Was the development of absolutism a response to the rising capitalist class and/or republicanism? My knowledge of late medieval history is really not as strong as it could be so I’m interested to hear what people think
Was the development of absolutism a response to the rising capitalist class and/or republicanism? My knowledge of late medieval history is really not as strong as it could be so I’m interested to hear what people think
Recently played the game Pentiment, which is excellent in bringing this time period to life - albeit very boring as a game. Part of the plot involves peasants revolting and demanding the twelve articles. These came out of the German Peasants’ War of 1525, which was put down brutally as the nobility slaughtered 100-300k peasants.
In the modern context I think this is interesting to think about. Probably 1 person in 1000 has ever heard of the 1525 German Peasants’ War. 300k people being killed during a revolt in the modern day US, achieving none of their demands, would be a cataclysm. But generations endured that period and the ones before & after it. To me this is an antidote to some of the eschatological thinking I often encounter on the left that is like “this can’t go on for much longer”; it will indeed go on for longer. Much longer than you think.
Keep in mind that that number could easily be exaggerated for dramatic effect as a deterrent for future ambitious peasants. Also, just because that particular event didn’t lead to sudden change doesn’t mean it ended the struggle. Eventually, feudalism did indeed come to an end.
That being said, millions die every year due to the depravity of capitalism. Yet, in the west, nobody bats an eye. we are still well insulated compared to the struggles in the global south. They have been fighting for decades already. The pace of change is quickening day by day.
I am not sure exactly what you are referring to here. Maoists in the Philippines?
I mean…Just pick a country in the global south or even in eastern europe, yeah.
I think, if we are talking “Feudalism in decay” you actually want to be looking closer to the 1600’s-1700’s, and I think the commenters saying Mercantilism/Absolutism are closer to the mark than the peasant revolts.
The peasant revolts were all within the framework of Feudalism lorded over by Christendom, and largely a question of what kind of local concessions were to be given by The Church as part of local church doctrine.
100 years or so later, we see the waning of The Church’s direct authority over the feudal structures as the monarchs mostly give up the pretense of divine mandate and feudal partitioning to the end of centralizing power within the crown itself.
Pentiment is a good shout though, and I agree on the point that “collapse” can be anything from a year to three centuries.
I thought pentiment was pretty fun 🥲
lol understandable, I did finish it & was glad to have done so but thought it was a slog that was carried by its amazing themes & setting much more than its gameplay. Also, why did they have northern cardinal birdsong in the middle of europe