Analyze the influence of the theory of mercantilism on domestic and foreign policies of france,1600-1715?
Mercantilism was a turning point for the french economy. It helped establish it self as one on the true European power. ...Here are a couple items that could help you.... The finance minister was faced with the daunting task of raising revenue for a king who had the expensive tastes of war making and building. Realizing that traditional taxation was already too high, Colbert worked to find new sources of royal revenue, especially those derived from trade. One such revenue source was a tariff on imports. A tariff would raise revenue and also protect French goods against foreign competition by making imports more expensive. Colbert also saw French colonies as a market for French products. This set of beliefs, known as mercantilism, formed the basis for an economic recovery in the middle years of Louis’s reign. The protective tariff enabled new industries to develop. These, in turn, demanded skilled workers, raising wages for these workers. Higher wages eased the burden of taxation, especially for the poorer segments of society. Support of domestic manufacturing led to improvements in transportation. Thus roads were constructed, rivers were dredged to keep them navigable, and the first French canals were built. To expand overseas trade, Colbert encouraged French citizens to establish private merchant companies as the Dutch and English had already done. For example, in 1664 the West Indies Company was established to exploit French colonies in the Caribbean, and the East Indies Company was established to trade in India. Though France was a latecomer in the quest for the products and markets of the long-distance trade, French companies slowly carved out a piece of the colonial pie. To facilitate overseas trade, Colbert expanded the French navy, which grew almost tenfold in a quarter century.....
What influenced Thomas Hobbes to write the Leviathan?
Thomas Hobbes of Malmsbury was a man who lived with fear. In his autobiography, Hobbes recounted that on the day of his birth in 1588, his mother learned that the Spanish Armada had set sail to attack England. This news so terrified Hobbes's mother that she went into labor prematurely, and thus, writes Hobbes, "fear and I were born twins together." Fear is a significant theme in Hobbes's writing, structuring both his written accounts of his life and the Hobbesian philosophical system. Leviathan was written partly as a response to the fear Hobbes experienced during the political turmoil of the English Civil Wars. In the 1640s, it was clear to Hobbes that Parliament was going to turn against King Charles I, so he fled to France for eleven years, terrified that, as a Royalist, he would be persecuted for his support of the king. Leviathan was published in 1651, two years after Parliament ordered the beheading of Charles I and took over administration of the English nation in the name of the Commonwealth.
Why was the British Empire so successful?
Following are the top most five important reasons for England being becoming one of the more powerful country in the past. Such as:From Mid 1600's until the war of independence in 1776, Britain had Dominated over several American Colonies. Until the 19th Century, Britain had dominion over Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Until the 20th Century Britain was in control of Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, India, Egypt , Sudan, Palestine, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. The policies which the British government used in order to gain control over these states were strategic. Interestingly, many of the colonies were originally founded by private companies/personalities with Royal Charter (approval). It is well known India was established by the East India Company, searching for resources in the Far East. South Africa was arguably the product of aggressive expansion by Cecil Rhodes (incidentally founder of Old Rhodesia).Trade is another factor which founded the British Empire. Indeed, Hong Kong was given to the British by China, after their defeat in the Opium War in 1898. The Opium War was a war fought over trade. The British were fed up with China's unwillingness to house foreigners in their nation - restricting them to reside in Portugese Macau - and negotiated opening of port cities, such as Shanghai and Hong Kong. Unity, was another factor which held the British Empire together. Unity however, must not be mistaken for homogeneity - the Empire was incredibly racially and religiously diverse. However, throughout the New World Britain managed to introduce some very positive changes into the standard of living of millions of people. Britain introduced their Westminster style of government, their common law (arguably the greatest gift of all) and numerous other seemingly inconsequential things (like the sport cricket for example). These unifying traditions helped to bind the Empire together. The final reason behind the strength of the British Empire was pride. Pride in the Empire, pride in nation building, pride in the dissemination of Anglo-Saxon values. It is plain from the disintegration of the Empire, that British peoples loss of faith in Britain as an Empire was critical to its demise. After WW2, the ideology behind Empire building seemed flawed; having watched Europe almost become unbound by the plans of an evil dictator bent on controlling the Continent, Britain's own imperialist forays were challenged.
