Absolute Monarchies and Enlightened Despots in Europe 1550-1800

1. Absolute Monarchies and Enlightened Despots in Europe1550-1800 • France: Absolute Monarchs-Louis XIII & Louis XIV • Spain: Absolute Monarchs-Philip II • England: Absolute Monarchs and Development of a Constitutional Monarchy-Tudors & Stuarts • Austria: Enlightened Despots---Maria Theresa & Joseph II • Prussia: Enlightened Despot- Frederick the Great • Russia: Absolute Monarchs- Ivan the Terrible & Peter the Great • Russia: Enlightened Despot-Catherine the Great

2. The enlightened despots came out of the old absolute monarchs The idea of the state was changing. They were dictators of a kind who tried to bring into their countries some of the ideas of the Enlightenment.

3. “Enlightened Monarchs” • Most of Europe ruled by absolute monarchs • Receptive to Enlightenment ideas • Instituted new laws and practices Enlightened Monarchs • Frederick II, Prussia • Catherine the Great, Russia • Maria Theresa, Austria • Joseph II, Holy Roman Empire • Gustav III, Sweden • Napoleon I, France

4. …Or is there a contradiction here? • Enlightened Despots • 18th-century monarchs • NOT democratic • BUT used absolute power to reform their countries. • Areas of reform: • Law • Social and economic conditions • Education • Notice! No English monarchs here!

5. Enlightened Despots: They do not believe in divine right. They believe they are the first servant of the state and use their power to serve the people. They are influenced by the writers of the Enlightenment. Usually they leave their country in a stronger position. They have complete control over all aspects of life: political, social, cultural, and economic.

6. Enlightened Despotism • Idea found in Central and Eastern Europe whereby monarchs and emperors made changes to their societies in which modernized the states while the people earned some political and social rights • Monarchs still maintained absolute control, but instead of justifying their rule by divine right (God), they instead saw themselves at the head of the people • Most of the ideas were really designed to PREVENT revolution (governments must serve the needs of men) • Many of the reforms were eventually rescinded after the people tried to get even more rights (revolutions were often brutally repressed

7. Enlightened Despots • European monarchs who were eager to bring political and social change to their countries • Rulers who wanted to govern by Enlightenment principles while maintaining royal powers • Frederick II of Prussia, Catherine II of Russia, & Maria Theresa of Austria

8. How did Absolute Monarchs get Enlightened? • Many of them read the works of the philosophers of the “Age of Reason” or were advised by councilors who had. • Who were the philsophers? • Locke • Hobbes • Montesquieu • Voltaire • Rousseau • The Physiocrats Montesquieu Voltaire

9. Getting Enlightened • Many monarchs realized that to improve their states, they needed to reform. • Several key absolute rulers invited many of the living philosophers to advise them.

10. Voltaire—Responsible for the Trend? • Voltaire pushed the idea that a ruler can justify her/his power by improving society. • Voltaire is the philosopher who said: “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it.”

11. Voltaire • Voltaire • spent a lot of time at the court of Frederick the Great of Prussia (Voltaire was the first to call him “the Great”) • corresponded with Catherine the Great of Russia.

13. Enlightened Despots • Catherine II of Russia • Russian ruler; exchanged letters with Voltaire; spoke out against serfdom • Maria Theresa • Catholic ruler of Austria; introduced humanitarian reforms; set up elementary schools • Frederick II • Prussian ruler; believed as king he was “servant of the state”; abolished torture except for treason & murder; established schools

14. Enlightened Despots • Russian ruler; exchanged letters with Voltaire; spoke out against serfdom • Catherine II of Russia • Catholic ruler of Austria; introduced humanitarian reforms; set up elementary schools • Maria Theresa • Prussian ruler; believed as king he was “servant of the state”; abolished torture except for treason & murder; established schools • Frederick II

15. But it is in Austria, Prussia and Russia where the enlightened monarchs ruled to the benefit of their people.

16. Prussia Reforms Limitations • Frederick II, had duty to rule with absolute power • Also strongly influenced by ideas of Voltaire • Built powerful military, introduced reforms • Elementary education for all children • Abolished torture • Supported most forms of religious tolerance • Reduced censorship • No religious tolerance for Jews • Opposed serfdom, did not abolish • Did not make reforms to achieve justice but to make own rule more powerful Enlightenment Ideas Spread The spirit of optimism quickly spread throughout Europe. A few monarchs became enlightened despots, changing their systems of government and ruling according to Enlightenment ideas.

