New Monarchs Frq

FRQ

The 15th century was a time of growth and stability for the European kings. Before their time, the Church and nobility maintained all the power. The high power demands from the nobles weakened the monarchy and amplified the gap between middle and lower class, causing public dissatisfaction. The new rulers were strong and successful because they did not make the same mistakes as their ancestors. They increased revenue within their countries and unified their people. Before the "New Monarchs," the nobles regulated the kings power creating an unstable balance of power within monarchy. The king and the noblemen constantly battled over control of the empire. Not only was the power unsteady, the economy was also unstable. European monarchs depended on outside goods to support their empire instead of internal revenue. These issues combined to form and an insecure monarchy where the control, economy, and power was uncertain. The 15th Century Kings stabilized their country's central government by weakening the noble's powers, strengthening the economy, and unifying the nation; these improved Machiavellian methods of ruling earned them the title of "New Monarchs" and guaranteed them a steady empire dissimilar to their ancestor's precarious ruling.

One of the major problems within every monarchy is the desire for power from the nobility. It was essential that the king immediately established his dominance over the nobility. Many times the nobility was not truly on the king's side. They would try to overthrow the ruler in order to gain authority for themselves. Prior to the 15th century, the nobility tried to take control of the monarchy. This resulted in an unorganized chaotic style of ruling. An empire is better run under the absolute power of one or two rulers in agreement than separate authorities in disagreement. Often times, the nobility would create laws that discontinued or overwrote their kings law; For example, Charles II's Declaration of Indulgence. This only resulted in confusion throughout the empire and tension within the monarchy. One of the first things Henry VII of England did as king was check the power of the nobility. He passed laws that discontinued the lords form having their own armies. This ended any possibility of being overthrown. However, there is a delicate balance of weakening a nobleman's power while still maintaining his support. Ferdinand And Isabella of Spain mastered this technique. When they took the throne, the nobles were unwilling to give up any of their previous power. Ferdinand and Isabella removed any suspicious or threatening lords from influential positions in the empire. But in order to remain in the noble's favor, they gave them important titles that had no meaning or effect on the monarchy. Ferdinand and Isabella's monarchy was a success because they ruled it separately from the destructive nobility. The "New Monarchs" realized the deviousness of the nobility and resolved the issue immediately, resulting in complete control and success of the monarchy.

The "New

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