16. B) Reducing the size of the French Military. Colbert reorganized many aspects of the French economic system, including creating a more equal balance of payment between the three estates, encouraging an influx of workers and traders for international trading companies, but he did not reduce the military. Instead, he expanded the navy as well as the merchant navy.
17. D) He persecuted them, until there was total revocation of toleration. The Huguenots were French protestants who obtained religious tolerance from the Edict of Nantes, but Louis XIV was in charge of the catholic church as well as a devout catholic. He persecuted them because he feared their large minority size would destabilize French catholic affairs.
18. E) All of the above. Louis XIV was an absolute monarch and one of the longest reigning monarchs in world history. He is notably referred to as the sun king because of his authoritative nature and watchful eye over every affair within France. When he built his grand palace of Versailles, he made mandatory for the nobility to make visits to the estate by hearing their affairs as well as host parties with elegant conversations in his French court to entertain them. He mainly hosted them as a way of keeping a close eye on them, so they would not conspire against him when they are in his presence.
19. C) He constructed the great palace of Versailles. This ties a bit into the previous question. He constructed Versailles to show his grand power and influence over the visiting nobility who would be struck by awe and watched periodically while he hosted them to ensure strict obedience. When Versailles was constructed, he destroyed any receipt of its bills so no one would know its true cost.
20. D) All of the above. The Spanish throne was left void when Charles II of Spain died without a proper heir. In short, this lead to a conflict upon who should take the Spanish throne. Louis XIV placed his grandson Philip V on the Spanish throne, however fighting would ensue to prevent the union of a French and Spanish throne that may disrupt the balance of powers within Europe. After intensive fighting, the treaty of Utrecht was signed in 1713, which granted the throne to the bourbon king Philip V, but he could not merge with the French throne as well. Austria acquired the Spanish-held low countries, and France lost several of its territory in North America.
21. D) Civil war and execution of the king. Charles I was unpopular because he levied taxes without consent of the parliament as well as marry a Roman Catholic spouse in Maria Anna who was a Spanish Hapsburg. He was deemed too catholic and tyrannical, and went to war with the English parliament in 1642, which resulted in his defeat and execution in 1649.
22. C) The establishment of a stable republic. Oliver Cromwell came to power in 1653 after the English Civil War as the leader of a new, short lived republic in England, Scotland, and Ireland. He is considered a radical puritan, and strongly oppressed Catholics in the British Isles. He also dismissed parliament on several occasions, he established a strong, traditional, and conservative attitude due to a fear of political collapse, as well as strongly militarize districts of England.
23. C) Restored the monarchy under Charles II, who was the son of Charles I of England. Charles II fled to continental Europe after his father died to escape similar fate. When Oliver Cromwell died in 1658, the return of the English parliament called for the return of English monarchy with Charles II. A return to monarchy was heavily favored by the English, who just went through political instability with Oliver Cromwell's republic and desired for a return to having a king.