ABSOLUTISM IN PRUSSIA AND

EASTERN EUROPE

Key Questions How was Eastern Europe socially and

economically different from Western Europe? In what ways were Eastern European monarchs

more dependent on the nobility? How did absolutism in Eastern Europe differ

from absolutism in France?

EASTERN EUROPE AUSTRIA

(INCLUDED HUNGARY) BOHEMIA

(CZECH REGIONS) PRUSSIA

(NORTHERN SECTION OF GERMANY) POLAND (KINGDOM) THE BALKAN REGION

(BALKAN PENNINSULA

PRESENT DAY CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

BACKGROUND1400-1640

POLITICAL ISSUES EASTERN EUROPEAN MONARCHS TENDED

TO BE POLITICALLY WEAKER THAN MONARCHS IN WESTERN EUROPE

THE NOBILITY HAD COMPLETE ECONOMIC AND LEGAL CONTROL OVER THE PEASANTS AND SERFS WHO LIVED AND WORKED ON THEIR LANDS-ESTATES

EASTERN EUROPEAN MONARCHS SUPPORTED THIS ARRANGEMENT WITH THEIR NOBILITY IN RETURN FOR THEIR POLITICAL AND MILITARY SUPPORT

EASTERN EUROPEAN PEASANTS

ECONOMIC GAINS MADE DURING THE MIDDLE AGES WERE LARGELY LOST

MANY PEASANTS LOST THEIR LAND ULTIMATELY MANY LOST THE RIGHT

TO MOVE ABOUT FREELY SERFDOM RETURNED

SERFDOM

SERFDOM RETURNED TO MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

THERE WERE NO ORGANIZED PEASANT REVOLTS AGAINST AN OPPRESSIVE NOBILITY UNLIKE THE PEASANT’S REVOLT IN THE HRE

(GERMANY) MANY FOUND THEMSELVES AT THE MERCY OF A

HARSH AND BRUTAL SYSTEM

PRESSURES IN EASTERN . EUROPE

THERE WAS A DECLINE IN THE POPULATION IN SOME AREAS

PERIODS OF PLAGUE AND DISEASE POOR HARVESTS AND FAMINE DEVASTATING WARS AND CONFLICTS

THIRTY YEARS’ WAR DECIMATED THE POPULATION AND ECONOMY IN MUCH OF GERMANY

THESE FACTORS WORKED TOGETHER TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE RETURN OF SERFDOM IN MUCH OF EASTERN EUROPE

EASTERN EUROPE- 16TH AND 17TH CENTURY DECLINE IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT

FEWER CITIES VERY SMALL URBAN MIDDLE CLASS LIMITED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

LITTLE CAPITAL (money) FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

LESS TRADE

THE MONARCH’S RULE WAS MORE DEPENDANT ON THE SUPPORT OF THE NOBILITY

POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, MILITARY

ARISTOCRATIC LANDOWNERS INCREASED THE SIZE OF THEIR ESTATES – LAND AND WEALTH

THEY ABUSED CHEAP PEASANT (SERFS) LABOR TO INCREASE THEIR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION (PROFITS)

WESTERN EUROPE’S PRECEPTIONS OF THE

EAST

BACKWARD“BARBARIC”

LESS “CIVILIZED”

THE RISE OF AUSTRIA 17TH CENTURY (1600’s) THE GERMAN HABSBURG MONARCHS

STRUGGLED TO KEEP THEIR EMPIRE TOGETHER (HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE)

THE HABSBURG KINGDOM WAS DIVERSE ETHNICALLY, RELIGIOSLY, AND CULTURALLY GERMAN HUNGARIAN BOHEMIAN (CZECH)

The Thirty Years’ War Began as a rebellion in Bohemia – 1618

Protestants and Catholics The war was a major turning point in

European history Last of the religious wars of the period The war would essentially dismantle the

Holy Roman Empire

How did the Thirty Years’ War begin? A Habsburg (Ferdinand) was elected king of

Bohemia (Czech region) in 1617 Many Protestants protested The Defenestration of Prague – 1618

the starting point of the war Protestants tossed two of the king’s officials out the castle

window in Prague

War developed It became a struggle for political control of the region

Prague Castle

Defenestration of Prague window

FOUR MAJOR PHASES OF THE WAR

Bohemian Phase- 1618 1625 Civil war in Bohemia Catholics v. Protestants Bohemia became completely Catholic

