The Impact of the
Enlightenment
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The Arts
Architecture and Art
Balthasar NeumanChurch of 14 Saints, The
Residence (Palace of
Prince-Bishop of
Wurzburg)
Baroque and
neoclassical dominated,
but Rococo spread in
1730’s
Rococo stressed grace,
charm and gentle action.
The lightness and charm
spoke of the pursuit of
pleasure, happiness and
love
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Music
Baroque
a. Johann Sebastian
Bach- organist as well as
composer from Germany
b. George Frederick
Handel- German but
lived in England best
known for Messiah
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Classical
Franz Joseph HaydnPreformed for Hungarian
Princes best known for
The Creation and The
Seasons
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Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart- Child prodigy
wrote the Marriage of
Figaro, The Magic Flute
and Don Giovanni
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Literature
Novels became popular
and often times reflected
on different parts of
English society
Enlightenment and
Enlightened
Absolutism
Enlightened Absolutismrulers tried to govern by
enlightenment ideas while
maintaining their royal
power
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Prussia:
– Fredrick William II
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Doubled the size of the
Army although one of
the smaller countries in
Europe had the 4th
largest over France,
Russia and Austria
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Became one of the best
armies in Europe
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Nobles enlisted serfs
and became officers
believed in duty
obedience and sacrifice
–
Fredrick II or
Fredrick the Great
 Enlightenment
Monarch invited
Voltaire to live in
court
 Abolished use of
torture except in
treason and murder
 Gave limited freedom
of speech and press
complete religious
toleration
 Kept ridged serfdom
and social structure
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Austrian Empire
– Maria Theresa
 She was an
Empress,
worked to
centralize the
Austrian Empire
but was not
open to
enlightenment
ideas
–
Joseph II
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Abolished serfdom,
eliminated the death
penalty, equality of the
law, religious toleration
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His programs failed,
alienated Nobles, the
Catholic church, serfs
were unhappy because
they could not
understand the drastic
changes that were
brought upon
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His gravestone reads
“Here lies Joseph II who
was unfortunate in
everything that he
undertook”
Russia under Catherine the
Great
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–
Catherine the Great
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Invited Denis Didrot to Russia
asked to be spoken to “Man to
Man”
Considered the idea of a new
law code that would recognize
the principle of the equality of
all people in the eyes of the law,
but did nothing
Favoring Russian nobility led to
worse conditions for peasants
Led by an illiterate Cossack
Emelyan Pugachev spread
across in the southern Russia by
collapsed
Rural reform was halted,
serfdom was expanded
Russia moved Southward to the
Black Sea and took over half of
Poland
Enlightened
Absolutism?
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War of the Austrian
Succession
1740 Charles VI died
was succeeded by Maria
Theresa, Fredrick II of
Prussia invaded Silesia
France entered the war
against Austria and
Austria made an alliance
with England.
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The War of the Austrian
Succession (1740-1748)
Prussia seized Silesia;
France occupied Austrian
Netherlands
France took Madras in
India from British
British captured French
fortress of Louisburg at
the entrance of St.
Lawrence River.
Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle
in 1748 returned all
occupied territories
except Silesia to original
owners
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Seven Years War
Maria Teresa rebuilt the
army while worked to
separate Prussia from
France
New Allies
Rivalry between France
and Britain over colonial
empires
France abandoned
Prussia and allied with
Austria
Russia saw Prussia as a
major threat joined with
Austria and France
Britain allied with Prussia
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The War in Europe
Britain and Prussia vs.
Austria, France, and Russia
Fredrick the Great from
Prussia was able for a while
to defeat Austria, France
and Russian armies
Peter III new Czar
withdrew troops from the
conflict and from Prussian
lands that Russians
occupied.
Created a stalemate and
led to need for peace
Ended in 1763 all territories
were returned to their
original owners and Austria
official recognized Prussia
in permanent control of
Silesia
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The War in India
French returned Madras
to Britain after the War
of the Austrian
Succession
British won out but only
because they were more
persistent
Treaty of Paris 1763
French withdrew and left
India
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The War in North America
French colonies were set up as
trading post
British colonies were set up as towns
and had more people living there
Fought over the Gulf of St. Lawrence
River and the Ohio river valley
France got the Indians on their side
because they were seen as less of a
threat
France scored a number of victories
in the beginning but William Pitt said
that in order to create a British
Empire France would have to be
destroyed so they focused their
attention on North America
Britain Navy won out
Treaty of Paris transferred parts of
Canada, Great Lakes, and the Ohio
Valley to Britain
Florida and Louisiana to Britain even
though controlled by Spain
1763 Great Britain became the
World’s greatest colonial power