Queen Elizabeth I

Throughout the history of England, was Queen Elizabeth I, which is generally considered the most prominent king. Forty-five years of his reign was a time of economic prosperity, development of literature, and the emergence of a British naval force topnotch above the ocean. When the British no longer have kings who stand out, which lifted England emerged into the golden age.
Elizabeth was born in 1533 in Greenwich, England. His father, King Henry VIII, English pioneer round of reform. Her mother, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry. Anne was beheaded to roll like a grain of roofs in 1536 and several months later issued an announcement that the parliament of the time Elizabeth was three years old as a "child brothel." (This is the general attitude of English Catholics who do not consider valid Henry divorce his first wife). Although there are the curse of parliament, Elizabeth was raised in the royal household and get a good education.

Henry VIII died in 1547 when Elizabeth was aged thirteen years. Eleven years after that there was no English authority which could be considered successful. Edward VI, Elizabeth's half-brother to the throne between the years 1547 to 1553. Under his rule, political obviously pro-Protestant. Queen Mary I reigned five years after it supported the supremacy of the papacy and the Roman Catholic back strengthening. During British rule, the Protestants are pursued and oppressed, even some three hundred followers were executed. (This caused the queen can not pleasant nickname: "the bloody Mary." Elizabeth himself arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Though eventually released, his life in recent times was in danger. When Mary died (in 1558) Elizabeth elderly couple twenty-five years to the throne. This gives rise for the brightness of the British population.

Many problems which prevented the young queen was young: the war against France; strained relationship with Scotland and Spain, government monetary conditions, and above all it is a dark cloud hanging religious division in England overhead.

Last crisis is handled first. Shortly after Elizabeth ascended the throne, the law on "Supremacy and Equality" passed in 1559, set the Anglican as the official religion of England. This satisfies moderate Protestants, but the Puritans who wanted more drastic changes. Although the Puritans faced opposition on the one hand and the Catholics on the other hand, during his reign to establish a compromise remain listed in the Act of 1559.

Religious situation becomes complicated by circumstances relating to Mary Queen of Scots. Mary was forced to leave Scotland and fled to England. Back in England he was a prisoner of Queen Elizabeth. Elizabeth is not a step on the basis of violence and arbitrarily: Mary Roman Catholic and also had a decent claim to the throne to replace Elizabeth. This means that, if there is a rebellion or a successful assassination, England will have more Catholic queen. During the detention Mary was nineteen years there were a couple of times a plot against her and there was enough evidence of involvement Mary. Finally, in 1587 Mary was sentenced to death. Elizabeth signed the sentence was a little reluctantly. The ministers and MPs generally want to be Mary killed the sooner the better.

Religious conflict actually harm Elizabeth. In 1570 Pope Pius V excommunicated and ordered him to abdicate, and in the year 1580 Pope Gregory XIII issued an announcement that is not sinful to kill Elizabeth. However, it is also beneficial Elizabeth. Throughout his reign, the Protestants seized with fear of the revival of the Catholic religion in England. She showed herself as a shield against that revival. And this is the main source of his popularity among the masses of the major British Protestant it.

Elizabeth's foreign policy to handle it carefully, flexible, and far-sighted. At the beginning of 1560 he completed the "Treaty of Edinburgh" which guarantees a peaceful settlement with the Scots. War with France ended and the relations between the two countries improved. But, gradually, gradually forced the British state was involved confrontation with Spain. Elizabeth tried to avoid war, but for the militant Catholic Spain of the 16th century, the war between Spain and Protestant England hard inevitable. Revolt in the Netherlands against the Spanish rulers are servants of factors: Dutch rebels generally Protestant and Spain boost when rebels, Elizabeth helped the Netherlands, despite the fact that Elizabeth did not have a personal passion to fight. Generally the British people as well as the ministers and the parliament is more eager to lift the arms than Elizabeth. Therefore, when the war with Spain finally broke out also in the year 1580an, Elizabeth gained strong support for the British people.

Elizabeth years diligently to build the British navy, but, King Philip II of Spain was also rushed to build a large fleet - Spanish Armada - to confront the British. Spanish Armada ships had an almost equal number of the British possession, but fewer sailors, more than that, more British sailors trained and the quality of the cannon ships and better weapons. The fight broke out in 1588, and an exciting sea battle that ended with the defeat of the Spanish absolute. As a result of this victory, England became established as a naval power in the world's most thumbs, fixed position he held until the 20th century this.

Elizabeth was always careful in money matters. At the beginning of his reign the British Empire's financial condition was healthy. But of course, argue with the Spanish request expensive and at the end of his administration very poor financial situation. However, despite the poor kingdom, the state of the entire country berkondisi more prosperous than at the time of Elizabeth to attach the crown in him by the forelock.

