Thursday, October 18, 2012
The Politiques
We have just studied and discussed a number of famous "politiques" from late 16th/early 17th Century Europe (Henry IV, Elizabeth I, Catherine de Medici, William of Orange, Cardinal Richelieu, etc.). In your opinion, which of them was the most effective in achieving his or her political goals? Please keep posts brief, and post by October 26th.
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I believe that Elizabeth I was the most successful of the Politiques. Her goal was to create a united England free from the religious strife of mainland Europe. By adopting a moderate Protestantism she was able to accomplish this. As well, through the act of Supremacy she was able to put the monarchy in a position of power for future religious disputes, as they were the unquestionable head of the church in England by the act.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth I of England was the most successful. Elizabeth wanted to keep England out of conflicts back on the mainland of Europe. She was very successful in undermining the Spanish by funding revolutions. Spain wanted to invade England, but she managed to keep them at bay. Finally, she kept England free from religious turmoil by practicing moderate Protestantism and executed less people in her decades as queen than her half sister Mary did in less than a decade.
ReplyDeleteOne could argue that all of these historical figures were effective in achieving thier political goals. However, William of Orange stands out as the true embodiment of a "politik". William of Orange, also known as William the Silent, sought power and prestige. He was born a nobleman and was the richest man in the Netherlands. In times when he had power in the Netherlands he did what he could to acheive more power. In times when his power was challenged he tried to satisfy the demands of those who were upset. In times when he was in trouble, he fled from the trouble. William of Orange changed religion three times for the sake of holding on to political power. Things may not have gone exactly as William would have liked, but nevertheless the Netherlands became an independent state. William of Orange is a great example of a politik and also had considerable success in his efforts to put his political beliefs ahead of his religious beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI certainly feel that Elizabeth I of England was the most successful "politique" of all during the 16th and 17th centuries. As like many other "politiques", Elizabeth was not entirely concerned with religion, but more with maintaining the throne and keeping her land protected. By adopting a form of moderate Protestantism and not lashing out at opposing religions like her half sister, she was able to focus more on enemies like Spain, and the activity going on across the English Channel in The Netherlands. When Spain attempted to invade England in the 1588 Spanish Armada after being pushed back because of Sir Francis Drake's invasion of Cadiz, the English were dominant, and kept themselves free from any other conflict with the Spanish. For these reasons, I believe that Elizabeth I of England was one of the most successful "politiques" of the time period.
ReplyDeleteThere is no point in trying to deny the success of Elizabeth I of England, however, she was not the most successful in achieving her political goals. That award would definitely have to go to Catherine de Medici. Catherine ruled for only a decade on the French throne. In that brief period she put her religious devotions aside in order to retain power and once she had her power she used religion as weapon to enhance it. This woman was fearless. I can understand why some might claim Elizabeth to be the superior one with her great military victories but she took no risks. Those impressive military victories only came about after being on the throne for 30 years!
ReplyDeleteThroughout the many politiques that emerged throughout the 16th and early 17th centuries, Elizabeth I was the most successful. Elizabeth I was never afraid to put her Protestant faith aside for the betterment of England. For example, Elizabeth was able to keep out the Spanish in 1588 despite their eagerness to invade England. Elizabeth was also successful in overturning the harsh religious law installed by her half-sister Mary and even implemented her own Act of Supremacy in 1588. Ultimately, rather than enforcing religious law within her own country Elizabeth was able to focus on international enemies like the Spanish due to her moderate Protestantism and “politique” philosophy.
ReplyDeleteAll of the politiques that we have studied from the 16th and early 17th centruy accomplished major and minor goals, but Elizabeth I was most effective in her accomplishments. She accended to the throne after her half sister Mary, a position she didn't think she would ever reach, and managed to repel the Spanish Armada. Her rejection of the Spanish fleet helped solidify the English position on the global playingfield and helped stregnthen the English position in foreign affairs. Her moderate Protestant beliefs and accpetance of other religions allowed her to focous on more important affairs.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth the I was by far the strongest politique of the monarchs for both religious and political reasons. First, she adopted a loose Protestantism religion which more or less kept everyone happy in England. Also, she passed the Act of Supremacy, guaranteeing the crown's final approval of all major religious debates that affected England. Finally, Elizabeth I suppressed the Spanish who were trying to fund a rebellion against her. Elizabeth I was by far the strongest of the monarchs in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteWilliam of Orange was a powerful politique. The primary reason he was so impressive was the circumstances in which he came to power, the situation the Netherlands was in his time, and how he handled the threat of many different countries able to attack his small, unprotected native land. Elizabeth I has gained the most recognition for defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588, however, William's leadership during the revolt in the Netherlands is just as, if not more, impressive than what Elizabeth did, and proves the true strength of his leadership abilities. He is comparable to George Washington in that they both defeated much greater armies they fought against. He was effective because he was in the middle of the action. Unlike many leaders of the time, he led to Dutch rebels into battle against the Spanish. He also was effective because although he had little to work with, between men and money, he still was successful in his campaign for the Province's freedom. Through him changing religions many times and his open policy for religion, trade, and commerce, shows he was an effective politique.
ReplyDeleteWhile Catherine de Medici may have been the most skilled politique of the time period which can be seen through her willingness to do whatever it took to keep her sons in power. She betrayed and slaughtered former allies in order to keep her family's hold on France secure but she was ultimately trapped between the struggling factions, never becoming completely independent. Elizabeth I was the most successful politique as she ended the turmoil in England that had been present throughout the reigns of her half siblings. Despite being a woman, she gained the support of Parliament and the country and was a brillant and skilled leader, preventing a was with Spain that would destroy the country. She strengthened the monarchy and defeated Spain, making England a major world power.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth I of England was by far one of the most successful and effective leaders of the politiques. As the Queen of England, she re-affirmed the Church of England with the Act of Supremacy (1559) that made all public officials swear an oath of loyalty to Elizabeth as the supreme head of the Church. She also solidified the Anglican faith in England with the Act of Uniformity which required church attendance by all English and the use of the Book of Common Prayer. In addition, under her reign, England defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588. However, I think it was Elizabeth's peculiar personality, unlike that of any of the other politiques, that made her the most successful and effective leader,
ReplyDeleteAlthough he was not a monarch, Cardinal Richelieu was a masterful politique. As Chief Minister of France he created a centralized government. He consolidated royal power and crushed any opposition. He sought to reduce the power of the nobles in France and unify the country. Richelieu also attempted to check the influence of the powerful Hapsburg family, who were also Catholics. He got involved in the thirty years war and fought against the spanish and was not afraid to make alliances with Prodestants.Cardinal Richelieu was true to the defintion of a politique and contributed much to the Kingdom of France.
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