Enlightenment despots 17 th Century

1. Enlightenment despots 17th Century Mrs. Craig

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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)

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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”

12. 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)

13. 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!!!!

14. 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

15. Catherine’s enlightenment attempts • Codify laws- commission appointed- delegates from each class brought grievances • After 3 years- nothing accomplished • Why?

16. 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

17. 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)

18. 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

19. 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!)

20. 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.

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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!

26. 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!!!

27. 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!!