More about Cause And Effect Of Absolutism

Open Document