17. Who were these monarchs? • Frederick of Prussia (1712-1786) • Reign 1740-1786 • (Frederick William Hohenzollern II) • Wrote poetry and essays, played music, even wrote some philosophy. • Strategic thinker

18. Frederick the Great (ruled 1740–1786) • Prussian ruler • Had a strong interest in Enlightenment works • Induced Voltaire to come to Prussia • Frederick II, king of Prussia, • reformed education and justice • system; • granted religious freedom and religious differences; • abolishes torture, • but fails to end serfdom •  Exerted tight control over • subjects, but saw himself as a • “servant of the state.” •  Distributed seeds and tools to • peasants.

19. Frederick the Great (continued) • Wanted to make Prussia a modern state • Reforms Painting titled “Frederick the Great and Voltaire.”

20. Frederick the Great • Reforms • Abolished torture (except for treason & murder) • Established elementary schools • Promoted industry and agriculture • After “Seven Years War,” helped peasants rebuild. • Established some religious freedom

21. Fredrick the Great of Prussia Emperor of Prussia in the Northern Germanic Lands Modernized the military and opened officer positions to middle and lower classes Modernized the Prussian government and opened positions to people of merit instead of cronies

22. Frederick the Great (1740-1786) of Prussia was determined to make Prussia the dominate power. • Created a strong aggressive military. “ Most nations have an army, Prussia is an army with a nation”. • Promoted religious toleration and education at home. • Successfully made Prussia dominate power by defeating Austrians. • ( Seven Years War) www.ncl.ac.uk/~nhistory/ german.htm

23. Enlightened Despots • Frederick II of Prussia (r. 1740-1786) • Rebelled against father • Later developed finest army • Built Sans Souci (Potsdam) • Invited Voltaire to the court

24. Hohenzollerns in Prussia • “Frederick the Great” (Frederick II: 1740-1786) of Prussia • At war for first half of his reign • Became a reformer during 2nd half of his reign – ruler was the “first servant of the state” • Religious freedom, education in schools and universities, codified laws, promoted industry and agriculture, encouraged immigration • Social structure remained heavily stratified: serfdom; extended privileges for the nobility, Junkers became heart of military; difficult upward mobility for middle class leadership

25. Prussia Reforms Limitations • Frederick II, had duty to rule with absolute power • Also strongly influenced by ideas of Voltaire • Built powerful military, introduced reforms • Elementary education for all children • Abolished torture • Supported most forms of religious tolerance • Reduced censorship • No religious tolerance for Jews • Opposed serfdom, did not abolish • Did not make reforms to achieve justice but to make own rule more powerful Enlightenment Ideas Spread The spirit of optimism quickly spread throughout Europe. A few monarchs became enlightened despots, changing their systems of government and ruling according to Enlightenment ideas.

26. Enlightened Despots • Catherine the Great of Russia (r. 1762-1796) • German born wife of Czar Peter III • Controlled government after Peter III’s accidental(?) death • Increased European culture in Russia • Peasant Reforms • Territorial Expansion • Corresponded with Diderot

27. Catherine the Great • Russia • Catherine II became ruler, 1762 • Dreamed of establishing order, justice, supporting education, culture • Read works of, corresponded with Voltaire, Diderot • Reforms • Drafted Russian constitution, code of laws • Considered too liberal, never put into practice • Limitations • Intended to free serfs, but would lose support of wealthy landowners • Catherine had no intention of giving up power • Became tyrant, imposed serfdom on more Russians than ever before

28. Catherine the Great of Russia • Modernized the Russian army and government • Studied in France during the Enlightenment • Tried to link Russia to the West through trade and diplomatic relations • Increased Russia’s territory, especially against the Ottomans (Turks) – sought to link Russia to its Slavic neighbors to the south

29. Catherine the Great • Reform • Reorganized local government and established a civil service. • Decreased use of torture • Codified laws. • Toured the countryside incognito. • Potemkin village comes from this tour. Potemkin

30. Enlightened Despots • Gustav III of Sweden (r. 1771-1792) • Forced Parliament to accept new constitution • Stimulated literature • Charles III of Spain (r. 1759-1788) • Bourbon family • Improved life for Spanish • Suppressed Jesuits