Elizabeth's reign for forty-five years (from 1558 to 1603) is often considered "the golden Age of England." Some of the famous English writers, including William Shakespeare, lived in that era. She obviously had a stake in this cultural development. He encouraged the theater of Shakespeare against the opposition of local government of London. However, no development of music or a painting that can match the development of literature.

Elizabeth era also saw the rise of English as an explorer. There were repeated trips to Russia and the experiments by Martin Frobisher and John Davis to find a way northwest toward the Far East. Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world (from 1577 to 1580), set foot in California on that trip. There was also a failed experiment (by Sir Walter Raleigh and others) to establish settlements in North America.

Elizabeth biggest deficiency may reluctantly turn provide opportunities for the throne. Not only did she never married, but he always avoided setting a replacement. (Maybe because he was afraid, if he appointed someone to be his successor will soon be a rival). Whatever the reason Elizabeth did not want to mention his successor, if he died young (or at any time before the death of Mary of Scotland), England might have kecemplung in the arena of civil war after the replacement. Good luck for England, she lived until the age of seventy years. On the bed before her spirit flew, he called King James II of Scotland (son of Mary of Scotland) became his successor. Although this means the union between England and Scotland under one crown, this is a confusing choice. Both James and his son Charles I was too authoritarian for British tastes, and in the middle of the century of civil war had erupted.

Elizabeth had the intelligence that exceeds the ordinary person and a skilled politician, firm, has extensive views. Coincided with that he has prudence and conservative. He has aversion to war and bloodshed, although if necessary he could insist. Like his father, he runs the government with parliamentary co-operation rather than against them. Because he was not married, it seems like he's still a virgin dikemukakannya in public. However, not all too true when he considered it the kind of man-hating women. On the contrary, he clearly liked him and liked to hang out with him. Elizabeth has the ability to choose his ministers are incompetent. Some of the results achieved, among others thanks to Williarn Cecil (Lord Burghley), who became the main adviser since 1558 until his death in 1598.

The main points of her success can be summarized as follows First, he led England during the second phase of reform era without significant bloodshed. (In contrast to Germany where thirty-year war (1618-1648) killed more than twenty-five percent of the population, it is striking). Besides him, soothe religious hatred between Catholic and Protestant English English, he managed to also maintain the unity of the nation. Second, forty-five years of his reign - Age Elizabeth - generally considered the golden age of a great nation in the world. Third, is also in his reign England emerged as the main force, which can maintain the position of the next centuries.

Elizabeth position in this book is a chronological list of habits that have come out clearly. In essence, this book is a list of the great innovators, the people who put forward new ideas or bring something changes the situation. Elizabeth was not a reformer, not an innovator, and the line of political policy generally cautious and conservative. Nevertheless, much progress occurred in his reign than is generally realized penguasaa who want progress.

Elizabeth did not try to deal directly with serious issues that are matters of parliament and the royal authority. However, in a way just stand off to be a despot, he may be the main drivers of democratic life in England than he announced a new democratic constitution. She did not seek greatness and also the military sector is not interested in building a large empirium. (Indeed, under Elizabeth, the English did not have the signs of a empirium). However, he left England's strongest Navy in the world and laid the foundations of British empirium that followed.

The greatness of the British overseas empirium obtained after the death of Elizabeth, at least some of biggest. Many people who played an important role empirium British establishment who in some cases can be considered as a reasonable result of European expansion in general and the geographical position of England. Should also be noted that many other European countries berpantaikan Atlantic Ocean (French, Spanish and even Portuguese) also built a large empirium.

Besides, the role of Elizabeth maintaining the threat of Spanish English and easily be exaggerated. If studied, it does not look Spanish never a serious threat to British independence. It must be remembered, the fight between the British fleet against the Spanish Armada did not occur in a short distance. (Not one England lose the ship!). And beyond that, even if Spanish troops had landed in England, is difficult to imagine they can conquer it. Spanish armed forces have never achieved an impressive victory anywhere in Europe. If Spain was not able to quell the rebellion in the Netherlands, it was clear there was no piece of English he could conquer. By the 16th century, English nationalism was much stronger than the possibility of Spain could conquer it.

So where Elizabeth should be placed on the list this book? Basically he was a local character. When compared with Peter the Great of Russia did not seem equal. Judging from Peter's point of fact clearly far more innovative than Elizabeth. I will have difficulty convincing the Russians who have a clear mind that Elizabeth was placed higher in the order of Peter. In contrast, measured from the important role played by England and Englishmen in the centuries after Elizabeth was a mistake to put too far behind Peter. In many ways, it seems clear only a few kings in the history of Elizabeth's had as much success. Michael H. Hart,One hundred most influential figures in the history.