Absolutism

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Absolutism.png Absolutism means unrestricted and unlimited rule and is represented in EU4 by how ruthless and efficient a government is. It is unlocked from the Age of Absolutism.png Age of Absolutism onwards and gives scaling bonuses to discipline and administrative efficiency.

At 100 Absolutism, the following benefits come into effect:

Discipline.png +5% Discipline
Administrative efficiency.png +30% Administrative efficiency
Foreign core duration.png −50% Foreign core duration

Yearly absolutism[edit | edit source]

Absolutism.png Traditions Ideas Bonuses Policies
+1.0
  • Cirebonese idea 1: Negara Gede
  • Scandinavian idea 7: The Lion of the North
  • Siamese idea 7: Royal Absolutism
  • Swedish idea 5: Swedish Absolutism
  • Veronese idea 6: Some Shall Be Pardoned, Some Punished
+0.5
  • Aristocratic idea 3: Local Nobility
  • Portuguese idea 6: Royal Absolutism
  • Trent idea 2: Slaughter of the Republicans
  • Berg ambition

From Great Projects[edit | edit source]

Events and decisions[edit | edit source]

Changing absolutism[edit | edit source]

Absolutism.png Increasing modifiers
+2
+1
  • Increasing Stability.png stability
  • Decreasing Autonomy.png autonomy
    (per Development.png 20 development)
  • Harsh treatment action
Absolutism.png Decreasing modifiers
−1
−2
  • Increasing Autonomy.png autonomy
    (per Development.png 20 development)
−10
  • Separatist rebels.png Accepting rebel demands
−0.15
  • Assigning a Parliament.png seat in parliament
    (per Development.png province development)

Making use of the harsh treatment action will produce Absolutism.png absolutism (once the mechanic is unlocked). This is a powerful method to quickly gain absolutism during that age while reducing headaches from rebels. The cost of using Harsh Treatment can be significantly reduced through the Age of Splendor ability Harsher Treatment -50% (requires Mandate of Heaven), and a few mission trees have a Harsh Treatment discount -25% that can be "saved" for use during the Age of Absolutism. Combining these two elements can gain +1 absolutism from as little as 8 military points if the rebel faction it is used on is small.

An expert player trick to gain a large once-off increase in absolutism at the beginning of the Age of Absolutism is to accept Particularist rebel demands (affecting all accepted culture provinces) a few months before the previous age ends (the Age of Reformation). Accepting particularist rebel demands will increase autonomy on all accepted culture provinces by +30% and cost −20 prestige. The moment the Age of Absolutism starts be sure to be at peace and reduce the autonomy on all these affected provinces. High development provinces will yield the biggest gain in absolutism and the player will gain some reprieve from the extra unrest caused by the reduction in autonomy since each province will have the modifier "recent uprising -100" for ten years. This exercise can comfortably gain 20 to 30 absolutism on a decent size empire with a large number of accepted cultures.

Being a horde using this method and accepting the tribal rebel demands is even better as nearly all provinces are affected, except a few trade company provinces (whereas particularist rebels only affect accepted culture full core provinces).

The remainder of the 50% absolutism needed to trigger the Court And Country disaster can be gained from the harsh treatment or strengthen government method.

Also timing the annexing and full integration of a large vassal or personal union subject at the beginning of the age can offer an additional opportunity to reduce autonomy on a large number of newly integrated provinces and materially boost the absolutism so gained.

Absolutism can also be changed through event choices, especially during the Court And Country disaster.

Changing maximum absolutism[edit | edit source]

The base value for maximum absolutism is Maximum absolutism +65. Its effects are capped at 100, but more absolutism can be gained beyond that as long as the maximum permits it.

The following government reforms modify maximum absolutism:

Maximum absolutism Increasing modifiers
+40
  • Government republic.png Presidential Dictator (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Revolutionary Republic (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Revolutionary State (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Colonial Government (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Crown Colony (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Private Enterprise Colony (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Self-Governing Colony (tier 1)
+30
  • Government republic.png Military Dictatorship (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Stratocratic Administration (tier 1)
+25
  • Government republic.png Strengthen Executive Powers (tier 12)
+20
  • Government theocracy.png Open Public Elections (tier 6)
  • Government theocracy.png Divine Guidance (tier 6)
  • Government republic.png Noble Elite (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Free City (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Trading City (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png American Republic (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Protectorate Parliament (tier 1)
  • Government monarchy.png Solomonic Empire (tier 1)
+10
  • Government monarchy.png Prussian Monarchy (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Consolidation of Power (tier 3)
  • Government tribal.png Retain Tribal Hierarchy (tier 4)
  • Government republic.png Ambrosian Republic (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Autonomous Swiss Cantons (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Dutch Republic (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Federal Republic (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Italian Signoria (tier 1)
  • Government monarchy.pngMachiavellianism (tier 8)
+5
  • Government monarchy.png Ottoman Sultanate (tier 1)
  • Government monarchy.png Political Absolutism (tier 9)
  • Government monarchy.png Royal Decree (tier 6)
  • Government monarchy.png Shogunate (tier 1)
Maximum absolutism Decreasing modifiers
−10
  • Government republic.png Frequent Elections (tier 3)
  • Government republic.png Kongsi Federation (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Peasants Republic (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Pirate Republic (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Plutocracy (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Veche Republic (tier 1)
  • Government republic.png Venetian Government (tier 1)
−30
  • Government monarchy.png Elective Monarchy (tier 1)
  • Government monarchy.png English Monarchy (tier 1)

Additional absolutism modifiers

  • +65 Maximum absolutism Base value
  • +5 from Empire rank Empire government rank
  • +5 from Great power.png Great power status
  • +5 during a Monthly splendor.png Golden era
  • 0 to +5 scaling linearly with Religious unity.png Religious unity
  • −10 to +10 scaling linearly with Legitimacy.png Legitimacy. Note that the Government monarchy.pngCelestial Empire does not use Legitimacy.png Legitimacy and cannot get modifiers from it.
  • −20 during the Court And Country.png Court And Country disaster
  • Permanent +20, permanent +10, or temporary −10, depending on the resolution of the Court And Country.png Court And Country disaster where absolutism at the time of resolution is respectively 65 or higher, 30-64, or 0-29.
  • −40 from being a Government republic.png republic.
  • −50 to +15 depending on crown land, and numerous −5/−10/−15 modifiers from privileges granted to the estates.

Events and decisions[edit | edit source]

Mechanics

Ideas and Policies Idea groupsNational ideasPolicies
Ages and Institutions AgesInstitutions
Innovativeness and Technology InnovativenessTechnology