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History
2. THE MODERN STATE
As a result of the increase in agricultural and artisanal production and commercial profits,
there was a growth in disposable wealth and proceeds from taxes. These factors brought
important political consequences.
Their main objectives were to consolidate their authority, control the power of the nobility,
administrate the kingdom’s resources more effectively and maintain a strong position of
power in relation to other monarchs. During the transition between the Middle Ages and
the Early Modern Age, the monarchs of some European kingdoms adopted the following
measures:
❚
They formed
powerful armies
of mercenaries (paid soldiers), which they used to
subdue
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the nobles who confronted them. In time, they prohibited the nobles from
forming their own armies. They also created a diplomatic body to establish alliances
with other states or kingdoms.
❚
They strengthened
bureaucracy
which was composed of officials directly under their
control, who supervised the kingdom’s affairs. In this way, the monarchs were able to
maintain effective control of their possessions.
❚
They
centralised power
by creating new institutions to serve them. The power of
the centralised institutions was gradually increased and the autonomy of the feudal
lords and special legislations introduced in the Middle Ages was gradually reduced.
❚
The monarchs established a
court
or
permanent seat
for these new institutions to
function well. In many cases, these became the capital of their kingdom.
The weak feudal monarchy of theMiddle Ages became a powerful authoritarianmonarchy,
which the nobility had to obey to the same extent as the rest of the social groups.
The most powerful monarchies at the
beginning of the Early Modern Age
were: the Spanish (resulting from the
union of the kingdoms of Castilla
and Aragón), Portuguese (pioneers
in the search for new trade routes),
the French, English and Russian
monarchies.
The territories that form part of
present-day Italy and Germany
remained divided into small states
during the whole of the Early Modern
Age. They were areas of great
economic or strategic importance,
so the most powerful authoritarian
monarchies of the continent disputed
over their control. They became the
scene of numerous wars.
Monarchs had more resources and so they became more powerful and were able to
reform the existing institutions and create new ones.
The new political organisation which
emerged as a result of these reforms
is called the
modern state
.
Portrait of Elizabeth I of England
Western Europe
❚
The Spanish monarchy
resulted from the
marriage of the Catholic monarchs Isabel
I of Castilla and Ferdinand II of Aragón.
Portugal remained independent until the
end of the 16th century when it became
part of the Spanish monarchy.
❚
The French monarchy
gained power
after the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453),
above all under
Louis XI
‘the Prudent’. In
the 16th century
Francis I
fought against
Charles V
, Holy Roman Emperor and King
of Spain. From 1562, France was involved
in bloody religious wars. At the end of the
16th century,
Henry IV
came to the throne
and established the Bourbon Dynasty.
❚
The English monarchy
consolidated
itself after the civil war (The Wars of the
Roses, 1455-1487). In the 16th century
the Tudor Dynasty came to power.
Henry
VIII
confronted the Pope, and
Elizabeth
I
defeated the Spanish king Philip II,
maintaining the kingdom’s independence.
The small states of Europe
❚
The
Holy Roman Empire
consisted of a
multitude of kingdoms and independent
territories in the centre of Europe: Austria,
Burgundy, Flanders, Saxony, Switzerland
and Bohemia and so on. The emperors
were not able to unify them.
❚
Italy
remained divided into small
principalities and republics: Venice,
Florence, the Papal States (governed by
the Pope) and Naples. The French and
Spanish kings fought over control of the
region.
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subdue:
defeat
Key structure
Result clause at the beginning of
a sentence:
as a result
As a result of the increase…
