The Rise of Austria,
Prussia, and Russia
and the Changing
Power Structure in
th
Europe in the 17 and
th
18 Centuries.
Political Changes in Eastern Europe
► Three
aging empires: gave way to new
empires of Austria Prussia and Russia
► Holy Roman Empire: religious divisions and
war in 16th and 17th century
► Ottoman
Empire: could not maintain
possessions in E. Europe and Balkans
► Poland: liberum veto – voting in Polish
parliament had to be unanimous (= weak
gov’t)
The Austrian Hapsburgs
► Multinational
empire:
Austrian, Hungarian, &
Bohemian kingdoms
► Cosmopolitan
aristocracy: serfdom
► Leopold I (16581705),: successfully
repelled Turks
► Turkish threat: relatively
religiously tolerant
empire
The Austrian Hapsburgs
► Charles
VI
 Pragmatic Sanction (1713) issued by Charles VI:
Habsburg territories indivisible; only Habsburgs could
rule (daughter Maria Theresa)
 War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748) – (King
George’s War – 1744-1748)
 Prussia, France, Bavaria & Spain vs. Austria and Russia
 Prussia tool Silesia from Austria; Prussia now most
powerful German state: “Great Power”
 Treaty of Aix-laChapelle (1748): legitimized Frederick
the Great’s conquest.
The Austrian Hapsburgs
► Maria
Theresa (r.
1740-1780): Wars of
1740s led to internal
consolidation
► Reduced
serfdom
(more
than
any
other e. European
ruler except her son
Joseph II)
The Austrian Hapsburgs
► Joseph
II (1765-1790) – greatest of the
Enlightened despots (“greatest good for
greatest number”)
 Abolished serfdom in 1781, freedom of press,
freedom of religion & civic rights, more equitable
justice system, made German official language (to
assimilate minorities), increased control over
Catholic education, expanded state schools, left
empire in economic and political turmoil: Leopold I
rescind many laws (e.g., serfdom)
Hohenzollerns in Prussia
► Frederick
William, The
Great Elector (r.1640-1688)
 Rule consolidated after 30
Years’ War: military force &
taxation
 Junkers: nobility sided with
king for stability; hereditary
serfdom in 1653
 Created most efficient army
in Europe
Hohenzollerns in Prussia
► Frederick
I (r. 1688-1713)
 (Elector Frederick III) “The
Ostentatious”
(16881713); 1st “King of Prussia”
 Allied with Habsburgs in
War of League of Augsburg
and
War
of
Spanish
Succession.
Hohenzollerns in Prussia
► Frederick
William I (r. 17131740) “The Soldiers’ King”
 Established Prussian
abolutism
 “Sparta of the North”:
Largely a military state – best
army in Europe
 Junkers became officers caste
in army in return for king’s
absolutism
Hohenzollerns in Prussia
► “Frederick
the
Great”
(Frederick II: 1740-1786) of
Prussia
 At war for first half of his reign
 Became a reformer during 2nd half of his
reign – ruler was the “first servant of
the state”
 Religious freedom, education in schools
and universities, codified laws, promoted
industry and agriculture, encouraged
immigration
 Social
structure
remained
heavily
stratified: serfdom; extended privileges
for the nobility, Junkers became heart of
military; difficult upward mobility for
middle class leadership
Peter the Great in Russia
► Romanov
Dynasty
(1613-1917)
 Michael Romanov
(1613-1645)
 Created Russian
empire across Asia to
the Pacific (largest
nation by 1689)
Peter the Great in Russia
► Peter
the Great (1682-1725)
 1698, put down revolt by strelski
(Moscow Guards)
 westernization (modernization):
mostly for military purposes
 state-regulated
monopolies
created; industrial serfdom
 Table of Ranks: educational
training for new civil service
(mostly of nobles)
Peter the Great in Russia
► St.
Petersburg begun in 1703 on Baltic; largest
city in Northern Europe by his death.
► “Winter Palace” sought to emulate Versailles.
► Great Northern War (1700-1721)
► Charles XII, 18-yr-old Swedish king
► Battle of Poltava, 1709: Peter defeated Sweden
► Treaty of Nystad (1721): Peter gained Baltic
states “window to the West”
Alternatives to Absolutism
► Sweden
 Nobles use the absence of the king during
warfare to reaffirm their power.
► United
Provinces
 Merchants and landowners in the Estates
General held the House of Orange in check.
► Poland
 King was elected by nobles, who continued to
hold the power.