This document provides background information on four absolute monarchs who ruled in the 16th-18th centuries: Ivan the Terrible of Russia, Peter the Great of Russia, Catherine the Great of Russia, and Louis XIV of France. It discusses how each ruler seized and consolidated power, implemented reforms, and contributed to modernizing their respective countries through Westernization or centralizing authority. Students are then asked to match information about each ruler and create a fake Facebook page representing the ruler's life and interests in a historically accurate way.

1. World History II

2. Absolute monarch: A ruler whose power was not limited by
having to consult with nobles, common people, or their
representatives
Belief in Divine Right: The absolute monarchs thought that they
received their power from God and should not be challenged.
How did key absolute monarchs use their unrestricted power to
change their respective countries?

3. Beginning
In the 1500s Russia was more or less run by church officials and
landowners (boyars)
1546- Ivan IV claimed the title of Czar
Reduced the power of the boyars:
During reign
Promoted military officers on merit rather than status
Expanded Russian territory
Created a new legal code
Created a general council with
merchants and lower nobility
Ordered the building of St. Basil’s
Cathedral in Moscow.
So, what was so “terrible” about
Ivan???

4. Began to think people were conspiring
against him
Sent away many of his advisors and killed
their supporters
Created a private police force that would
brutally punish anyone who spoke against the Czar
Took land from 12,000 boyars
Killed thousands of people in Novgorod because he believed they
were not loyal to Russia
Was married seven times….but divorce was not allowed, so how?
1581- Killed his own son  led to the “Time of Troubles” (along with
economic issues and foreign invasions)

5. History
Fast forward….70 years later
Peter the Great came into power at 17
years old in 1682
During Reign
1697- Decided to travel around
Western Europe to learn what Russia
needed to do in order to modernize.
Learned hands-on skills and brought
back experts to help.
Had to go back to Russia to stop the
rebellion of the streltsy.

6. Organized a more modern army
Controlled the church
Started the first Russian
newspaper
Built new schools
Promoted officials based on
merit rather than status
Introduced European grooming
and clothing
“Founder of Modern Russia”

7. Peter the Great built St. Petersburg on land he had
won from Sweden in 1703.
Used Western-style architecture
“The Window to Europe”
Peter moved the capital to here from Moscow in 1712
St. Petersburg
Moscow

8. History
German princess who married Peter the
Great’s grandson, Peter III
Seized power with the help of many
Russian nobles and was declared czarina
During Reign
Wanted to continue the Westernization of
Russia
Believed that a good ruler could improve
the lives of his or her subjects
Reformed the legal and educational
systems
Removed some restrictions on trade
Promoted science and the arts

9. History
Inherited the throne of France in 1643, at the age of
4.
His mother became the regent, and appointed
Cardinal Mazarin as Chief Minister.
He was raised to be king, attending important
meetings even as a child.
Cardinal Mazarin taught Louis that a king is
divinely chosen.

10. Cardinal Mazarin died when Louis was only 18
years old.
“L’état, c’est moi”= “I am the state”
“The Sun King”- Louis XIV chose the Sun as the
symbol of his reign, implying that the world
revolved around him.
Built Versailles as a symbol of his royal power
Everything Louis XIV did was a spectacle. He
used ceremony and rituals to display his power.

11. 1. He decreased the influence of the nobility by:
-Requiring the nobles to visit him at Versailles regularly
-Urging them to spend money on expensive clothes, dining,
and gambling
2. Region - Revoked the Edict of Nantes  outlawed
Protestantism
3. Military - Built up the military
significantly.

12. What did these rulers have in common?
How were these rulers different from each other?
What kinds of things did these absolute rulers
contribute (positive or negative) to their societies?

13. 1. Please get in groups of 4
2. You will receive a set of pictures/ quotes that are
related to these four rulers. (Ivan the Terrible, Peter
the Great, Catherine the Great, and Louis XIV)
3. Use your notes, books, and your groups to try to
remember key points about each ruler in order to
figure out which source belongs to which monarch.
4. Complete the chart as a group and we will discuss
them as a class.

14. 1. Each group member chooses a different one of the four
rulers.
2. Using the template on blackboard,create a fake facebook
page for your ruler.
3. Please include:
-Profile Picture, Status, 3 Wall Photos, Birthday,
Occupation, Pages you “liked,” About Me, Education, 3 Mini-
Feed Updates, 3 Wall posts, and at least 3 “friends”
-What do you think these rulers would have said to
each other or thought about each other if they had all lived at
the same time? Add a comment on two of your group
members’ walls as your ruler.
4. Be creative but make sure your wall posts and interests,
etc. are historically relevant! 