Danish Phase – 1625-1629 Height of Habsburg power Attempt to unify Europe Growing concerns over the balance

of power in Europe

Scottish soldiers in Thirty Years’ War

New weapons

Swedish Phase 1630-1635 Protestant Sweden entered the war Cardinal Richelieu (Catholic France) supported the

Swedes France saw a chance to weaken Habsburg power in

Europe Swedish victories ended any hope of a united

Habsburg empire

King of Sweden- Gustavus Adolphus – Protestant

French Phase (International Phase) – 1635-1643 France entered the war in support of Protestant

forces Cardinal Richelieu declared war on Habsburg Spain Military and financial assistance was sent to Swedish forces Protestant forces looted and destroyed German

agriculture and commerce

Cardinal Richelieu of France

Impact of the war 40 % of the German population perished in the

war The German economy was left in ruins Severe labor shortages Severe inflation Large tracts of land were bought up by powerful

nobles Peasants lost their lands- serfdom returned

Peace of Westphalia - 1648 Each German prince was given complete political

sovereignty and authority in his principality Holy Roman Empire was decentralized and essentially dismantled

Power and prestige of France grew Religious divisions were solidified in Germany

The papacy was denied any right to participate in Germany’s religious affairs

Northern Germany- Protestant Southern Germany – Catholic

KING FERDINAND III (Habsburg) WORKED TO

ESTABLISH ABSOLUTISM IN HIS

GERMAN TERRITORIES

AUSTRIA, TYROL, STYRIA

AUSTRIAN EMPIRE

AUSTRIA’S PROBLEMS WITH THE OTTOMAN TURKS OTTOMAN TURKS

POWERFUL MULSIM EMPIRE CENTERED IN ASIA MINOR

(PRESENT DAY TURKEY) FIERCE WARRIORS CONTROLLED THE BALKAN

PENINSULA

THE OTTOMANS WERE LED BY SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICANT (1520-1566)

HE CREATED A LARGE EMPIRE PERSIA (IRAN) NORTH AFRICA PARTS OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL

EUROPE - THE BALKAN REGION

OTTOMAN THREAT TO THE AUSTRIAN EMPIRE THE OTTOMANS MOVED INTO THE

REGIONS OF THE BALKANS, HUNGARY, AND SOUTHERN RUSSIA

THEY WERE SUPPORTED BY PROTESTANT NOBLES IN HUNGARY WHO OPPOSED HABSBURG RULE

FRANCE ALLIED WITH THE OTTOMAN TURKS AGAINST THE AUSTRIAN HABSBURGS

THE OTTOMANS ATTACKED VIENNA IN 1683- CAME RIGTH UP TO THE GATES OF THE CITY

AUSTRIA WITHSTOOD THE ATTACK WITH THE HELP OF POLAND (WINGED CAVALRY)

PRAGMATIC SANCTION - 1713 PROCLAIMED BY THE AUSTRIAN

HABSBURG MONARCH, CHARLES VI

ESTABLISHED THAT THE HABSBURG LANDS COULD NEVER BE DIVIDED

HABSBURG LANDS HAD TO GO TO A SINGLE HEIR SINGLE SOVEREIGN OVER ALL HABSBURG

LANDS

Hungarians THE HUNGARIANS RESISTED

HABSBURG RULE MANY HUNGARIANS WERE

PROTESTANTS HABSBURG FORCES PUT DOWN

HUNGARIAN OPPOSITION BUT ALLOWED SOME CULTURAL AND

POLTICAL COMPROMISE

CHARACTERISTICS OF AUSTRIAN ABSOLUTISM

THE NOBILITY RETAINED MORE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC INFLUENCE AND CONTROL IN AUSTRIA

A TRUE ABSOLUTE AUSTRIAN STATE WAS NOT FULLY REALIZED TOO RELIGIOUSLY DIVERSE POWERFUL NOBILITY SERFDOM REMAINED IN PLACE ETHNIC DIVISIONS AND TENSIONS

