Source: Absolutism vs Constitutional Packet 1 (Mr. D. Lopez)
Tags: absolutism, divine right, Philip II, Elizabeth I, Spain, England, GERMS, absolute monarchy, 1500s Europe, Spanish Armada, Church of England, Anglican Church, Puritans, Sea Dogs
Difficulty: Introductory Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of the Protestant Reformation and the structure of European monarchies is helpful but not essential. These notes start from first principles.
This is the opening section of a unit on why England abandoned absolutism in 1688 while most of continental Europe kept it. The packet traces a chain of rulers from Philip II of Spain and Elizabeth I of England through to the Glorious Revolution. Part 1 sets the stage by comparing two 1500s monarchs: one Catholic absolutist in Spain and one Protestant quasi-absolutist in England. The contrast between their approaches to power, religion, and economics explains much of what follows in the 1600s. If you are starting the packet cold, this is the right place to begin.
Absolutism means one ruler holds total control over government, economics, religion, the military, and society (remembered by the acronym GERMS). Philip II of Spain was a textbook absolutist who controlled everything but ultimately weakened Spain through overtaxation, religious persecution, and military overreach. Elizabeth I of England exercised many absolutist powers but worked with Parliament, kept religious policy moderate, and built England's economy through trade and naval strength.
Absolutism
A political system in which a single ruler holds total control of government, economics, religion, military, and society. Think of it as one person making every important decision for an entire country, with no legal checks on their power.
Divine right
The belief that God created the monarch to represent Him on earth, making the ruler's authority sacred and unchallengeable. In simple terms, the king rules because God said so, and questioning the king means questioning God.
GERMS (mnemonic)
An acronym for the five areas absolute monarchs controlled: Government, Economics, Religion, Military, and Society. This is the framework used throughout the packet to evaluate each ruler.
Protestants
Christians who separated from the Catholic Church, beginning with the Reformation in the early 1500s. In this packet, the term covers a range of groups including Anglicans and Puritans.
Parliament
The lawmaking body of England, divided into two chambers. It existed alongside the monarch and would become the central battleground of English politics in the 1600s.
Puritans
A group of Protestants who wanted to "purify" the Church of England by removing remaining Catholic rituals and practices. They become a major political force in later parts of this packet.
Church of England (Anglican Church)
The English state church, established in 1533 when England broke from the Catholic Church. The monarch, not the pope, serves as its head. Think of it as Catholicism restructured under royal authority, with Protestant theology layered on top.
Spanish Armada
A fleet of 130 warships sent by Philip II in 1588 to invade England. Its defeat was a turning point that weakened Spain and boosted English confidence.
Inherited Spain, the Spanish Netherlands, and American colonies from his father Charles V
Devout Roman Catholic; believed in absolutism and divine right
Control of government
Organised lesser nobles into a national administration with a council that reported to him
Wrote down all commands personally; the council could not act without his specific written orders
This level of micromanagement meant total centralised control
Control of the economy
Between 1550 and 1650, Spain received roughly 16,000 tons of silver and 339,000 pounds of gold from American colonies
Philip took one quarter of all treasure
Despite this wealth, inflation made prices rise fourfold
Raised taxes by 430% by 1598
Nobles and the Catholic Church were tax-exempt; peasants and wage earners bore the burden
Forced the Spanish Netherlands to pay a 10% sales tax, fuelling rebellion
Control of religion
Crushed Dutch Protestants in the Netherlands; sent 50,000 troops when Protestant mobs destroyed Catholic churches
By 1579 the Protestant provinces united, won independence, and broke away from Spain
Persecuted Muslims in Granada (1570)
Sent 200 ships to Greece to defeat an Ottoman navy at the pope's request
Control of the military
Took Portugal and its African and Indian colonies in 1580, creating a globe-spanning empire
Launched the Spanish Armada against England in 1588; lost 15,000 men in a decisive defeat
Overall pattern: Philip achieved enormous reach but overextended Spain through religious wars, overtaxation of the poor, and military defeats. His absolutism weakened the country he was trying to strengthen.
