Enlightenment and Absolute monarchy

1. Enlightenment and Absolute monarchy Objective: Enlightenment ideas challenged practices related to religious authority, monarchy, and absolutism.

2. Absolute monarchy dominates the landscape • Until the 1700s, people in general had accepted the rule of absolute monarchs. • The exception was England, where, beginning in 1215 with the Magna Carta, the rights of the monarchy had been limited. • But even in England, society was divided into strict social classes.

3. Absolute monarchy dominates the landscape • Below the monarch was the aristocracy, which was the next level of wealth and power. • The majority of people were peasant farmers. • But an emerging middle class of merchants and manufacturers (business owners) soon began to challenge the established social and political systems.

4. Enlightened despots Despots=Absolute Ruler

5. Enlightened despots • Some European rulers became interested in the ideas of the Enlightenment. • They understood the usefulness of these ideas and accepted them, at least to a limited degree. • None of the so-called enlightened despots was willing to relinquish any of his or her power to the people. • Their style of governing became known as enlightened absolutism.

6. Enlightened Despots • Had no intention of giving up any power • Changes made were motivated by two desires • They wanted to make countries stronger • They wanted their own rule to be more effective

7. Serfs and Serfdom • Definition • 1.apersoninaconditionof servitude, required to render servicesto a lord,commonly attached to the lord's land and transferredwithitfromone owner to another. • 2. a slave. • Synonyms • 1.vassal,villein,peasant.

8. Civil service system • Civil Service System=non-elected permanent government employees collectively • 1. Those branches of public service that are not legislative, judicial, or military and in which employment is usually based on competitive examination. • 2. The service responsible for the public administration of the government of a country. • 3. Members of the civil service have no official political allegiance and are not generally affected by changes of governments.

9. Frederick the great

10. Frederick the great • Prussia • Late 1700s • Influenced by the works of Voltaire

11. Frederick the great • Undertook public works projects to put more land into cultivation and to introduce new crops • These reforms made the peasant farmers more prosperous and enriched Prussia.

12. Frederick the great • Introduced civil service system into the Prussian government • By reorganizing the government according to principles of efficiency and rationality, Frederick actually strengthened his own control over the government and the nation.

13. Frederick the great • Granted many religious freedoms, reduced censorship, and improved education • Reformed the justice system and abolished the use of torture. • Which Enlightened thinkers are represented?

14. Frederick the Great • Changes only went so far • For example, he believed serfdom was wrong • But he did nothing to end it since he needed the support of wealthy landowners (Nobles/Estates) • He never tried to change the existing social order • The main purpose of Frederick’s reforms was to make himself more powerful.

15. Joseph II • Most Radical

16. Joseph ii • Austria • Late 1700s. • Began wide-ranging program of social, economic, and religious reforms based on Enlightenment ideas.

17. Joseph ii • Ended serfdom (Most Radical Idea) • Attempted to diminish the power of the nobles and the Roman Catholic Church

18. Joseph ii • Seized and sold many buildings and much land belonging to the church and established a civil service to run a government. • Joseph wanted to break down the old feudal system of hereditary and clerical power and privilege.

19. Joseph II • Legal Reforms • Freedom of press • Supported freedom of worship

20. Joseph II • The nobles and church firmly resisted these changes. • Unfortunately, only a few of his reforms continued after his death. (Serfdom Re-Instated)

21. Catherine the great

22. Catherine the great • Russia • Late 1700s • Admired the ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers

23. Catherine the great • Formed a commission to review Russia’s laws • Proposal for reforms based on the ideas of Montesquieu and Beccaria. • Among the changes, she recommended allowing religious toleration and abolishing torture and capital punishment. • Her commission, however, accomplished none of these lofty goals

24. Catherine the great • She made some attempts at reforming Russia’s government. • For example, she granted nobles a charter of rights that strengthened their role in government.

25. Catherine the great • When she first came to the throne, she had hoped to free the serfs (peasants who were legally tied to an estate for life). • However, frightened by peasant uprisings early in her reign, Catherine ended by giving the owners of the estates even more power over their serfs.

26. Enlightened Despots • In the end, the ideals of the enlightenment proved to be incompatible with the realities of absolute rule.