Early Modern Europe: State Formation & Societal Shifts

The Rise of the Modern State: Authoritarian Monarchies

Defining the Modern State

The Modern State emerged as a new political organization during the Modern Age, characterized by Authoritarian Monarchies. Kings significantly reinforced their power over the nobility and the autonomy of municipalities or cities.

• England (Tudor dynasty, Henry VII)
• France (Valois rulers, Louis XI)
• Iberian Peninsula (Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand of Aragón and Isabella of Castile)

Niccolò Machiavelli famously wrote The Prince as a guide with instructions for rulers. He argued that the primary goal of government was to attain and maintain power, asserting that 'state interest' had priority over the rights of individuals.

Instruments of Royal Power

• Territorial Unification

  Monarchs united and extended their countries through wars or strategic marriage alliances.

• Control of State Powers

  Monarchs imposed their authority over privileged groups and the bourgeoisie, summoning Parliaments as infrequently as possible.

• Improved Administration

  A royal court was established in the capital city, a bureaucracy of civil servants was created to carry out the king’s orders, and standard taxes provided a regular income.

• Creation of a Permanent Army

  Feudal troops were substituted by a professional army, primarily made up of paid mercenaries.

• Organization of International Relations

  Diplomacy was based on ambassadors, who defended the king’s interests and solved conflicts peacefully.

Economic and Social Transformations in Early Modern Europe

Demographic Growth

Demographic growth was favored by improved harvests, the eradication of plague, and relative peace. However, population increase remained slow due to a high death rate, resulting from infectious diseases, lack of hygiene, and limited medical practice.

This growth stimulated higher demand for farming and crafted goods, and significantly boosted trade.

Economic Development

• Agrarian Activities

  Economic activity was based on good harvests and the clearing of new land.

• Handicrafts

  Homeworking emerged as a new artisanal system, where traders provided peasants with raw materials and tools to manufacture goods at home.

• Trade

  Trade routes diversified, particularly in the Atlantic (involving spice, gold and silver, and slave trade). New products from the Americas, such as tobacco and coffee, were also incorporated.

• Merchant Capitalism

  This economic system was based on the accumulation of capital acquired primarily from trade. The first banks and trading companies were established during this period.

Social Changes

• Nobility and Clergy

  These privileged estates accepted the increased power of the king but maintained their economic power and social status.

• Bourgeoisie

  The bourgeoisie grew wealthier through trade, businesses, and banking, achieving a social status above the rest of the urban commoners.

• Peasantry

  Living conditions for the peasantry improved in Western Europe, where they were freed from servitude, worked their own land, and paid taxes. In contrast, peasants in Eastern Europe remained tied to the land as serfs.