Please help with verifying or updating older sections of this article.
At least some were last verified for version 1.28.
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 onwards and gives scaling bonuses to discipline and administrative efficiency.
At 100 Absolutism, the following benefits come into effect:
 |
+5% |
Discipline
|
 |
+30% |
Administrative efficiency
|
 |
−50% |
Foreign core duration
|
|
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
|
|
—
|
|
|
Increasing modifiers
|
| +2
|
|
| +1
|
- Increasing
 stability
- Decreasing
 autonomy
(per  20 development)
- Harsh treatment action
|
|
|
Decreasing modifiers
|
| −1
|
|
| −2
|
- Increasing autonomy
(per 20 development)
|
| −10
|
 Accepting rebel demands
|
| −0.15
|
- Assigning a
 seat in parliament
(per province development)
|
Making use of the harsh treatment action will produce 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 
+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:
|
Increasing modifiers
|
| +40
|
 Presidential Dictator (tier 1)- Revolutionary Republic (tier 1)
- Revolutionary State (tier 1)
- Colonial Government (tier 1)
- Crown Colony (tier 1)
- Private Enterprise Colony (tier 1)
- Self-Governing Colony (tier 1)
|
| +30
|
- Military Dictatorship (tier 1)
- Stratocratic Administration (tier 1)
|
| +25
|
- Strengthen Executive Powers (tier 12)
|
| +20
|
 Open Public Elections (tier 6)- Divine Guidance (tier 6)
- Noble Elite (tier 1)
- Free City (tier 1)
- Trading City (tier 1)
- American Republic (tier 1)
- Protectorate Parliament (tier 1)
 Solomonic Empire (tier 1)
|
| +10
|
- Prussian Monarchy (tier 1)
- Consolidation of Power (tier 3)
 Retain Tribal Hierarchy (tier 4)- Ambrosian Republic (tier 1)
- Autonomous Swiss Cantons (tier 1)
- Dutch Republic (tier 1)
- Federal Republic (tier 1)
- Italian Signoria (tier 1)
- Machiavellianism (tier 8)
|
| +5
|
- Ottoman Sultanate (tier 1)
- Political Absolutism (tier 9)
- Royal Decree (tier 6)
- Shogunate (tier 1)
|
|
|
Decreasing modifiers
|
| −10
|
- Frequent Elections (tier 3)
- Kongsi Federation (tier 1)
- Peasants Republic (tier 1)
- Pirate Republic (tier 1)
- Plutocracy (tier 1)
- Veche Republic (tier 1)
- Venetian Government (tier 1)
|
| −30
|
- Elective Monarchy (tier 1)
- English Monarchy (tier 1)
|
Additional absolutism modifiers
- +65 Base value
- +5 from
Empire government rank
- +5 from
Great power status
- +5 during a
Golden era
- 0 to +5 scaling linearly with
Religious unity
- −10 to +10 scaling linearly with
Legitimacy. Note that the Celestial Empire does not use Legitimacy and cannot get modifiers from it.
- −20 during the
Court And Country disaster
- Permanent +20, permanent +10, or temporary −10, depending on the resolution of the 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 republic.
- −50 to +15 depending on crown land, and numerous −5/−10/−15 modifiers from privileges granted to the estates.
Mandate of Heaven)
Crownland 60% or more: +1
Catholic while the 
golden bull “Dei Gratia Rex” is active: +0.5 (only with 
Emperor)
The Forbidden City (Beijing (1816), requires the Celestial Empire government reform): 
The Grand Palace of Bangkok (Bangkok (4831)): 
Governmental Reforms and the Absolutism: +1 yearly absolutism for the rest of the game – an event for 
Russia
L'Etat c'est moi: +0.5 yearly absolutism for the rest of the game – a decision for 
France during the 
Sweden
Prussia (do not stack with the Swedish modifier from The Absolutism)
Regulated Social Hierarchy +10 max absolutism - a mission for countries with Japanese missions