ABSOLUTISM AND THE STATE

Transcription

1 ABSOLUTISM AND THE STATE

2 ABSOLUTE MONARCHY What is absolutism? John Locke s Two Treatises on Civil Government (1690) Thomas Hobbes and the Leviathan (1651) Consequences of absolutism... Larger royal courts Larger militaries More censorship, control of info, political repression

3 ABSOLUTISM IN CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE Frederick William (ruled ) = King of Brandenburg-Prussia Influenced by Thirty Years War Problems for Brandenburg-Prussia: Small military, territorial threats Reforms = excise tax, professional military Tsar Peter I (ruled ) = Russian tsar Worked to westernize Russia

4 FRENCH ABSOLUTISM: ORIGINS France = THE absolutist state Role of Cardinal Richelieu raison d état Worked to undermine the nobility, the Huguenots, and local French leaders Louis XIII hated governing 1642 & 1643 = Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu die; stuff starts to fall apart... Louis XIV (ruled ) New Chief Minister = Cardinal Mazarin ( ) After Mazarin, two new important ministers: Jean-Baptiste Colbert ( ) = finance minister Marquis de Louvois ( ) = minister of war

5 FRENCH ABSOLUTISM: VERSAILLES Louis XIV = the Sun King Palace at Versailles Required nobles reside there; practice etiquette

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9 FRENCH ABSOLUTISM: VERSAILLES Louis XIV = the Sun King Palace at Versailles Required nobles reside there; practice etiquette France became Europe s greatest power Louis XIV s big mistakes: Revoked the Edict of Nantes Aggressive (and expensive!) foreign policy

10 RUSSIA S WESTERN REFORMATION: PETER THE GREAT Peter the Great (r ) wanted to westernize Russia Reforms: Efficient taxation Lifetime military service for nobles Table of Ranks Industrialization Still a sad life for most Russians Increased agricultural taxation 1782 = 6,700,000 serfs

11 ENLIGHTENED MONARCHY IN RUSSIA: CATHERINE THE GREAT = six tsars Benefited the nobility less expected from them Population growth Catherine the Great (ruled ) Killed her husband, Peter III Lowered the salt tax Francophile The Instruction (1767) = revised/modernized Russian laws Enlightened monarch University system 50 districts for efficient governance Influenced by Enlightenment thinkers

12 TWO GERMANIES: PRUSSIA Prussia & Austria 18 th century = Brandenburg-Prussia became a powerhouse Reforms under Frederick William Victory in War of Spanish Succession ( ) Victory in Great Northern War ( ) Frederick William I (ruled ) Continued military reforms Raised state revenue

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14 TWO GERMANIES: PRUSSIA Prussia & Austria 18 th century = Brandenburg-Prussia becomes a powerhouse Reforms under Frederick William Victory in War of Spanish Succession ( ) Victory in Great Northern War ( ) Frederick William I (ruled ) Continued military reforms Raised state revenue Frederick the Great (ruled ) Conquered Silesia increased territory by 25% Gained control of the Junkers Enlightened monarch Codified laws, encouraged science/technology, etc.

15 TWO GERMANIES: AUSTRIA Victory in War of Spanish Succession Gained territory Ruled by Habsburg family very Catholic! Hard to centralize power, multiethnic Empire Charles VI (ruled ) Pragmatic Sanction Maria Theresa (ruled ) Transition from Empire to nation-state Josef II (ruled ) Ended serfdom in Austria Growing tension with Hungary...

16 WAR OF AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION ( ) 1740 = Frederick the Great invaded Silesia France claims Bohemia, invades Netherlands Spain claims Italian territories Saxony invades Moravia Bavaria invades southern Austrian Empire Netherlands and Britain help Austria 1748 = Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle Austria lost Silesia to Prussia = permanent enemies France gained nothing Spain gained Italian territories

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18 WAR OF AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION ( ) 1740 = Frederick the Great invaded Silesia France claims Bohemia, invades Netherlands Spain claims Italian territories Saxony invades Moravia Bavaria invades southern Austrian Empire Netherlands and Britain help Austria 1748 = Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle Austria lost Silesia to Prussia = permanent enemies France gained nothing Spain gained Italian territories 1772 = Partition of Poland Polish Diet was kind of a joke 1772 = Russia, Prussia, Austria split Poland into three pieces

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