Transcript 17.3. THE IMPACT OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT BIG IDEA: EUROPEAN RULERS WERE GUIDED BY SELF-INTEREST ENLIGHTENMENT & ABSOLUTISM Enlightenment influenced politics - natural rights (religious tolerance,

17.3. THE IMPACT OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT
BIG IDEA: EUROPEAN RULERS WERE GUIDED BY
SELF-INTEREST
ENLIGHTENMENT & ABSOLUTISM
Enlightenment influenced politics - natural
rights (religious tolerance, freedom of speech,
press, etc.)
 Needed enlighten rulers to protect natural
rights
 rule by enlightened principles & try to keep royal
powers. Examples to follow

EX: 1 -PRUSSIA: ARMY & BUREAUCRACY


Frederick William I
 Efficient gov bureaucracy
 4th largest European army .
Frederick II / Frederick the Great,
 Most educated /cultured monarch of the time.
 dedicated ruler.
 Enlightenment Reforms
 abolished torture except in treason & murder.
 limited freedom of speech & press.
EX:2 -CATHERINE THE GREAT
Favored some
Enlightenment Ideals
 Considered equality of
all before law.
 Didn’t reform much
 needed nobilities
support.
 Expanded Russian
territory

EX: 3- AUSTRIAN EMPIRE



many nationalities-hard to control
Maria Theresa
 Focus Centralizing & strengthen state.
Joseph II
 reforms-many failed
 Abolished serfdom
 Eliminated death penalty.
 Equality before law
 Religious toleration
 Angered Catholic Church
 Freed serfs
 Angered nobles-no support
 serfs unhappy-didn’t understand changes.
BUILD UP TO SEVEN YEARS WAR


War of Austrian Succession
 Maria Theresa succeeds to Austrian throne
 Frederick II (Prussia) didn’t recognize her rule –
invades Silesia.
 Ally -France
 Maria ally -Britain
 (Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle)- Austria regained land (not
Silesia) -Angered Maria
Starts 7yrs War –fought in ……
 Europe- Austria, France & Russian Vs. Britain &
Prussia
 India- Britain & France (Brits win India ) North American (French & Indian War) British &
French
 Brits win –Ohio River Valley (French) & Florida
(Spanish)
 Treaty
of Paris 1763 ends fighting
SECTION 3 REVIEW
France gave Louisiana to Spain, Spanish
Florida came under British control, and Canada
became British. These were all outcomes of
what in North America?
 Seven Years’ War

SECTION 3 REVIEW
Diplomatic revolution of 1756 led to what?
 A worldwide war
 Ruler of Russia from 1762-1796
 Catherine II
 Catherine the Great of Russia favored the
landed nobility, expanded serfdom, enlarged
what?
 The Russian Empire
 Fredrick the Great of Prussia enlarged what?
 The army

SECTION 3 REVIEW
Traditional Austrian empress
 Maria Theresa
 In the war of the Austrian Succession, Prussia
invaded where?
 Austrian Silesia
 The concern of the 18th century monarchs for
balance of power basically involved the desire
to prevent what by one state?
 domination

SECTION 3 REVIEW
Monarchical rule by Enlightenment principles
 Enlightened absolutism
