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Explore the roles of Maria Theresa in Austria and Frederick the Great in Prussia, challenging gender norms and reshaping history in Central Europe. Discover how these rulers navigated through power struggles and military conflicts to assert their influence.
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Absolute Monarchs in Austria & Prussia Support or criticize this statement: “There are just some jobs that a woman can’t do; leading a country is one of them.”
Absolute Monarchs Austria & Prussia
The Hapsburgs of Austria remained the most powerful kings in central Europe Austria
Charles VI worked out a Pragmatic Sanction with other German kings that changed Austrian law to allow Maria Theresa to rule & keep Austrian lands under one Hapsburg ruler Austria • Austria was very diverse & difficult to rule; the only thing that held it together was that a Hapsburg king controlled it all • But Austrian king Charles VI had a daughter Maria Theresa; no woman had ever ruled Austria
Austria • Maria Teresa proved to be a good queen for Austria: • She reduced the role of noble lords & strengthened the power of the monarch • She limited the amount of work that nobles could force their peasants to do • BUT…her power was challenged by kings in Prussia
Prussia was a territory of scattered lands in the NW region of the Europe ruled by the Hohenzollern Dynasty Prussia The Lutheran Hohenzollerns were a rival family of the Catholic Hapsburgs
Prussia • To ensure that Prussia became a respected nation, King Fredrick William built a strong military. • He “rented” his army to assist in European wars as a way of gaining $$$ & power.
Prussia • Fredrick William I—Doubled the size of the Prussian army & made it the strongest military in Europe; as king, he cared little for anything other than his army.
Prussia • When Maria Theresa took over Austria, Prussia’s new king Fredrick (II) the Great attacked Austria to gain land • Prussia won this War of AustrianSuccession
Austria vs. Prussia • Maria Theresa wanted Silesia back & started another war in 1756 called the Seven Years War; European nations formed alliances: Austria, Russia, France …vs…Prussia & England • British & French colonists fought each other in America(French&IndianWar) • Austria lost; Prussia kept Silesia & England gained Canada from France