Bellringer• Download today’s notes: Enlightened Absolutism Notes• Answer the following questions:

• 1. What does “enlightened” mean?• 2. What does “absolutism” mean?• 3. Could these two terms go together and how?

It Matters Because

Enlightened Absolutism

Prussia• Major European power• Frederick William I

• Absolute ruler• Doubled the size of the army

• Frederick II (Frederick the Great), 1740-1786• One of the best educated monarchs of the time• Friend of Voltaire, big on Enlightenment ideas• Enlarged the Prussian army• Willing to make enlightened reforms

• Abolished torture• Limited freedom of speech and press• Greater religious toleration

• Kept serfdom and rigid social structure, no additional reforms

Austria & Prussia

Austria• One of the greatest European states by the start of the 1700s,

but difficult to rule. Why?• Empress Maria Theresa tried to centralize and strengthen the

state• Not open to the philosophes call for reform, but did try to improve the

conditions of serfs

• Joseph II• Big on “reason”• Abolished serfdom, eliminated the death penalty• Established the principle of equality before the law• Religious reforms and religious toleration• Program largely failed… alienated the nobles by freeing the serfs,

alienated the Catholic church through reforms, serfs didn’t understand changes

• Successors undid all his reforms

Russia• Peter the Great followed by 6 weak successors• Catherine II (Catherine the Great), 1762-1796

• Intelligent, familiar with the philosophes’ work• Favored enlightened reforms• Considered equality before the law, but didn’t want to lose support

of nobles… but peasants ended up revolting, serfdom was expanded

• Expanded Russia’s borders

The Verdict• Did these rulers live up to Enlightenment ideals? Why or

why not?

Balance of Power• Philosophes condemned war.• Many rulers still waged war as a means to maintain the

balance of power. • Define:

• Large armies not only defended the states, but conquered new territories.

• This led to two major wars in the 18th century…

Review!• 1. What are natural rights? Give examples.• 2. How did the philosophes think these rights could be

protected?• 3. What reform did Catherine the Great consider putting

into effect? Why did she not follow through with this?• 4. Were any of the rulers truly enlightened in the sense

envisioned by the philosophes?• 5. What were the main goals of all these rulers?• 6. Why did European states build up their armies?