Question: “In Louis XIV’s view, what were the qualities of an effective monarch? In his opinion, what were the main obstacles to absolute rule? Louis XIV’s view of an “effective” monarch is absolutism in power and direct control over his subjects by giving them no more and no less to “carefully guard against their excess (Document D) as well as external glory in foreign affairs. Louis wasn’t fond of nobilities during his absolute rule as monarch in France, because of the past rebellion of the Fronde, however in Louis XIV’s view he wasn’t to be effective if he had dissolved the nobles rather he would work through them instead. With the Fronde in the back of Louis’s mind, he was to make an effective choice of picking members for his council, which would rule his political, military, administrative, and economical affairs.
How far did Henry VII achieve his aims in foreign policy? Henry VII had three main areas of foreign policy which he aimed to advance to secure his position on the throne and secure his place in the select ‘club’ of European rulers, these aims were: International acceptance for himself and his heirs amongst Europe’s rulers; To deny foreign aid to Yorkist rivals for the throne; And to ensure that England had allies in an age dominated by alliances and protected borders. In these areas he had both huge successes and catastrophic failures in the effectiveness of his foreign policy. The first aim of Henry was to gain acceptance for himself and his family amongst the elite ‘club’ of European rulers, in doing this he had a mixture of successes and failures. In 1489 Henry signed the treaty of Medina del Campo with the recently created nation of Spain, which had been formed from the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile.
Do you agree with the suggestion that Henry VIII and Wolsey conducted an effective Foreign Policy between the years 1515-1525? Henry VIII’s foreign policy orchestrated by Wolsey in the years 1515-25 was considered to be both a success and a failure. This essay will counter argue both sides of the argument as to whether it was a success or a failure. My personal opinion was that the foreign policy was a failure due to most of the aims not being met. The aims set to be achieved by Henry was to; Capture France, become a ‘Warrior king’ and to be known as one of the leading country’s in the world.
How far did the introduction of Western Style reforms and the use of foreigners assist Peter the Great in strengthening his absolute rule? Peter the Great was influenced by the instability in Russia he had witnessed in Childhood, and was determined to expunge the subversive element of his population which could precipitate a resurgence of this anti-authoritarian violence. Further aims included the unification of Russia, extension of territory and its defence against the Poles, Tatars and Swedes. This required securing his absolutism, as internal security is a prerequisite of an effective foreign policy. Although foreigners and western-style changes did not cover the entire scope of his developments, they certainly appear to have been a fundamental
“How far do you agree that Cromwell created a ‘revolution in Tudor government’ from 1536-1553?” Cromwell’s skill and status allowed him to play a crucial role in directing the reformation and other areas of government, ultimately leading to the creation of a ‘revolution in tudor government’. Elton believes that Cromwell was the mastermind of the revolution, though others, such as J.J. Scarisbrick, believe that many overestimate Cromwell whilst underestimating Henry, believing that Henry was the initiator, even if it was Cromwell who carried out his ideas. This shows that even if Cromwell was not fully responsible for the ‘revolution’ in Tudor government, he most certainly played a large role in sculpting it. Religious reforms were key in establishing a new form of government, and therefore, to a large extent it would be suggested that Cromwell was instrumental in creating a revolution. By 1536 the Royal Supremacy in church and state was established and widely accepted, allowing Henry to exert his power more thoroughly, and ultimately creating a revolutions the king could take full control of the kingdom.
Because the British government was not fulfilling Jefferson’s previously mentioned definition of a government’s duties; they were forced to take the very necessary step of removing themselves from the King’s rule and ruling themselves. In what has become one of the most identifiable phrases in political theory, Jefferson declares certain truths to be “self-evident”. These truths that all men are created equal and that men are endowed with certain unalienable rights became increasingly integral to the cause championed by Jefferson and the other creators of the
More dominant figures such as Thatcher and Blair have capitalised heavily on both strength of their personality and their parliamentary majorities. The creation of a more developed policy unit in Downing Street is effectively creating a "Prime Minister's Department". However it can be argued that the prime minister such as Tony blair, has not got a chance of effectively being a president, for example he prefered to dominate foreign and international affairs. The individuals of the UK, could argue that instead of focusing on other countries such as Pakistans, Afghanistan, he should of helped the UK more, improving and making it a better place to live in. An example of where this is present is, he distanced himself from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office so cut himself off from civil servants that could have questioned his views.
How did Cromwell help to develop a Tudor state? Thomas Cromwell, the chief minister for Henry VIII from 1533 to 1540 was a ruthless politician, who some historians believe to have caused a ‘revolution in government.’ However, other historians believe that the developments of the Tudor state were not due to Cromwell’s farsighted planning, but other factors. To answer the question, we first must identify the components of the Tudor state, and how Cromwell influenced and changed these areas. Perhaps the foremost part of the Tudor State, the Government, underwent a significant change, mostly due to the Royal Supremacy over Church carried out by Cromwell. He was familiar with Lutheran and humanist ideals, and as a lawyer he had the capabilities to carry out his ideological reforms in Parliament.
One is to score him firmly as America’s chief executive. The other is typical view of the president only as a politician. From the Machiavellian perspective, Bush’s primary goal was to increase his power, rather than to confront America’s problems – to maintain the appearance of leadership while exhorting his position. Since taking office George W has been confronted with many new tests, including an unsure economy and global climate change. On the other hand, George W was very scrupulous as a politician.
This led to a decision for the king: cope with our demands, or we fight for our independence. After the king rejected the demands of the petition, Thomas Paine released an article entitled “Common Sense”. By this time, the people thought they were fighting to make King George III listen to their demands, but Thomas Paine introduced the idea that independence was better fighting for, and that Britain has too much power over us. He stated that Britain could drag Americans into war that they had no intention of being in, which was concluded that America is much better off on its own, and that this way of thinking was common sense. This document changed the minds of thousands of Americans to now want complete independence.