Enlightened Despotism:

Absolutism with a Smile

What was Enlightened Despotism?Definition: Absolutist states influenced by the ideals of the EnlightenmentEquality of all under lawSupport for natural rights religious toleration freedom of speech, pressright to private propertylimits on torture/capital punishmentPatronage of Arts & Education

Europe in the 18th CenturyExceptions:FranceBritainPolandEnlightened Despotism:AustriaPrussiaRussia

France: Louis XV, 1715-1774Problems left by Louis XIVLazy, weakEasily influencedSeven Years WarEnormous Debt

Madame de PompadourLouis XV

Great Britain: King & ParliamentParliamentPowerful AristocracyPeers (H of Lords)Landed Gentry (H of Commons)Unequal RepresentationNew cities lack MPsPocket Boroughs

KingHanover DynastyRelied Heavily on Prime Ministers (Walpole, Pitt)George IGeorge IIGeorge III

Important Prime Ministers

William Pitt, the Elder(1757-61)Favored empireWon Seven Years WarRobert Walpole(1721-42)Handled ParliamentDispensed PatronagePeaceful Foreign PolicyLow Taxes William Pitt, the Younger(1783-1806)Maintains Patronage systemFrench Rev & Nap.Deals with George IIIs insanity

Partition of PolandRivalry between Austria/Prussia/RussiaFirst Partition (1772)Second Partition (1793)Third Partition (1795)

Prussia (West Prussia)Russia (E. Poland)Austria (Galicia)

Austria: Maria TeresaWar of Austrian SuccessionPragmatic SanctionPrussia gains SilesiaCentralizes tax collection10 royal districtsModernizes militaryVery Catholic, not open to social reformsMaria Teresa, 1740-1780

Austria: Joseph IIPhilosophy = lawmaker of my empire6,000 decrees/11,000 lawsAbolished serfdomFree tradeNo death penaltyEquality of all in lawComplete religious tolerationRestrictions on Catholic ChurchPatronizes arts, music (Mozart)

Alienates upper classes, Church, ethnic minoritiesJoseph II, 1780-90

Prussia: Frederick II (The Great)Highly educatedFriend of VoltaireKing = First Servant of StateLimits on tortureSome freedom of speech/pressComplete religious tolerationBUT only goes so farMaintains serfdomStrengthens Junker classMilitaristicFrederick II, 1740-86

Catherine the GreatWell-educatedPatron of Arts & LiteratureFriend of Voltaire, DiderotInstruction (1767)Questioned serfdomQuestioned torture/capital punishmentAdvocated equality in law

All talk. . . No action!Catherine II, 1762-96

Catherine the Great (cont.)Strengthened boyars50 districts controlled by noblesCharter of the Nobility (1785)Pugachevs Rebellion (1774)repression of peasantryExpands territoryWest (Poland)South (Crimea, Black Sea)Emelian Pugachev

Red = Russia (c. 1650)Green = acquisitions of Peter the GreatPurple = acquisitions of Catherine the Great

Miscellaneous NationsSweden: Gustavus III (1771-92)reasserted power of monarchyenlightened reformsSpain--Bourbon administrative reformsPortugalMarquis de Pombal (1699-1782)Limited power of nobles and ChurchNetherlands--domination of politics by oligarchs and House of Orange

Final EvaluationHow enlightened were enlightened despots?Which went the furthest?What were they most concerned with?What limits on reform existed in these states?