CENTRAL AND EASTERN
EUROPE
Central and Eastern Europe:
After:
Before:
Decentralized, agrarian, and fewer
cities
1.
Serfdom
2.
Lack of overseas expansion
Weak political authorities – refusing to
subordinate to central monarchies
Three strong monarchies seeking
political absolutism:
1.
Austrian Habsburgs
2.
Prussia – Hohenzollern Dynasty
3.
Russia – Romanov Dynasty
The Habsburg Empire:
Held weak ‘control’ of the Holy Roman
Empire – cooperation
Habsburgs begin to focus their efforts on
their territory outside of the HRE:
1.
Austria, Bohemia, and Hungary
2.
Spanish Netherlands  Austrian
Netherlands
3.
Lombardy, Italy
Rule of the Habsburgs:
Geographically and politically diverse lands:
1.
Ruled under different titles (King, Archduke, Duke)
2.
Needed cooperation of the Nobility
Despite these difficulties, the Habsburg Empire
continued to increase in size and influence
Siege of Vienna
In 1683, the Ottomans laid
siege to Vienna. Although the
Habsburgs were able to resist
the advances of the Ottoman
Empire, only the arrival of
Polish forces under King John
III saved the capital
Pragmatic Sanction:
Upon the rule of Charles VI, a new problem arose– no
male heir:
1.
Feared that the land would fall prey to surrounding
powers
2.
Spent his reign seeking the approval for a female
ruler – daughter Maria Theresa
Pragmatic Sanction:
Through concessions, Charles VI successfully gained
approval- legal basis
Left her in a weak position – lacked full treasury or
strong army
Attacked by Prussia only two months after his death –
Weak start to a powerful rule (1740 – 1780)
Prussia:
Geographically
separated regions
forged together by
pragmatic rulers and
powerful armies
Hohenzollern Dynasty:
Rule of Frederick William:
1.
Known as the Great Elector (Brandenburg)
2.
Needed obedience and revenue from the Nobility to
build a strong army
1.
2.
3.
Agreement with the Junkers – Revenue in exchange for his
acceptance of their control over the serfs
Granted nobility opportunity to serve in his military – highest
social class
Offered religious toleration to promote economic
development
Expansion of Prussia:
A strong military and
efficient bureaucracy
allows Prussia to grow
and expand power
throughout Central
Europe
Prussian Rule:
Frederick William I
(1713 – 1740)
Frederick William
Growth of the army
(3-4th largest)
(1640 – 1688)
“King” Frederick I
(1688 – 1713)
Arts above Treasury
Granted title as “King” for help
with War of Spanish Succession
Frederick II (1740 –
1786)
Militaristic w/ conflict
– Pragmatic Sanction
The Failures of Poland:
Best example of the nobility limiting the power
of the Monarchy
Deep distrust and division among nobility
prevented the election of powerful monarch:
1.
Usually elected a foreigner to appease the
nobility
2.
Requirement of unanimity proved a major
stumbling block of effective government
RUSSIA ENTERS THE
POLITICAL ARENA
FYI: 22.5% of the Textbook
Russia in the 16th Century:
Emergence of Russia in
European politics was
considered something ‘new’
as Europe had little contact
with Western Europe
throughout their history
Russia in the 16th Century:
After the brutal expansion of Ivan the
IV, Russia experienced a period known
as the “Time of Troubles”
Lasted until the selection of a tsar from
the Romanov Family in 1603
Peter the Great (r. 1682 – 1725)
Came to power at the age of the 10 (family affair)
Peter had two goals:
1.
Secure the power of the tsar over the nobility (boyars) and
Russian guardsmen (streltsy)
2.
Increase Russian Military power – strong monarchy
Peter’s Changes:
Military Changes:
1.
Ruthless policies of conscription – 130,000
in first decade of 1700s (20 years)
2.
Built Russia’s first navy based on Western
designs
3.
Military discipline based on those of
Western European armies
Peter’s Changes:
Administrative Reforms:
1.
Forced to shave beards – look more European
2.
Balanced one group of nobility against another
3.
Table of Ranks – equated a person’s social position with
his rank in the bureaucracy – must now serve the central
state
4.
Secular control of the church to suppress independence
Russian Westernization:
In 1697, Peter went to visit Western
Europe in order to witness the power
and wonders of the region first hand
Used this as future inspiration for the
Russian state – St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg (1703):
Russian Expansion:
Peter the Great realized that a strong Russia
would require a ‘warm-water port’
Great Northern War (1700 – 1721):
1.
Drive westward against Swedish territory to
gain a foothold in the Baltic
2.
Peter able to establish a lasting influence on
European affairs