31. Maria Theresa and Joseph II of the Hapsburg Empire (Austria)Note – mother and brother to Marie Antoinette (Queen of France) • Serfdom abolished in the Hapsburg Lands • Granted freedom of religion (very radical idea, especially in a Catholic empire) • Established a national education system • Developed equality before the law, even for the nobility • Many of the reforms were rolled back after revolutions broke out among the minority populations of the Hapsburg Empire

32. Maria Theresa and Joseph II of Austria(r. 1740-1780) • 16 children • Built Schönbrunn • Economic reforms • Limited power of the Pope • Reduced power of the lords • Joseph abolished serfdom • Poland divided

33. Maria Theresa • Reforms • Protected the rights of serfs: codes established regulating relationship with lords • Freed all peasants on crown lands • Started a paid bureaucracy (civil servants) • Set up elementary schools funded by local and state funds. • Created a tariff union of all parts of the HRE • Kicked the Jesuits out of the country

34. The Austrian Hapsburgs • Maria Theresa (r. 1740-1780): Wars of 1740s led to internal consolidation • Reduced serfdom (more than any other e. European ruler except her son Joseph II)

35. Josef II (1741-1790) • Reign with Mom (1765-1780); all by himself (1780-1790) • Huge fan of Enlightenment philosophers. • When MT died, he pushed for even greater reforms. “Too many notes”

36. Enlightenment Ideas Spread Most radical enlightened despot, Austria • Joseph II, became emperor 1780 • Ambitious reform program • Eliminated torture, death penalty • Provided free food, medicine for poor • Granted religious tolerance to Protestants and Jews • Abolished serfdom, laborers to be paid • Changes resisted by nobility, church

37. The Austrian Hapsburgs • Joseph II (1765-1790) – greatest of the Enlightened despots (“greatest good for greatest number”) • Abolished serfdom in 1781, freedom of press, freedom of religion & civic rights, more equitable justice system, made German official language (to assimilate minorities), increased control over Catholic education, expanded state schools, left empire in economic and political turmoil: Leopold I rescind many laws (e.g., serfdom)

38. In a nutshell… • Enlightened Despots were not democrats, but top-down reformers. • They liked Enlightenment philosophy—especially Voltaire’s brand. • Reforms in general: • Codification of laws • Limit church power • Construct hospitals and elementary schools • Develop centralized bureaucracy • Modify serfdom

39. Advantages to Enlightened Despots:He/she can make changes that are good for the country (people) • Maria Theresa limited the amount of work required of peasants. • Frederick the Great = religious toleration and legal reforms

40. Limitations of Enlightened Despotism • Foreshadowed an age of revolution… How? • Enlightened Despotism is the culmination of the historic institution of monarchy; a centralizing but progressive institution that set itself against the feudal and ecclesiastical powers; after the French Revolution became nostalgic, backward-looking, supported by the church and aristocrats – wasn’t new enough, feudal yet not feudal =/ 8 18th Century

41. Josef II • Reforms • Serfdom completely abolished. • Taxes were made equal for both serfs and nobles • Freedom of the press • Took property from the church to fund hospitals. • Relaxed laws binding Jews to villages. • His brother Leopold, however, was a huge reactionary, and rolled back a lot of the reforms. Leopold--Reactionary

42. Limitations of Enlightened Despotism • Foreshadowed an age of revolution… How? • Enlightened Despotism is the culmination of the historic institution of monarchy; a centralizing but progressive institution that set itself against the feudal and ecclesiastical powers; • after the French Revolution became nostalgic, backward-looking, supported by the church and aristocrats – wasn’t new enough, feudal yet not feudal =/ 8 18th Century

43. All the enlightened despots ruled from top down.

44. They could only do so much without the peoples’ participation.

45. They are seen as brilliant, but flawed, monarchs.

46. On continental Europe, they were the last great rulers.

47. After their reigns, and the revolution, the ideas of Kings and Queens were seen as backward. The time for more enlightened ideas—maybe even revolution had come….

49. Alternatives to Absolutism • Sweden • Nobles use the absence of the king during warfare to reaffirm their power. • United Provinces • Merchants and landowners in the Estates General held the House of Orange in check. • Poland • King was elected by nobles, who continued to hold the power.

50. What happened in England? The development of limited monarchy (Constitutional Monarchy)