How did absolutism evolve in the seventeenth century in Spain, France, and Austria?

Rulers in absolutist states asserted that, because they were chosen by God, they were responsible to God alone. Under the rule of absolutism, monarchs claimed exclusive power to make and enforce laws, denying any other institution or group the authority to check their power. Fervent Catholic faith had been a cornerstone of the unification of Spain in the fifteenth century, and it had helped integrate a Habsburg empire encompassing much of Europe and Spain’s overseas empire. Yet, once the fabulous revenue from American silver declined, Spain’s economic stagnation could no longer be disguised, and the country faltered under weak leadership. After the Thirty Years’ War, the Austrian Habsburgs gave up on securing real power over the Holy Roman Empire and turned instead to consolidating authority within their own domains.

The decline of Habsburg power opened the door to a French bid for European domination. The Bourbon dynasty steered France’s recovery from the religious conflicts of the late sixteenth century. Under Louis XIV, France led Europe in size, population, and military strength. Seen as the epitome of an absolute monarch, in truth Louis’s success relied on collaboration with nobles, and thus his example illustrates both the achievements and the compromises of absolutist rule.