Transcript Chapter 18

Tu Bui, Dan Wu, Jake Waxman
Political
 Enlightened absolutism- new type of monarchy that
emerged in late 1700s, based on rulers governing by
enlightened principles
 Ex: Frederick II, Joseph II, etc
 Religious toleration, freedom of speech, rulers enforcing
laws fairly and equally
 However limited by political and social realities
France
 Cardinal Fleury- pulled France
back from foreign adventures,
balanced budget
 Louis XV
-Madame de Pompadour
 Louis XVI-left France in a
worsened financial crisis,
discontent of monarchy
Great Britain (United Kingdom)
 Hanoverians-new dynasty in Britain in which crown
was offered to Protestant rulers of a German state
 Parliament power grows
 Robert Walpole
 William Pitt the Elder-promoted expansion of British
empire
Prussia
 Frederick William I of Prussia further developed the
army and bureaucracy (General Directory)
 Junkers had monopoly over officer corps of Prussian
Army
 Frederick II the Great believed that king is “first
servant of the state”
Austria
 Maria Theresa wanted to reform
Austrian empire
 Joseph II wanted to enhance
Habsburg power through
complete reforms of reason
 Abolished serfdom, religious
tolerations, etc
 new policies alienated all
groups
Russia
 Catherine the Great- wanted to
reform based on Enlightenment
ideas
 oppressive policies on peasants led to
revolt
 Emelyn Pugachev led the revolt
against taxes and forced military
service, failed
•The War of Austrian Succession
•Prussia invaded Silesia (part of Austria) while Austria
was dealing with having a female ruler (Maria
Theresa)
•Prussia & France vs. Britain, Austria & Russia.
•Was fought in Europe, North America, Asia
•Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended war, everyone got
what they started with, but Prussia got to keep Silesia
Wars The
of7 Absolutism
Year’s War
 MT of Austria refused to accept loss, allied with
France…somehow… against Britain & Prussia (switched
sides)
 7 Year’s War became was between Britain & France in
North America, Europe, & India
 Fight for dominance in colonialism, who would become
the leading colonial power
 Britain won, gained most French possessions in India &
North America
Wars of Absolutism
• The Partition of Poland
– Poland had a VERY weak
monarch, & scheming
nobles 
– 3 rivals: Austria, Prussia,
Russia, were expanding &
headed towards war
– Decided to divvy up
Poland between them to
avoid war.
 Bye,
bye
Poland.
Economics
 Agriculture Revolution
 4 Factors:




more farmland, abandon openfield system, started field
rotation and enclosed fields
increased yields,
healthier livestock,
improved climate
 new crops: potato and maize (from Americas)
 ***English were leaders in taking up new techniques
Eco…continued
 NEW Methods of Finance:
 (bckrnd): A decline of gold and silver in the seventeenth
cen. created shortage of $$$ ->creation of banks


-Epitome: Bank of England,
 first to give loans on credit
 ->created a notion of "national debt" distinct from the
monarch's personal debt.
Fail: John Law's Bank in France/J.L's Bubble:
 >result: lack of trust in paper money in France and prevented
formation of national bank
 ->consequently slow economic movement in France
Eco..continued
 Cottage Industry:
 "domestic" (Family based) system/cottage system:
merchant-capitalist bought raw material to rural
workers -> merchants sell finished product
 New methods/machines: introduction of cotton

->new market
 New cotton machines: flying shuttle, waterframe ...Etc
(refer to chpt 20)
ART
 Aristocracy:
 Country House:



-built in Georgian style
-fulfilled a new desire for greater privacy
-influenced by the classical Venetian architect Andrea
Palladio
 Grand Tour: travel the world
 -cosmopolitanism, reinforced by education in Latin
classics and use of French
 -English regard the grand tour as crucial to their
education