Indeed, it could be argued that the intrigues and machinations of the imperial court were the defining characteristics of the Julio-Claudian period. This therefore explains why the discussions of motives behind decisions during the Julio-Claudian era have been so controversial. Due in part to his brother Germanicus being a highly regarded member of the soldiery, Claudius was bestowed the role of Emperor after the assassination of Caligula, despite his perceived feebleness and having limited military or any administrative experience at all. It is furthermore suggested that he was potentially intended to be a ‘puppet emperor’ for the Praetorian Guard’s benefit, “The Praetorian Guard sat at the very heart of Rome, and usually reported only to the emperor of Rome himself and it wasn't long before they started to abuse this power”. Initially considered too incompetent to rule, Claudius arose to the role of emperor in an admirable manner for his condition; he was always ill, and was said to have possessed neither natural dignity nor authority.
Henry also needed to control the nobility because if he didn’t, or only managed to control a minority, he could have a revolution, and Nobles, together, had a lot more money and power than the king himself. Firstly he gave the Earl of Surrey his lands back, bits at a time to ensure his loyalty, while having him as a key figurehead in the north to stop rebellions, since the north largely supported Richard and Henry needed to find a way of controlling them. Also Henry didn’t get rid of all the Yorkist nobles in the council, only those who thought against him. He did this so that he wouldn’t have a full scale Yorkist rebellion on his hands, but he couldn’t have people who wanted him dead and had fought against him on his council. As well as this, Henry needed to be effective at getting England onto a secure financial footing.
Robin Hood-Case Analysis April 3, 2012 BUA 410W Robin Hood and the Merrymen are facing many problems. They need to find an altered strategic plan that solves their problems and continues their business. To do this there will need to be many steps taken. First we need to define the problems, then analyze each problem, and then find the best solution and course of action that needs to be taken. The problems that Robin Hood and the Merrymen are facing are the growing strength of the Sheriff, the growing numbers of the Merrymen, the diminishing resources, whether to assist King Richard, and if their mission and strategy is obsolete.
Asses the view that Philip II’s character caused serious problems in his rule of Spain From studying primary sources and passages I have discovered that Philip’s character has been a very controversial issue from 1556-1598. By looking at these pieces of evidence from historians I have been able to conclude with two different interpretations of how Philips character may have caused serious problems in his rule of Spain. One view is of Philip as a ‘monster of calculating cruelty’[1], and the other of Philip as a private, thorough, yet committed King with a ‘genuine sense that here was a great ruler, in tune with traditions and aspirations for his people, for better and for worse’[2]. Historian Robert Watson summarises appropriately that ‘No character was ever drawn by different historians in more opposite colours than Phillip II’[3]. We are presented with the view of Philips character being one of a ‘monster of calculating cruelty’.
There were many factors that created a base for the reformist groups to flourish at that time in Russia which in turn created a Revolution. Alexander III was determined to upkeep Russia’s image as a major European power, unlike his father; however he was a conservative, believing that his father’s reforms were a mistake and took to reverse them as much as he could. The counter-reforms initially may have looked like a success due to the period of stability during Alexander III’s reign; however with the Revolution a few years later it seems to be that the counter-reforms were not as successful as they may have seemed. The political oppression resultant of these counter-reforms meant Russia politically was behind its major European counterparts, whilst England and France by now had a form of democracy, Russia was still being ruled by total autocracy, and this increased the resentment against the government and added to the growth of reformist groups. Because of the political structure in place in Russia at the time, without a revolution the only way change was possible was from the Tsar being willing to change things, the Tsar was not willing and he clearly demonstrated this through the counter-reforms, leaving an angry population
To what extent were economic forces the principle cause of political change in medieval England? Over the course of the medieval period, politics changed dramatically. Monarchs began to realise that rule by force implied that you always ran the risk of being beaten by a more powerful foe. In response to this change, the monarchy undoubtedly began to use legal systems and Parliament to cement their positions. The age of the absolutist monarch was waning as Parliament’s freedoms and powers increased – their hold over the monarch’s finances was a particular strength.
'Supreme Court appointments are always controversial' discuss There are nearly always arguments over whether an appointment to the Supreme Court was correct or not. However, we can see that the court is pretty balanced between conservatives and liberals. Some might say that Supreme Court appointments are controversial simply because of the nature of them - they are political appointments. Some may also say that these appointments must be controversial, because a Supreme Court appointment - is for life, and they are also granted the power of judicial review. Therefore if there is no debate over a nomination - surely there must be something wrong, as it would be extremely hard to have a 'perfect' appointment per se.
The subjects looked at divine right kings and thought they would incorporate the will of God in their politics, however majority of the kings disregarded this and turned their rule into tyrannies from which they secured their selfish needs. Many people then began to fight the king’s powers by believing that they had certain rights which could not be ignored by the king. A number of factors led to this rise in absolute monarchies. First the anarchy and confusion which prevailed during the medieval time greatly led to their growth in Europe. People were fed up with a number of conditions imposed on them.
Much of his creativity is an affect of the difficulties and obstacles he faces. Hurdles and limitations are essential, for without them a lack in improvement and progress would be apparent. Many significant historical revolutions would not have taken place if it werent for restrictions and closed doors. The American Revolution began due to multiple regulations being imposed on the American colonists. They had been complacent in their nature to accept ruling from the British before they were faced with limitations, including the Proclamation of 1763 and the Tea Act.
He is supposed to have the most control, able to keep his people in line however due to his state he was not able to accomplish any of these necessary attributions of a king, therefore this would help contribute to the civil war outbreak, as a weak character in the position of a king isn’t good. In addition, Henry had a trait of having favorites among his nobility. This is shown by he gave out patronage to his favorites, Somerset and Suffolk, they were also made dukes in 1448. This would cause problems inside his nobility. Dukes were usually direct relatives of the king, however Suffolk and Somerset were not, where as Richard of York was.