lpetrich
Contributor
Monarchy has been widely distributed in space and time over humanity's larger-scale societies. Many such societies have entered written history as monarchies, so the age of monarchy may be hard to determine. One could try to push the date further with archeological evidence and cultural extrapolation, but that method has rather obvious difficulties.
The first literate societies, Sumer and Egypt, had been monarchies, making monarchy at least 5000 years old. Some monarchies have had a more-or-less continuous existence for centuries. The Pharaonic and Chinese ones had been in existence for over 2500 years.
Despite monarchy being common, some notable premodern and early modern societies had rejected monarchy, like some Classical-era Greek city states and the Roman Republic. Those places are where we get the words "democracy" and "republic" from. Over the centuries, various other societies have been republics, usually city-states or other small nations. The oldest surviving republic is likely Switzerland at about 700 years.
But over the last century or so, it seems that it has gone out of style in much of the world, even in very large nations. Many remaining monarchs are figureheads rather than active leaders, making their nations de facto republics. In fact, some people call such monarchies "crowned republics".
Aside from Switzerland, the first European-derived nation to successfully reject monarchy was created by certain rebellious North American colonies. During their rebellion, they formed a Continental Congress to coordinate their efforts, but they decided afterward that they needed a stronger central government, so they composed their Constitution. George Washington, military leader of that rebellion, became the United States's first President. He refused to crown himself king, and he refused any titles fancier than "Mister President". After two terms as President, he retired.
Some of the American revolutionaries recognized the rather radical nature of their political experiment, notably John Adams, who wrote Defence of the Constitutions, 1787.
But in Europe, most revolutionaries who built nations still preferred monarchs, like those of Norway, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania. France was the main exception. But in the 20th cy., when monarchs abdicated or got deposed, that was the end of the monarchy in most cases: Portugal, Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Russia.
The only exception I know of is Spain. After Francisco Franco died, Juan Carlos I, grandson of the previous king, became king.
South of the Rio Grande River, in the Caribbean and Central and South America, monarchy is also gone.
Monarchy does continue in various Asian, Middle Eastern, and African nations. Japan is a European-style crowned republic, while the monarchs of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States are the traditional sort of absolute monarch. But even there, in Libya, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and China, monarchs have been deposed and have stayed deposed.
I will close with noting some recently-created hereditary or attempted hereditary monarchies.
The first literate societies, Sumer and Egypt, had been monarchies, making monarchy at least 5000 years old. Some monarchies have had a more-or-less continuous existence for centuries. The Pharaonic and Chinese ones had been in existence for over 2500 years.
Despite monarchy being common, some notable premodern and early modern societies had rejected monarchy, like some Classical-era Greek city states and the Roman Republic. Those places are where we get the words "democracy" and "republic" from. Over the centuries, various other societies have been republics, usually city-states or other small nations. The oldest surviving republic is likely Switzerland at about 700 years.
But over the last century or so, it seems that it has gone out of style in much of the world, even in very large nations. Many remaining monarchs are figureheads rather than active leaders, making their nations de facto republics. In fact, some people call such monarchies "crowned republics".
Aside from Switzerland, the first European-derived nation to successfully reject monarchy was created by certain rebellious North American colonies. During their rebellion, they formed a Continental Congress to coordinate their efforts, but they decided afterward that they needed a stronger central government, so they composed their Constitution. George Washington, military leader of that rebellion, became the United States's first President. He refused to crown himself king, and he refused any titles fancier than "Mister President". After two terms as President, he retired.
Some of the American revolutionaries recognized the rather radical nature of their political experiment, notably John Adams, who wrote Defence of the Constitutions, 1787.
But in Europe, most revolutionaries who built nations still preferred monarchs, like those of Norway, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania. France was the main exception. But in the 20th cy., when monarchs abdicated or got deposed, that was the end of the monarchy in most cases: Portugal, Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Russia.
The only exception I know of is Spain. After Francisco Franco died, Juan Carlos I, grandson of the previous king, became king.
South of the Rio Grande River, in the Caribbean and Central and South America, monarchy is also gone.
Monarchy does continue in various Asian, Middle Eastern, and African nations. Japan is a European-style crowned republic, while the monarchs of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States are the traditional sort of absolute monarch. But even there, in Libya, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and China, monarchs have been deposed and have stayed deposed.
I will close with noting some recently-created hereditary or attempted hereditary monarchies.
- North Korea is the world's only Communist monarchy. Kim Il Sung was succeeded by his son Jong Il, who has in turn chosen his third son, Jong Un, as his successor.
- Hafez Assad of Syria was succeeded by his son Bashar.
- Muammar Khadafy of Libya wanted to be succeeded by one of his sons, likely Saif al Islam. But after overthrowing Khadafy's rule, the National Transitional Council is not likely to allow that.
