Why Was Absolutism So Important In The 18th Century

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What is absolutism? Robert Wilde, writer for about.com/education said “Absolutism is a political theory and form of government where unlimited, complete power is held by a centralized sovereign individual, with no checks or balances from any other part of the nation or government” (Wilde). The term absolute means to posses unlimited power, so when a monarch is an absolute monarch he or she holds unlimited power over the state he or she governs or controls. Much like King Louis XIV of France, or Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany (although not in 17th and 18th century Europe). So why was absolutism so important in 17th and 18th century Europe? Absolutism subsisted from a numerous amount of European countries comprising of Spain, Prussia, and Austria.