Rise of Eastern Absolutism

1648-1780

Rise of Prussia

• Treaty of Westphalia (1648) ended Thirty Years War and weakened role of HRE

• Hohenzollern family ruled Brandenburg since 1400s

• Hohenzollerns controlled disparate lands, with little sense of nation

• Unified lands through administrative efficiency, military might, and personality of leader

Frederick William, the Great Elector (ruled 1640-1688)

• Raised taxes on peasants and urban class to fund large, well disciplined army

• Co-opted nobles: demanded their loyalty, but allowed them to oppress serfs

• Used sons of landed nobles (“Junkers”) as army officers

• Junkers tended to be landed, classist, and deeply conservative

Frederick I (r. 1688-1713)

• Frederick I (later known as Frederick I in Prussia, ruled 1688-1713)

• Son of the Great Elector

• Provided army to HRE during war of Spanish Succession,

• Thereby titled “King in Prussia” in exchange

Frederick William (r 1713-1740)

• Increased bureaucratic efficiency, and increased loyalty to monarch, but not to his person

• Always wore an officer’s uniform: Prussian army grew to 4th largest in Europe

• Army to FW was a symbol of Prussian strength, but not a tool of aggression

Frederick II “The Great” (r 1740-1786)

• 1740: assumed power and almost immediately seized Silesia from Austria, starting the War of Austrian Succession, later allying with France

• Known as “enlightened” despot for his reforms and use of rational conclusions

• Guided Prussia through several wars, and preserved its integrity

Rise of Austria

• Recall that after 1648 Holy Roman Empire was made of over 300 principalities

• Austrian Hapsburgs controlled position of Emperor, but not absolute power

• Treaty of Utrecht (1713) granted Hapsburgs control of Netherlands, much of Italy

The Surrender of Breda, by Velasquez

Rise of Austria: Maria Theresa (r. 1740-1780)

• Hapsburgs consolidated control using new and hereditary lands

• Charles VI had no male heir: won support in family for “Pragmatic Sanction”

• Document declaring daughter Maria Theresa to be legal heir

• 1740: Maria Theresa became empress, and immediately defended reign in War of Austrian Succession, allying with England

• Breathed a spirit of courage and confidence in life, a sort of natural trust in the world

• Reign saw rise of South German Rococo art form: angels, joy, gilt

Rise of Russia

• Peter The Great (ruled 1682-1725) transformed Russia into major European power

• Nearly 7 feet tall, with impressive energy and desire to reform Russia

• Toured western Europe in supposed disguise to learn of western methods

• Childhood similar to Louis XIV’s Fronde experience

• Tamed the “boyar” nobles by creating official government ranks to correspond to privilege

Rise of Russia• Controlled the “streltsy” guards of

Moscow garrison by brutally repressing their rebellion

• Asserted control over Orthodox church through changes in text and ritual and abolished patriarch

• Created modern navy and army

• Attempted to gain a warm-water port, either in north or in Black Sea

• Defeated Sweden to take control of Baltic countries

• Built new capital, St Petersburg: almost a Versailles for Russia