New Monarchs
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During the mid-fifteenth century, European governments were weakened by the war and rebellion which was a direct result of their feudal structure. In order to make their government stronger, numerous leaders known as the New Monarchs tried to bring about civil peace. These western European monarchies wanted to create a centralized government in which the king gained more power. The monarchs had their own motives for recreating their governments. Therefore, in doing so, they made sure to include laws which gave them wealth and power. Through methods of taxation, the kings were able to build secure armies to control feudal nobles. This then created more peace within the empires, as the conflicts between nobles no longer existed. Within England, France, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, rulers were able to successfully warrant their label of the new monarchies through divine right. They created well-built, centralized governments, which came with accomplishments specific to each monarch. Understanding the historic origins, features, and accomplishments of England, France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire allow the differences in their downfalls to be distinguished along with the aspects which made each monarchy powerful.
Throughout the fifteenth century, a group of people known as the Tudors set up a dynasty in England, led by King Henry VII. In doing so, England created what is recognized as a new monarchy. History played an important role in the success of the Tudor Dynasty. The War of the Roses was an important event in history which allowed the Tudor Dynasty to become the family of the new monarchs in England. Prior to the War of the Roses, England was split up into two houses, the House of York and the House of Lancaster. Because of their signature badges, each house was named after a rose. The House of York was known as the White Rose, and the House of Lancaster was named after the Red Rose. In the process of fighting for control and power over the English monarchy, both houses became very weak. Since war had weakened both baronial families, the Tudors were able to conquer England and set up a strong dynasty in which the new monarchy was established. In defeating those involved in the War of the Roses, Henry VII ended civil problems throughout England. During his reign, (1461-1483) Henry VII and the people of the Tudor Dynasty managed to bring forth many accomplishments in regards to making a powerful government. He used a royal council in order to discuss disturbance of the peace within the monarchy and the punishments which would be enforced because of those disruptions. Henry VII met with his council in a room called the Star Chamber. Inside the Star Chamber, Henry VII displayed his true authority, and there was not a jury involved in the council. The Star Chamber brought about order, justice, and basica peace to the new monarchy in England. Because of this, the people living in the Tudor Dynasty considered Henry VII a strong king and a successful ruler. Nationalism was also known as a big success in the Dynasty of Tudor, because people had similar views on the king and his new monarchy. Because people agreed that Henry VII was an influential and important leader, peace was kept for a much longer period of time throughout England. The king defended his leadership with the argument that God had chosen him and granted him “the divine right to rule”. In using divine right as his ally, Henry VII firmly justified why he had become the supreme ruler of England. Through his achievements as a ruler, the king proved his authority over the English monarchy. For these reasons, England warranted the title new monarch.
In fifteenth-century France, the development of a new monarchy was also taking place. Before this new monarchy evolved, France was not much larger than one city, Paris. Since the first king of France ruled, it slowly expanded. After 500 years of war, conquest, marriage, and inheritance, monarchs were able to gain large amounts of land and establish a form of centralized government throughout the entire region. Louis XI was a specific leader of the new monarchy who made a very strong impact on the centralization of Frances government. During his years as ruler of France, Louis XI united the country as a whole and took authority away from the nobles, which ultimately made him more powerful than the English Tudors. Because of his control over the nobles, Louis XI was able to raise taxes without any say from the assembly, the Estates General. The French monarchy also had more jurisdiction over the clergy. Because of the Concordat of Bologna, the king had the authority to appoint bishops and abbots of his own choosing. Louis XI succeeded in controlling a royal army as well. He created a good reputation for his country while still becoming an absolute monarch. As king, Louis XI warranted his title as a new monarch by expressing his belief in the end as a justification of the means. He would do whatever it took to become an absolute monarch. Although he did not completely reach this goal, he still managed to rule the French monarchy with much success. He is known throughout history as one of the strongest leaders of his time. Through the achievements of its rulers and the features shown throughout its government, the French monarchy can simply be labeled as a new monarchy.
Although the Spanish monarchy was governed differently than those in England and France, it was still considered a new monarchy. Before it became one combined kingdom, Spain was split up into multiple kingdoms. Over time, these various kingdoms came together to form those known as Aragon and Castile. In 1469, the two separate kingdoms of Spain were joined together through the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. Even though the land was now shared by the people of both Aragon and Castile, no nationalism existed. The Catalans of Aragon and the Castilians spoke different forms of Spanish. The two monarchs were recognized by the people of both kingdoms, but they did not mix in their customs or governments. The biggest connection between the Catalans and the Castilians in the Spanish monarchy was that they both belonged to the Spanish Catholic Church. There was also a common institution where equality was expressed to both kingdoms. This institution was a church court known as the