Absolutism in Eastern Europe
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Transcript Absolutism in Eastern Europe
Absolutism in Eastern
Europe
Austria, Prussia, and Russia
Monarchs were in “control” up to 1918
These monarchs will have a powerful
impact on culture
– Architecture
– Arts
Unlike the West
Powerful Nobility
Unlike the West- Nobles were able to
suppress the serfs
Weak Middle Class
Oppressed Peasants-serfs
Lords and Peasants in
Eastern Europe
Serfdom increases in the East
Lords created laws that restricted the free
movement of peasants – run-a-ways in
Prussia had their ears nailed to a post and
given a knife to cut themselves free
Landlords took more and more of their
land and increased labor obligations
Local lords were judge and jury
Consolidation of Serfdom
Poland – Lords could inflict death
Prussia (1653 ) Hereditary subjugation
Russia – (1649) 9 year time limit on
runaways was lifted
Increase in Agriculture
As European economy expanded, the price
of food increased
More peasants meant a surplus of local
products were sold to foreign markets
Was it simply to develop of export
markets?
No effective Central
Government
Political rather than economic factors were the
difference in the status of serfs.
Identical developments caused opposite results in
the west.
Local nobles held more power over weaker kings
and increased their political demands
A king in the east was the first among equals
Nobles undermined cities power. Products were
sold directly to foreign capitalists
Importance of urban middle class declined “ no
more did town air make one free.”
East as least and West as Best
Because of social inequalities and harsher
economic conditions, the west perceived
the east as barbaric and uncivilized.
Therefore the east was considered morally
inferior which was eventually tied to
ethnicity
The Ottomans
The Rise of Austria and Prussia
Toward a Central Government
Monarchs gained power in three key areas
– Imposed and collected taxes without consent
– Created standing armies
– Conducted relations with foreign states as they
pleased
Austria and the Ottoman Turks
Devastated by the Thirty Years War
The loss made them turn inward
Established direct rule over Bohemia
The robot… 3 days a week of unpaid labor
Protestants were stamped out
1683 – Ottomans are in retreat to the east
the Habsburgs take Hungary
The Pragmatic Sanction
1713
Habsburg land was divided into three
fragile political entities
– Austria
– Bohemia
– Hungary
• Rakoczy- Revolt
• Defeated 1703
All would be passed to a single heir.
Hapsburgs . Hungary accepts Habsburg ruler but
is never fully integrated into the Empire.
Prussia in the 17th Century
The Elector of Brandenburg – had prestige
to elect the Holy Roman Emperor, but no
military power
Estates of princes’ were weakened by the
Thirty Years War
Frederick William the “Great Elector”
– Comes to power 1640
Frederick William The Great
Elector [r.1640-1688]
The Junkers
Landowning nobles that had dominated
Prussia
Frederick was not resisted in his drive
toward absolutism by the nobles “they
barked but did not bite”
Different than England which had moved
to constitutionalism
Frederick the Great Elector
Introduced permanent taxes without
consent
Paid for a standing army
The size of the army grew ten-fold
Two major reasons for success
– The invaders to the east demanded a
consolidation of forces
– Allowed the nobles to continue their rights and
privileges over the peasants, but the royal
authorities could tax the townspeople
Frederick the Ostentatious
1688-1713
Weak in mind and body
Man crush on Louis XIV
Luxury and petty tyranny
Frederick William I
“ The Soldier King”
1713-1740
Prussian war psychology- cult of the
military- with the Junkers as officers
– Best and strongest soldiers
– “Dog eat dog” view of world politics
– Violent temper – immediate and severe
punishments
– Obsession for tall soldiers
The Prussian Military
Grows from 38,000 to 83,000
Amazing discipline and precision
Although ready for war, he was usually at
peace
Tall males were recruited
Replaces the Estates with
bureaucracy
Frederick was austere which made his
country economically conscientious
Ministers were honest and fair
Russia
It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery,
inside an enigma … Winston Churchill
The Mongol Yoke
Russia was forced to pay tribute
The Greatest prince was the one that paid the
most money
Ivan I – “money bags”(r1328-1341)
– Collects taxes for the Mongols
– Ivan III (r 1462 – 1505) Muscovite princes’ gain
authority
– Ivan III stops acknowledging Mongols
• Fall of Constantinople – holy Russia 1480
Ivan the Terrible(IV)
R. 1533-1584
Turns west against the Poland and Lithuanian
state
Destroys leading Boyars with secret police
Purges many other elements of society
Greater oppression of the serfs
All were servants of the Prince