1. France in the Age of Absolutism
   Louis XIV's reign spanned eight decades, setting the standard for royal authority and courtly culture.
   1. The Last Challenge to Absolutism: The Fronde, 1648-1653
      Cardinal Mazarin slowly rebuilt the monarchy's prestige and power after popular and aristocratic challenges to royal government.
   2. France Under Louis XIV, 1661-1715
      Louis and his ministers centralized and streamlined administrative, economic, and religious policies, emphasizing the unity of the nation and the king's rule.
   3. The Life of the Court
      The royal court at Versailles became the focus for aristocratic ambitions as well as a center for creativity in literature, art, and architecture.
   4. The Burdens of War and the Limits of Power
      Louis fought many wars to secure both French borders and his own dynastic claims with the result that France entered the eighteenth century bankrupt and exhausted.
2. The English Civil War and Its Aftermath
   Disputes between British monarchs and their subjects in parliament over taxation, royal authority, and religious policy sparked two seventeenthcentury political crises.
   1. Civil War and Regicide, 1642-1649
      Parliament's military victory over Charles I's royalists buoyed radical hopes for democratic and religious liberties, much to the dismay of moderates on both sides. The "Rump" Parliament tried and executed Charles I.
   2. The Interregnum, 1649-1660
      Oliver Cromwell moved from military leader to Lord Protector of territories still divided over matters of policy and faith.
   3. The Restoration, 1660-1685
      Charles II's return promised peace but raised new problems between moderate and radical subjects as well as renewing parliamentary attacks on royal privilege.
   4. The Glorious Revolution, 1688
      The possibility of a Catholic heir combined with parliamentary opposition to James II's policies, opening the door to William and Mary's succession and the Glorious Revolution.
3. New Powers in Central and Eastern Europe
   States such as Austria and Russia wielded increasing economic and political power after the Holy Roman Empire's decline.
   1. The Consolidation of Austria
      Habsburg emperors developed a new power base out of their Austrian ancestral lands, pursuing aggressive policies of conquest and Catholicization.
   2. The Rise of BrandenburgPrussia
      The most important state to develop out of the empire owed its rise to Elector Frederick William's military genius and good relations with the Junker aristocracy.
   3. Competition Around the Baltic: The Demise of Poland and the Zenith of Swedish Power
      Noble independence, religious disputes, and the first Great Northern War combined to weaken Poland's rule while enhancing Swedish power in the Baltic.
   4. Russia Under Peter the Great
      Building on earlier tsars' policies, Peter the Great centralized Russian government while he ruthlessly westernized the administration, economy, and culture of his realm.
4. The Expansion of Overseas Trade and Settlement
   Sophisticated Dutch trading networks blazed the trail for an era of European international commercial growth.
   1. The Growth of Trading Empire: The Success of the Dutch
      Experienced in maritime trade within Europe, the Dutch quickly dominated international trade and brought a wealth of new consumer goods to satisfy European demand.
   2. The "Golden Age" of the Netherlands
      The Protestant princes of Orange dominated but failed to control Dutch politics, due to religious differences as well as commercial and social traditions that diminished aristocratic authority.
   3. The Growth of Atlantic Colonies and Commerce
      Colonies were hotly contested properties that provided resources and room for settlers while they also extended the strategic reach of rival European nations.
   4. The Beginning of the End of Traditional Society
      Commerce encouraged rapid urban growth while rural options shrank in the face of rising taxation levels.