AUSTRIA MAINTAINED A LARGE STANDING ARMIES LOYAL TO THE MONARCHY (HABSBURGS)

THE BAROQUE STYLE WAS USED TO ENHANCE THE MONARCHY’S SENSE OF POWER AND GRANDEUR

RISE OF PRUSSIA

RISE OF PRUSSIA PEACE OF WESTPHALIA ( THIRTY YEARS’

WAR) CREATED A POLITICALLY FRAGMENTED GERMAN REGION

EACH GERMAN PRINCE RULED HIS PRINCIPALITY INDENPENDENTLY POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS AUTONOMY

THE LACK OF A CENTRALIZED LEADERSHIP LED TO THE RISE OF A POWERFUL FAMILY OF RULERS

HOHENZOLLERN FAMILY FROM THE REGION OF BRANDENBURG GAINED CONTROL OF SEVERAL

HOLDINGS IN GERMANY AND THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

THE TERRITORIES WERE GEOGRAPHICALLY SEPARATE

FREDERICK WILLIAM, THE GREAT ELECTOR (r. 1640-1688) BROUGHT TOGETHER THE DISPERSED

TERRITORIES INTO A SINGLE STATE (PRUSSIA)

ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AND HIS HEIRS AS THE CENTRAL LEADERHIP

A PRUSSIAN STATE FREDERICK BROKE THE POWER OF THE

GERMAN NOBILITY (JUNKERS) BUT FREDERICK ALLOWED THE NOBLES

COMPLETE CONTROL OVER THEIR SERFS HE ESTABLISHED A ROYAL BUREAUCRACY

MANNED BY MINOR NOBILITY AND MIDDLE CLASS OFFICIALS

HE BUILT A LARGE STANDING ARMY LED BY GERMAN NOBLES (OFFICERS)

GERMAN NOBILITY (JUNKERS)

FREDERICK III r. 1688-1713 FOCUSED MORE ON CULTURAL

DEVELOPMENTS BUILT GRAND BAROQUE PALACES WAS A PATRON OF THE ARTS SUPPORTED THE HABSBURGS IN THE WAR

OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION REWARDED WITH THE TITLE OF KING OF

PRUSSIA ESTABLISHED A LINE OF SUCCESSION

FREDERICK WILLIAM I (THE SOLDIER KING) r.1713-1740 MOVED PRUSSIA TOWARD ABSOLUTISM HE CREATED A POWERFUL PRUSSIAN

MILITARY- CALLED THE “SPARTA OF THE NORTH”

FREDERICK DEMANDED TOTAL LOYALITY AND SERVICE

HE INCREASED THE SIZE OF THE GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACY

PRUSSIA “SPARTA OF THE NORTH” “I MUST BE SERVED WITH LIFE AND

LIMB, WITH HOUSE AND WEALTH, WITH HONOR AND CONSCIENCE, EVERYTHING ELSE MUST BE OMITTED EXCEPT ETERNAL SALVATION- THAT BELONGS TO GOD, ALL ELSE IS MINE.”

FREDERICK WILLIAM I

CHARACTERISITCS OF PRUSSIAN ABSOLUTISM

CENTRALIZED CONTROL – POWER REVOLVED AROUND THE MONARCHY

ALLOWED THE HARSH TREATMENT OF PEASANTS AND SERFS MAINTAINED A LARGE AND EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT

BUREAUCRACY CREATED AND MAINTAINED THE MOST DISCIPLINED AND

POWERFUL ARMY IN EUROPE ALLOWED POWER AND PRIVILAGE FOR NOBILITY

CONTROLLED THE LANDSERVED IN HIGH GOVERNMENT OFFICESMADE UP THE TOP MILITARY LEADERSHIPALLOWED CONTROL OVER THE PEASANTS AND SERFS WHO

WORKED THE LAND

THE PRUSSIAN STATE WOULD EVENTUALLY UNITE THE GERMAN

PEOPLE IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY (LATE 1800’S)

SOURCE: A HISTORY OF WESTERN SOCIETY

MCKAY, HILL, AND BUCKLER8TH EDITION