Authoritarion,Secular and Pluralistic Governments
Authoritarian Forms of Government Authoritarian forms of government have existed since the 1400s. These governments seemed most effective in an already weak establishment. These situations made for a society looking for a strong leader with strong goals and a hearty outlook for the future of the country. In the case of Portugal, the time was right to set out to sea and claim lands far and near. Prince Henry the Navigator set the tone when he completed campaigns down the west coast of Africa. A pivotal event also occurred when Bartoloma Diaz rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 to spawn exploration enthusiasm within Portugal. By 1510, Portugal was in control of parts of India as well as China. 1511 saw Admiral Albuquerque seize the massive port-depot of Malaca which establishes Portugal as controller of the most profitable sea trade in the world. These several events put the country of Portugal in the global empirical race. However, Portugal was a small country and was becoming spread too thin over its vast global claims. Soon, aggressive Dutch merchants were able to force them out. 1580, in my opinion, was the end of the line for the Portugese. It was during this time that the independent nation of Portugal incorporated with Catholic Spain. This merger gave the Protestant Dutch and English fleets an excuse to universally pick Portugal’s empire apart. Portugal’s tactics were not the best choice for a shallow populated country. They were simply spread too thin to try to enforce the type of control they desired. Their mistakes included alienating the native populations through brutality, attempting to force Christianity, and not allowing for alliances with native leaders so they could continue to govern their respective tribes. A better example of the development of Authoritarian government can be seen in the actions of Louis XIV. While in power, he totally dominated the French government. Louis XIV believed in and practiced the notion of the Divine Right of Kings, which said that the monarchy’s powers flowed from God, and the people were to regard their King as God’s Representative in civil affairs. This instilled the belief that “to defy the King was to defy God himself.” Essentially, as far as France was concerned, the late 1700s and early 1800s were the age of Louis XIV. He developed his own form of government, redefined the arts, set the pace for the lifestyle of the wealthy, and influenced language and literature. Deeply steeped in the concepts of Richelieu, Louis XIV was determined to establish the royal throne as the sole seat of sovereignty. This meant he would nullify the powers of the Aristocrats and their provinces through a clever plan. His tactic was to make all provincial leaders reside in his palace in Paris.