How did the Magna Carta influence on American ideas?
-- Magna Carta, also called Magna Carta Libertatum (the Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215. It was written in Latin and is known by its Latin name. The usual English translation of Magna Carta is Great Charter.' Magna Carta influenced the development of the common law and many constitutional documents, including the United States Constitution. Many clauses were renewed throughout the Middle Ages, and continued to be renewed as late as the 18th century. By the second half of the 19th century, however, most clauses in their original form had been repealed from English law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta America The 1765 Stamp Act extended the stamp duty, which had been in force on home territory since 1694 to cover the American colonies as well. However, colonists of the Thirteen Colonies despised this since they were not represented in Parliament and refused to accept that an external body, which did not represent them, could tax them in what they saw was a denial of their rights as Englishmen. The cry "no taxation without representation" rang throughout the colonies. The influence of Magna Carta can be clearly seen in the United States Bill of Rights, which enumerates various rights of the people and restrictions on government power, such as: No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. Article 21 from the Declaration of Rights in the Maryland Constitution of 1776 reads: That no freeman ought to be taken, or imprisoned, or disseized of his freehold, liberties, or privileges, or outlawed, or exiled, or in any manner destroyed, or deprived of his life, liberty, or property, but by the judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land. The Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that, “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” The framers of the United States Constitution wished to ensure that rights they already held, such as those provided by the Magna Carta, were not lost unless explicitly curtailed in the new United States Constitution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta...
What can you tell me about the Germanic King Charlemagne?
In 800 Charlemagne marched on Rome and was crowned the Holy Roman Emperor. This act briefly re-united the spiritual and political powers that once were that of the Roman Emperors. Charlemagne was a Frank and formed the Franconia Empire which after his death split into France & Germany, with the German Empire retaining the Holy Roman Emperor Title for a period. Since the Fall of Roman he was the First Emperor to unite most of Europe under one rule. In fact his influence bore heavily upon the forming of Europe. He introduced a feudal system of government to maintain his empire. Many of these fiefdoms latter became independent kingdoms. His Empire fell apart after his death. Until Napoleon, no one person ever controlled as much of Europe at one time.
How did the British colonize India?
Britain came in the 1600s (with Sir Thomas Roe) when India was under the rule of Jehangir. India was a stronger nation back then. So, the British were contended to be traders. However, Nadir Shah's (of Iran) invasion of India in 1738, changed the picture (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nad...). The Mughal rulers were badly defeated and that signalled to the world that India was very weak. The East India Company immediately latched on and made use of the weakness. The timing was key. India had plenty of infighting. For instance, Tipu Sultan, who offered ferocious resistance against the Brits was undermined by our own rulers (Nizam of Hyderabad and Marathas) who surrounded the Mysore kingdom when British attacked him. The Marathas duly paid the price for the friendship with the devil with the Anglo-Maratha war in which they were badly defeated. British troops were well organized and used superior tactical & strategic skills on the warfield. French revolution and later the defeat of Napolean in 1815, distract the French from expanding their control in India. The British used this opportunity to kick out the other colonial powers from India.By the 18th century, India was under a crisis. The Aurangzeb's rule was quite bitter for non-Muslims and the Hindus were tired of Islamic rule. This gave rise to many Hindu kings (such as the Marathas). The East India Company rightly used this period to increase the divisions with their divide and rule policy. India had a very weak navy. Unlike islands like Britain or Japan, we didn't have enough incentives to build a strong navy. Naval superiority helped the British to gain and build the critical ports of India (Bombay, Madras, Calcutta) and build the empire from there. Britian was entering the age of industrial revolution at around the same time (1750) when Indian empires were weakened. The economic strength from industrial revolution gave the Brits an upper hand.