Enlightened Despotism

What is Enlightened Despotism?

• is a form of absolutism (or despotism) in which rulers were influenced by the Enlightenment.

Enlightened Despotism (cont.)

• Enlightened monarchs embraced the principles of the Enlightenment, especially its emphasis upon rationality, and applied them to their territories

Enlightened Despotism (cont.)

• They tended to allow: o religious tolerationo freedom of speech and the presso the right to hold private property

• Most fostered the arts, sciences, and education

What Did the Philosophes Think?

• Many did not wish to go the political route of Montesquieu’s limited monarchy or Rousseau’s democracy

• Most were pro-monarchy (Voltaire, Diderot, etc.) and did not wish to limit a monarch’s power

Philosophe’s (cont.)

• Instead, they sought to redirect that power toward the rationalization of economic and political structures & the liberation of thought

Enlightened Despots

Frederick the Great King of Prussia

not the mall…

Frederick II of Prussia

• r. 1740-1786 • AKA Frederick the

Great• Self-described “first

servant of the people”

Economic Policies

• Silesia as a manufacturing district• State-initiated agricultural

improvements:o Created more farmland (drained

swamps)o Successfully introduced new crops:

potatoes & turnipso Established the Land-Mortgage Credit

Association which helped landowners raise money for agricultural improvements

However…

• Peasants still burdened by disproportionate taxes

Non-Economic Policies

• Religious Tolerationo Catholics & Jews allowed to settle in

predominately Lutheran territoryo Protected Catholics living in Silesiao State benefited from the economic

contributions of more workers

Non-Econ. Policies (cont.)

• Rationalization of Legal Systemo Efficiencyo Unified regional law to match state

law (more central authority)o Decreased nobility’s influence

Joseph IIKing of Austria

Joseph II of Austria

• r. 1780-1790• Co-ruled with

his mother, Maria-Theresa from 1765 until her death in 1780

Joseph II

• Not known for his warm personality - was said to be impersonal & humorless

• However, he wanted to improve life for his people

Centralization of Authority

• Austria was very diverse• Maria-Theresa began some

Enlightened policies such as:o More efficient tax system in which

clergy & nobility were taxedo Brought educational institutions to

the service of the crown

Maria-Theresa (cont.)

• Expanded primary education• Limited the amount of labor that

landowners could demand from peasants

• Goal = to create a pool from which to draw military recruits

Joseph II’s Reforms

• Wanted to extend his borders

• Wanted to exert his authority over areas where his mother had wisely chosen to stay out (irrational to have more than 1 leader)

Joe’s Reforms (cont.)

• Tried to establish German as the sole language of the empire (irrational not to all speak the same language)

• Didn’t work out, and eventually had to rescind these orders

Joseph & the Church

• Favored tolerationo October 1781 - Issued a Toleration Decreeo Lutherans, Calvinists, & Greek Orthodox

permitted to:oHave own places of worshipoSponsor schoolsoEnter skilled tradesoHold academic appointmentsoHold positions in public service

Joseph & Church (cont.)

o Jews:oRelieved of certain taxes & signs of

personal degradationoGranted the right to private worshipoStill did not have equality with other

subjects

More Joseph & Church

• Sought to bring institutions of the Roman Catholic Church under his control (“Josephinism”)oForbade local bishops to

communicate with the PopeoDissolved over 600 territories and

took their land (unless they were schools or hospitals)

Even More Joseph & the Church

o Dissolved established Roman Catholic Seminaries (too much focus on Pope, not enough on parishners) & replaced with 8 seminaries where parish duties were the focus

o Funded w/ money from confiscated monasteries

o Roman Catholic priests = employees of the state

Joseph’s Economic Reforms

• Abolished internal tariffs• Encouraged building of new roads• Improved river transportation• Personally inspected farms &

manufacturing districts

Economic Reforms (cont.)

• Created laws to limit authority of landowners over peasantso Abolished serfdom as a legally sanctioned

state of servitudeo Granted peasants many personal

freedoms such as the right to marry and engage in skilled work w/o landowner’s permission

o Goal = reduce traditional burdens on peasants

The BIG Economic Reform…

• Land Taxation (GASP!!)o All landowners were to pay taxes

regardless of social statuso Peasants no longer had to bear

burden of taxes alone• Died shortly after this decree and it

was never implemented (his brother Leopold was forced to repeal it…)

Catherine the GreatEmpress of Russia

Catherine The Great

• r. 1762-1796• Germanic Princess & wife/widow of

Peter III• Approved (& possibly aided in) the

assassination of her husbando Gregory Orlov, her lover, organized

the coup that murdered Peter III

Catherine the Great

• Ideas of the Enlightenment convinced her that Russia was backward

• Brought everything Western to Russiao Ex.: Diderot - paid him & offered to

publish his Encyclopedia in Russia when it was banned by the French Gov’t.

1767 Legislative Commission

• 500 Delegates from all walks of life• Goal was to suggest reforms

(guided by Enlightenment ideals)• Result = nothing, but Catherine

got a good feel for her country’s problems

CTG’s Legislative Reforms

• Gave strong support/power to nobilityo They had the power to oust her, so

she made friends with them• “Charter of Nobility”

o Gave nobles complete control over serfs

o Local offices given to local nobles (not royal offices, though)

CTG’s Economic Reforms

• Continued PTG’s mercantile ideas• Supported expansion of the small

Russian urban middle class (vital for trade)

• Kept a close tie to philosophes so they would write about her favorably

CTG’s Territorial Reforms

• Continued the drive for warm water ports (fought Ottoman Empire)

• 1774 Treaty of Kuchuck-Kainardji - gave Russia a direct outlet on the Black Sea

• Active in the First Partition of Poland (along w/ Austria & Prussia)

CTG’s Social Reforms

• Limited, but did create hospitals & orphanages

• Limited religious toleration• Slight restriction of the use of

torture by the government

Pugachev Rebellion

• 1771-1775• Most violent peasant uprising in

Russian history• 1773-1774 - peasants and

Cossacks killed 1500 nobles and clergy

• This rebellion limited the amount of reforms geared toward them

Who Was Most Enlightened?

• In your journal section, write 1 paragraph that answers:

Who best exemplifies an “Enlightened Despot” - Frederick the Great, Joseph II, or Catherine the Great? Why?