Built nationalism, expanded trade, strengthened the navy
Exercised absolutist-level authority but generally cooperated with Parliament
Control of the economy
Built up the Royal Navy and financed trading companies exploring America
Supported privateer pirates ("Sea Dogs") who raided Spanish treasure ships, recovering cargoes of spices, pearls, silks, ivory, and gold
The treasure made her wealthy and popular, though the colonies did not personally enrich her
Chronic need for money became a structural problem inherited by future monarchs
Control of religion
Returned England to Protestantism after her Catholic sister's reign
Parliament made the Church of England the official state religion; Elizabeth became its head
Took a moderate approach: allowed priests to marry but kept some Catholic rituals
This brought religious peace, except from Puritans (who wanted the church further from Catholicism) and Catholics (who plotted to replace her with Mary Queen of Scots)
Control of the military
Her navy defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588
The Armada's destruction marked the beginning of Spain's decline and England's rise as a naval power
Overall pattern: Elizabeth used absolutist tools (controlling religion, directing the economy, commanding the military) but her willingness to work with Parliament and take a moderate line on religion kept England more stable than Philip's Spain.
The GERMS framework (Government, Economics, Religion, Military, Society) is a useful analytical tool beyond this unit. Modern political scientists still evaluate state power along similar dimensions when studying authoritarian regimes. The tension between centralised royal authority and parliamentary representation in 1500s England is a direct ancestor of modern debates about executive power and legislative oversight.
Students often think absolutism and divine right are the same thing. They are related but distinct: absolutism is the political system (one ruler, total control), while divine right is the justification for it (God chose the king). A ruler could claim divine right without achieving absolute control, or hold absolute power without invoking God.
Students sometimes assume Elizabeth I was a constitutional monarch. She was not. She exercised enormous personal authority; her cooperation with Parliament was a strategic choice, not a legal requirement.
The Spanish Armada is often remembered as a minor skirmish. It involved 130 warships and the loss of 15,000 men, and it reshaped the European balance of power.
⚠️ The GERMS acronym (Government, Economics, Religion, Military, Society) is the framework for every ruler evaluation in this packet. Know it cold.
⚠️ The contrast between Philip II (rigid, overextended, alienated subjects) and Elizabeth I (moderate, cooperative with Parliament, popular) sets up the central question of the entire unit: why did England eventually reject absolutism?
⚠️ Elizabeth's financial problems and reliance on Parliament for money is the seed of every monarch-vs-Parliament conflict that follows in the 1600s.
True or false: Absolutism means the ruler controls government and the military but not religion. (False, it includes religion, economics, and society too.)
Fill in the blank: The belief that God created the monarch to rule is called ________. (Divine right.)
True or false: Elizabeth I's moderate religious policy satisfied everyone in England. (False, Puritans and Catholics both opposed her.)
Fill in the blank: Philip II's fleet of 130 warships sent against England was called the ________. (Spanish Armada.)
True or false: The rich nobles in Spain paid the highest taxes under Philip II. (False, nobles and the Church were exempt; peasants and wage earners paid the most.)
Q: What are the five areas of control associated with absolute monarchs, and what mnemonic helps you remember them?
A: Government, Economics, Religion, Military, and Society, remembered by the acronym GERMS.
Q: How did Philip II's economic policies weaken Spain despite the massive inflow of colonial treasure?
A: Inflation drove prices up fourfold, Philip raised taxes by 430%, and the tax burden fell entirely on peasants and wage earners because nobles and the Church were exempt. The treasure was not enough to offset these structural problems.
Q: In what ways did Elizabeth I exercise absolutist power while still differing from a "pure" absolutist like Philip II?
A: Elizabeth controlled religion (restoring Protestantism, heading the Church of England), directed the economy (financing trade companies, supporting privateers), and commanded the military (defeating the Armada). However, she cooperated with Parliament rather than ruling unilaterally, and she took a moderate, compromise-based approach to religion rather than persecuting dissenters outright.
Q: Why is Elizabeth I's chronic need for money significant for the rest of the packet?
A: Her financial shortfalls established a pattern in which English monarchs depended on Parliament to fund their activities. This dependency gave Parliament leverage and set up the bitter conflicts between crown and Parliament that dominate the 1600s sections of the unit.
This material connects directly to Part 2 of the packet (James I and Charles I), where the money problem Elizabeth left behind explodes into open conflict between the monarch and Parliament. The concept of divine right introduced here is the ideological backbone that every Stuart king uses to justify overriding Parliament. The Puritans introduced briefly here become the driving political and military force in the English Civil War.
Absolutism, absolute monarchy, divine right of kings, Philip II of Spain, Elizabeth I of England, GERMS framework, totalitarian government, Spanish Armada 1588, Church of England, Anglican Church, Puritans, Parliament, Sea Dogs, privateers, Spanish Netherlands, Ottoman Empire, Protestant Reformation, Mary Queen of Scots, 1500s European monarchies, world history honors