The Enlightened Absolutists

Prussia Frederick The Great

(Frederick II) (r. 1740-1786)

18th Century Military

Professional, standing armies are now the norm.

Armies are bigger than in the early modern period. Large battles may include 100,000 soldiers total.

Training and paying these armies full time required lots of money and resources which requires central control.

Fortunately, having a large standing army allowed the state to enforce more control. How convenient.

Armies moved very slowly and carefully due to logistical concerns. Battles were rarely decisive.

Austria/HRE – Charles VI(r. 1711-1740)

Charles VI Has A Daughter Problem

Marie Theresa of Austria (r. 1740-1780)

War Of Austrian Succession (1740-1748)

The Seven Years’ War

Prussia Great Britain Hanover Brunswick-Wolfenbü

ttel Iroquois Confederac

y Portugal (from 1761) Hesse-Kassel Schaumburg-Lippe

France Austria Russia (until 1762) Spanish Empire

(from 1761) Sweden (1757-62) Saxony  Mughal Empire

(from 1757)

The Seven Years’ War (1756-1763)

Frederick Is Saved By A Miracle!

Post-War Frederick & Prussia

Russia & Catherine The Great

(r. 1762-1796)

Catherine Come To Power

Catherine The Enlightened

Catherine The Less Enlightened

Austria Marie Theresa of Austria (r.

1740-1780)

"She has, as you well know, a terrible hatred for France, with which nation it is most difficult for her to keep on good terms, but she controls this passion except when she thinks to her advantage to display it. She detests Your Majesty, but acknowledges your ability. She cannot forget the loss of Silesia, nor her grief over the soldiers she lost in wars with you." Prussian ambassador's letter to Frederick the Great.

Marie Theresa’s Reforms

"She is most unusually ambitious and hopes to make the House of Austria more renowned than it has ever been." – Prussian ambassador's letter to Frederick II of Prussia.

"That woman's achievements are those of a great man." – The writings of Frederick II of Prussia.

Joseph II (r. ~1780-1790)

He tries to implement the enlightened absolute ideal, but fails.

The Bottom Line(?)