Enlightenment despots 17th Century

Mrs. Craig

Rise of the Romanovs

City states- Moscovy and Kiev Ivan III (the Great) Prince of

Moscovy- unites tribes surrounding Moscovy against tribute to the Khans

Marries last daughter of Orthodox Church patriarch

Succeeded by son Ivan IV

Rise of Romanovs

Ivan IV (the terrible) declares himself first Czar

Boyars= Russian nobility, always trying to gain power, can’t be trusted

Ivan believes son conspires with Boyars against him, tortures son to death

NO Heir– SO… Time of Troubles

Rise of Romanovs

Time of troubles- Boyars fight over who to be Czar—

Michael Romanov rises to power Starts 300 years of Romanov rule to

end with death of Nicholas II in 1918 after Russian Revolution

Rise of Romanovs

Peter the Great- westernize Russia– saw potential for Russia in European politics

Trip to Netherlands to learn ship building

Westernize Russian- cut beards, cut coat length to mimic short courts of Versailles

Rise of Romanovs

War with Finland Built St Petersburg- window to the

west- capital Mistrust of boyars- thought son had

conspired with boyars- tortured son to death

Succeeded by daughter- Elizabeth

Rise of Romanovs

Catherine the great- German princess marries Peter II –weak son of Elizabeth

Ambitious Orlov brothers– birth of son Paul Death of Peter II under suspicious

circumstances and Catherine remains as regent for 40 years

Rise of Romanovs

“Peter westernized Russia but Catherine made it great!!!”

Pugachev revolt More power to boyars-fuedalism Gained territory from Partition of

Poland and Ottoman wars over Black Sea

Gains warm ports for Russia(finally)

Rise of the Hohenzollerns

Hapsburgs vs Ottoman Empire Prussia will rise to absolutism! Elector of Brandenburg- 1618- little

ability to influence 30 years War Small principality on HRE

Rise of the Hohenzollerns

Frederick William 1640-1688 Great Elector Wanted to unify all Hohenzollern

lands Junkers- nobility and landowning

class Wanted standing army-- great taxes

levied-- army increase 10 fold.

Rise of the Hohenzollerns

Elector Frederick III 1688-1713 Focused on imitating Louis 14 Succeeded by Frederick William I

1713-1740 Absolute ruler but also reformer Infused military values throughout

Prussian society Loved his “blue boys”

Rise of the Hohenzollerns

Tall soldiers 6’ Brutal discipline Army and war chest create respect

from ohters Junkers become officer class Never went to war- never wanted to

put his “blue boys” in danger Succeeded by son Frederick II (the

great)

Enlightened despots-characteristics

Influenced by enlightenment philosophies Education reform Create bureaucracies Expand territory Judicial reform- reduce torture Anti-clerical- religious tolerance(?) Reduce serfdom AS LONG AS THESE REFORMS DID

NOT REDUCE THEIR OWN POWER!!!!

Catherine the Great (1726-1796)

Diderot and Voltaire invited to Russia- refused

To ensure the loyalty of boyars, did not interfere with feudalism

Felt Russia too big to rule other than an autocracy

Catherine’s enlightenment attempts

Codify laws- commission appointed- delegates from each class brought grievances

After 3 years- nothing accomplished Why?

Catherine’s enlightenment attempts

Education Reform- to organize public school

After 5 years- little impact Pugachev revolt scares Catherine

little attempts at reform afterward Reorganized Russia into 50

provinces(20 before) more power to boyars BUT more control to Catherine

Catherine’s enlightenment attempts

Charter of 1785- Boyars receive exemptions from military service, taxes and secures more power for boyars over their serfs and lands

Catherine is succeeded by Paul I- her son 1796-1801 and

Alexander I 1801-1825( this czar defeats Napoleon)

Frederick II (the great) 1740-1786 Prussia

Rebels against father Frederick William I

Influenced by enlightenment- wrote to Voltaire, condemned Machiavelli

Military cunning (ignored Pragmatic Sanction, Partition of Poland)

Junkers gain monopoly on military and civilian offices

Frederick’s enlightenment attempts

Improved Prussian agriculture- crop rotation, iron plow, but unsuccessful growing tobacco and coffee.

Stimulated growth of Prussian industry (mercantilism- not laissez- faire!)

Religious tolerance- invited expelled Jesuits, Muslims, Jews but discriminated against Jews (Fred was a deist!)

Frederick’s enlightenment attempts

Judicial reforms- “reduced” torture, set up system of appellate courts, bribes “pooled” and distributed to judges on merit.

Education reform– wanted peasants literate BUT only what they needed.

Austria- Maria Theresa 1740-1780

After the War of Austrian Succession, MT saw need for reform

Increase taxes-even on nobility Strengthened central government First steps to abolish feudalism Subjected RCC to heavy taxes,

confiscated church land, expelled Jesuits

Banned books of the Index+ Rousseau and Voltaire

Austria- Joseph II 1780-1790

Goals same as MT( mommy) but less cautious!!!

Bureaucracy and inflexibility his downfall- in 10 years wrote 10,000 laws and 6000 decrees

Merantilism- high tariffs and government supervision of economy

Joseph II – enlightenment attempts

Religion- fll tolerance- more control over RCC decreed “Josephism” he, not Pope, was head of Austrian church

Education- most successful reform, ¼ school age children attend school

New legal code- abolish capital punishment and MOST torture- equity under the law

Joseph II – enlightenment attempts

“Freed the Serfs”- abolish obligations to manorial lords also experimented with land tax- same rate for rich and poor.

Appointed commoners as well as nobility to serve in government

How successful was he???

Many revolted against Joseph’s reforms!!

Peasants---- resented meddling with RCC even though Joseph attempted to improve social and economic conditions

Nobility- against land tax- revoked after 1 month!

How successful was he???

TOO MUCH– TOO SOON– NO Caution!!!

Joseph worked himself to death– by governing too much and reigning too little

Succeeded by Leopold II younger brother (1790-1792) – he reversed all that Joseph had changed!!!

Partition of Poland

All three enlightened Despots partitioned Poland between them over 10 years. Catherine got the most territory- Austria and Prussia split the difference– without going to war– all three increased their territory!!