Enlightened Despotism

1. Enlightened Despotism Consolidating Power Through War and Reform

2. IN THE WAKE OF ENLIGHTENMENT • Some ideas of French philosophes implemented • Global Markets and dire need for tax reform • Selected extension of education • Religious toleration • Widespread poverty

3. THE NEW WARFARE • Wars no longer fought over religion • Wars now fought for empires and markets. • Technology makes war: • more expensive • more technical • limited in scope • Militarism develops in Prussia

4. THE BALANCE OF POWER • During the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, the balance of power principle had been worked for. • this would prevent creation of a single nation in Europe • many believed France or Spain might attempt to create such a nation • Alliances formed /switched in order to prevent any one European power from becoming too powerful. • This led to multiple European powers (Aust, Pruss, GB,  Fr) forming and changing alliances multiple times to prevent the hegemony of one nation or alliance.  • A number of wars resulted in this search for balance including the American Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.

8. WAR OF THE AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION • Between 1740 and 1748, most of Europe fought over the right of Maria Theresa to rule the Habsburg territories. • A woman was ineligible to assume the Habsburg throne. • Allowed under the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 • Prussia and France were challenging Habsburg dominance in Europe. • The war included all of the following conflicts: •  King George's War in North America • War of Jenkins' Ear in the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific • First Carnatic War in India • First and Second Silesian Wars

9. ALLIANCES

10. TREATY OF AIX-LA CHAPELLE • Great Britain and France proposed terms of the treaty • Austria: • ceded Silesia to Prussia • gave up some of its Italian lands to Spain • France: • left the Netherlands in exchange for lost colonies. • surrendered Madras to Britain • Commercial disputes between Britain and France over territories in the Americas, Africa and Asia were not settled.

11. 1754-1763 - SEVEN YEARS WAR • AKA:  • French and Indian War (US) • War of the Conquest (French-speaking Canada • Seven Years War (English-speaking Canada) • Pomeranian War (Sweden and Prussia) • Third Carnatic War (India) • Third Silesian War (Prussia and Austria) • War caused by the antagonisms between: • Great Britain, France, and Spain over colonies and trade. • Prussia was competing with Austria for control of the HRE and its lands.  Impacted: Europe, North America, Central America, West African coast, India, and the Philippines

12. Map of the Alliances of the Seven Years War

13. RESULTS • EUROPE: • No changes • Status quo ante • FRANCE: • cedes New France (excl. Louisiana) to Great Britain • cedes Louisiana to Spain • recognizes British supremacy inBengal • SPAIN: • cedes Florida to Great Britain • GREAT BRITAIN: • returns Cuba and Philippine Islands to Spain

14. 18th Century: • Polish-Lithuanian • Commonwealth weak • Divided up among: • Russia • Prussia • Habsburg Austria

15. WARS CAUSE REFORM • Increased military power only achieved by: • modernizing armies • increasing naval power • Increasing economic strength • The need for increased funds led rulers to look for ways to improve the money making capabilities of their nations. • Rational analysis led many rulers to adopt reforms such as: • religious toleration • freedom of speech and the press • right to hold private property

16. AUSTRIANREFORMS • “A properly constituted state must be exactly analogous to a machine…the ruler must be the foreman, the mainspring… which sets everything in motion.” • “A single mass of people all subject to impartial guidance”

17. MARIA THERESA • Enacted financial reforms • Promoted commerce, and agriculture • Reorganized Austria‘s military • Medical reforms included mandatory inoculations • Education was mandatory from age 6 to 12 for all children • Refused to allow religious toleration

18. EXPANDED ON MARIA THERESA’S REFORMS. • Law • abolished brutal punishments • complete equality of treatment for all offenders was enforced • ended censorship of the press and theatre. • full legal freedom to serfs • Religion • Limited role and power of RCC in his empire • Promoted religioustolerance • Education • compulsory elementary education(all M/F) • scholarships for talented poor student • Allowed schools for Jews and other religions • language of instruction was in German JOSEPH II

19. PRUSSIANREFORMS • “I am the first servant of the state”

20. Frederick II (Frederick The Great) • An absolute ruler • led with the philosophy that he was the "first servant of the state." • Ruled by following his beliefs of what was most beneficial for Prussia • Built Prussia into a strong state through expansion and reform. Domestic reforms modernized Prussia: • granted freedom of the press • enforced general education rules across Prussia • established universal religious toleration  • Protestants for govt positions • Jesuits as educators • Hugenots craftsmen • Jewish merchants and bankers • enforced a more rapid legal process • abolishing torture • limiting the death penalty • judges were formally educated • established the first German law code • built thousands of miles of roads

21. RUSSIANREFORMS • “Philosophes write on paper, but I have to write on human skin, which is far more ticklish”.

22. Catherine the Great • Admired Enlightenment ideals • Based legal reform on Montesquieu’sSpirit of the Laws • Granted limited religious toleration • Permitted limited social critiques • Expanded educational opportunities but with limited funding • Encouraged scholarship and science • Ruled as an autocrat • Retained serfdom • Restricted Jews living areas • Increasingly conservative over time • Crushed rebellions that she saw as threatening her rule

23. FRENCHREFORMS • "Listen to the people, seek advice from your Council, but decide alone." 

24. Louis XV: Louis the Well Beloved • Abolished hereditary control of public office • Attempted to tax the Nobility • Centralization of power & uniformity of law • Emphasized military strength • Promoted religious toleration • Attempted to strengthen state in order to make just and equitable • Fought many wars – weakened treasury • Increased distrust absolute monarch by population

25. Changing Relationship Between Ruler and State Old Idea • Louis XIV “I am the state.” • The state and its citizens exist to serve the monarch. New Idea • Fredrick the Great: “the first servant of the state.” • The monarch exists to serve the state and citizens.