Absolutism in Austria & Prussia

1. Absolutism in Austria & Prussia AP European History Ms. Tully

2. I. Warfare and Social Change

3. Serfdom in Central/Eastern Europe • 1050-1300 – Economic expansion in Europe • 14thC – Black Death = New economic problems • Lords exploited peasantry • Eradication of serfdom in W. Europe, Re-entrenchment in E. Europe • Restricted or eliminated freedom of movement for peasants • Lords took over more peasant land • Heavy labor obligations – work w/o pay • Local lords – control of local legal system

4. Consolidation of Serfdom • 1500-1650 – social, legal, and economic conditions of peasants declined in E. Europe • Poland 1574 – Lords could inflict death penalty on peasants • Prussia 1653 – Hereditary subjugation • Russia 1603 – Eliminated freedom of movement • Growth of estate agriculture • Pop. growth of 16thC – increased demand for commodities • Lords seized peasant lands – increase profits • Poor East helped feed wealthier West.

5. Lords had more power in E. Europe • Warfare created more power for local lords • Weak kings had to compromise with nobility • Weakened urban/merchant class in towns – sold directly to foreigners • Eastern monarchs did not oppose growth of serfdom

6. II. Rise of Austria and Prussia • Atmosphere of wartime emergency allowed monarchs to increase power of central state • Gained political power in three areas • Imposed permanent taxes w/o consent • Maintained permanent standing armies • Conducted relations with other states for their benefit

7. The Austrian Habsburgs • Habsburg territory full of different languages, ethnicities, religions • Some in HRE, some not • Lots of little political jurisdictions • Abandon imperial dominance, focus on consolidation of current territory • Crushed Protestant Bohemian nobility – Ferdinand II • Sold their land to new Catholic nobility (new loyalty) • Accomplished direct control over Bohemia • Centralized gov’t in German-speaking provinces • Created permanent standing army

8. Austrian Rule in Hungary • After Battle of Mohacs (1526), Hungary divided between Ottomans and Habsburgs • Warfare between the Habsburgs and Ottomans devastated Hungary • 1683 – Habsburgs succeeded in gaining control of most of Hungary and Transylvania • 1718 – Complete recovery of Hungary • Hungarian nobility resisted the full development of Habsburg absolutism • Protestants • Ottomans were nicer • Sense of nationalism

9. Habsburgs advanced the cause of state building in Hungary by forging a consensus with the church and nobility • Allowed nobility to keep aristocratic privileges • Creation of standing army under Emperor Leopold • Funded by provincial estates • German language and Catholicism helped form collective identity • Vienna became political and cultural center of empire • Pragmatic Sanction, 1713 • Habsburg lands should never be divided • Women could inherit throne • Maria Theresa crowned in 1740

10. Prussia in the 17thCentury • The Hohenzollern family ruled the electorate of Brandenburg and Prussia • The Thirty Years’ War weakened representative assemblies and allowed the Hohenzollerns to consolidate their rule • Frederick William, the Great Elector (r. 1640-1688) • Used military power to consolidate Prussia, Brandenburg, and Rhine territories into one state • Struggle between Frederick and provincial estates

11. Instated permanent tax w/o permission of estates to strengthen military • Warfare atmosphere created sense of urgency • Created large, centralized bureaucracy • Like Louis XIV, the Great Elector built his absolutist state on collaboration with traditional elites, reaffirming their privileges in return for loyal service and revenue

12. The Consolidation of Prussian Absolutism • Frederick William I knows as “the Soldier’s King” (r.1713-1740) • Created best army in Europe • Transformed Prussia into model military state • Believed that welfare of king and state depended on army • Ironically, Prussia at peace for most of his reign • Created rigid civil society, obedience – “Sparta of the North”