Transcript The Enlightened Despots

The Enlightened Despots
The objectives of this slideshow are:
The enlightened despots came
out of the old absolute monarchs
The idea of the state was changing.
They were dictators of a kind who
tried to bring into their countries
some of the ideas of the
enlightenment.
The Seven Years War, with its
high death tolls and mountainous
debt made it a necessity for rulers
to make their governments more
efficient for tax purposes.
In France, the taille (tax)
continued to be place on the third
estate. Nobles were exempt.
Louis XV was a
kind-hearted, yet
prolifigate
spender, who
failed to push
through much
needed reforms.
He was, by all accounts a failure, who
left glorious works of art as his legacy.
But it is in Austria, Prussia and Russia where the
enlightened monarchs ruled to the benefit of their
people.
Maria Theresa
and Joseph
(1740-1780) and
(1780-1790)
After Maria’s husband died, Maria co-ruled with
her son. She named him Emperor.
Maria tried to abolish serfdom. She regulated it
so that peasants were not treated so harshly.
Her son wanted even more
dramatic reforms…
As a true enlightened monarch,
he abolished serfdom, established
equal taxation. He reformed the
criminal code.
He ordered
toleration for
religion and
equal rights for
Jews.
But when nobles did not support
his reforms, he used suppression
and the secret police to thwart the
rebellion…
So, consequently, he became
ruthless and dictatorial against
those who did not support his
reforms.
Joseph has been called the
“revolutionary” emperor. A good
man whose ideas were too
advanced for the people he
served.
He died disillusioned and brokenhearted.
Now, for Frederick the Great
(1712-1786).
After the end of the Seven Years War, Frederick ruled
Prussia for another 23 years. His life, like Voltaire’s
spanned the enlightenment. He died only three years
before the French Revolution.
He turned from war, to peace.
He did not pursue the radical changes
of Joseph of Austria—he simply had
the state run more efficiently and
promoted honesty.
A famous statement of Frederick
was when he called himself “The
first Servant of the State.”
He did little to limit the
power of the Junkers—the
powerful landlords of East
Prussia.
He was lofty, superior,
and said that only he
knew what was good
for the people. He
attended to every
detail, neglected his
dress, and became a
beloved, eccentric
monarch.
He did not train a successor—and the kingdom
was left vulnerable after his death.
Our final
monarch is
Catherine the
Great,
Tsarina of
Russia
(1762-1796)
She was born a
Germany, yet
married Elizabeth’s
nephew Peter, who
was heir to the
throne.
When
Elizabeth
died, Peter
made peace
with whom?
Yes, Frederick the Great.
Peter was
assassinated within
six months, and in a
military coup,
Catherine took the
throne.
As a young girl and the rest of her life, she devoured
books. Learning helped her to escape the palace
intrigues of the Peter’s aunt, Tsarina Elizabeth.
As empress,
she
corresponded
with Voltaire,
and invited
Diderot to
visit her in St.
Petersburg.
And there were all
sorts of nasty
rumors about her
sexual appetites,
passed about by
her enemies, of
course.
She began as an
enlightened
ruler…but had
to put away
those ideas
when faced
with revolts by
different groups
in her vast
empire.
The old believers influenced
Pugachev’s rebellion.
Pugachev , a Cossack,
proclaimed himself the true tsar.
He said he was really Peter III,
Catherine’s deceased husband.
This imposter promised that he
would free the serfs, abolish
taxes, and forced military
conscription (draft)
Tens of thousands joined his
forces…
.
They were at
first successful,
but eventually
Pugachev was
captured.
He was brought to Moscow in an iron cage.
He was drawn and quartered, though Catherine
ordered that he not be tortured during the trial.
Pugachev’s
rebellion was
the most
violent
peasant
uprising in
Russian
history.
Catherine responded by enforcing
serfdom.
As a builder of Russia’s borders,
Catherine was more successful.
She gained an important port on the
Black sea, which became Odessa.
She also
participated
in the
partition of
Poland.
She had many famous lovers, including Gregory Orlov
and Potemkin.
Potemkin was the governor of the area
along the Volga.
Catherine traveled down the Volga
with the Austrian emperor Joseph II.
Hence the
term
“Potemkin”
village.
All the enlightened despots ruled
from top down.
They could only do so much
without the peoples’
participation.
They are seen as brilliant, but
flawed, monarchs.
On continental Europe, they were
the last great rulers.
After their reigns, and the
revolution, the ideas of Kings and
Queens were seen as backward.
The time for more enlightened
ideas—maybe even revolution
had come….