Absolutism in the 16th and 17th centuries was a monarchy over which the man or women in power had full control. Each monarch brought his own ups and downs, but above all he brought tyranny across Europe. Examples of tyranny during this period include wars, religious corruption/prejudice, and taxation throughout Europe for centuries. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay War was widespread during the era of absolutism, and most did not do much to benefit the countries involved. King Frederick II brought not only himself but also his religion to war. His original intention to "extend the territory of Prussia", was instead left in conflict with other countries also seeking to expand their land. The Thirty Years' War is another example of warfare during the time of the monarchs. It was a “conflict between different Protestant and Catholic groups” that led to a civil war in Germany. Mostly wars left not only the country but also the country's population in debt. Corruption during the times of absolute monarchs was also very common among royal families, with acts of ferocity and selfishness. The prime example of corruption in times of absolute monarchy is King Henry VIII. Henry VIII ruled from 1509 to 1547. He was corrupt in that he “manipulated Parliament to get his way and broke away from the Catholic Church.” The reason for doing so was so that he could divorce his wife to marry another woman so that she could bear a child for him. Henry VIII would have his ex-wives killed and leave his country divided between religious beliefs. Another form of religious corruption occurs in another English monarch, Queen Mary I, when she had "over 400 Protestants killed for their beliefs and for heresy", along with other rulers such as Ivan the Terrible who was known to have continued to killing sprees, the reason is religious belief and background. The taxation of monarchs was sometimes never light, it cost more than money. Although it was not a direct tax, King Henry VIII took land from his people and sold it as his own. Fredrick William of Germany was infamous for exaggerated taxes during his rule between 1640 and 1688. The excuse for the tax increase was to "raise taxes to bring Prussia to power". For this reason, Frederick was not liked because he had not obtained consent to increase taxes, but being an absolute monarch he did not need it. Even though the tax increase allowed Germany to grow, many people still disagreed with the tax because it was too high. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Living during the time of absolute monarchy obviously would not be the ideal choice for most considering the lifestyle and rule that monarchs had over the people. While monarchies weren't all that terrible, it's fair to say that the period when absolute monarchy was at the top was a time of tyranny throughout Europe. Ultimately, what contributed to such tyranny were war, religious corruption/prejudice, and taxes imposed by monarchs.