A government that is based on an absolute monarch is what we call Absolutism. The King James I reading on the Divine Right of Kings states valuable information on absolutism. According to James I, the scriptures consider kings as gods, they are like a father to a family and like the brain to a body. According to the reading, kings are the human form of gods since they act like like gods, “In the Scriptures kings are called gods, and so their power after a certain relation compared to the divine power.” The decision of life and death is put in the hands of a king, just like it would be with a god. Questioning a king is just like questioning a god which is why it is not accepted in King James’ society. Due to these assumptions about kings, King James informs his Parliament to not do certain things. He is not to be told how to do his job, he can handle his position of authority by himself and doesn’t need the help of his people. They are also not allowed to question his right to be king since it is a right he has received from his predecessors. if it were a good enough right for them than it is a good enough right for himself. Finally, the Parliament may not ask him for items or deeds that they know can not be given. these are King James’ priorities that must be followed through in order to have a civilized community.
Maria Theresa shows a great deal of absolutism. She was the first woman to rule over the Holy Roman Empire and had great success. Born in Vienna, Austria Maria showed a great deal of power by ruler kingdoms such as Bohemia, Hungary, Austria and the Holy Roman Empire. Maria Theresa had a powerful army that fought in battle which is an important feature of absolutism. She also limited the power of nobility's and church officials by discriminating Jews and making peasants pay taxes. Another feature of absolutism she showed was her ability to make laws. Maria attempted to restrict government expenses, regulate taxes and create a new penal code and humanitarian laws to help the poor. Maria Theresa showed great power and exemplified an absolute monarch.
In my opinion, Maria Theresa was both a good and bad leader. She did exemplify an absolute monarch, but only in some ways. Maria did not show off her wealth a lot and was more caring than courageous. Though she did show great confidence which made her powerful. Maria Theresa may have had negative impacts on the society but overall she was a good leader. Being the first woman to rule is a big part of why I believe this. The fact that she was able to rule for forty years is a great achievement and should be recognized which is why she was a good leader.
