Chapter 17: The Age of EnlightenmentEighteenth Century Thought
Section 8: Enlightened Absolutism
By Dallin F. Hardy

History of the Russian
Empire under Peter the
Great


1759
By Voltaire

Enlightened Absolutism

Enlightened monarchy

Influenced by


Sought





Enlightenment
New revenue
Political support
Joseph II
Frederick II
Catherine II
Frederick the Great of Prussia

Frederick the Great



Reigned 1740-1786
Enlightened monarch
Commanded

Loyalty of




Military
Junkers
Clergy
Bureaucracy

Promotion Through Merit

Frederick the Great


“The first servant of the
State”
Offered positions

Based on merit

Religious Toleration

Adopted by

Prussia

Codification of Prussian Law

By Frederick the Great



More efficient
Abolished torture
Limited capital crimes

Prussian Economy

Regulated by the state




Agriculture
Financial institutions
Heavy taxation
Unsuccessful
Joseph II of Austria

Holy Roman Empire



18th century
Austria
Most diverse



People
Problems
Aristocracy

Gained considerable
independence in

War of Austrian succession

Maria Theresa


Reigned 1740-1780
Empress


Holy Roman Empire
Four accomplishments

Established


Created


Central councils
Expanded


New tax system
Primary education
Limited

Peasant labor

Joseph II of Austria


Reigned 1780-1790
Holy Roman Emperor

Centralization of Authority

Joseph II

Sought to


Increase
 Imperial power
Reduce autonomy of
 Hungary

Ecclesiastical Policies

Habsburgs

Most important dynastic
champions of


Roman Catholicism
Since Charles V

Economic Reform

Joseph II



Abolished internal tariffs
Encouraged road building
Improved river transport

Agrarian Reform

Joseph II

Sought to improve



Conditions of
 Peasantry
Abolished serfdom
Magyars

Resisted

Centralization efforts by
 Joseph II

Leopold II


Reigned 1790-1792
Succeeded


Joseph II
Forced to repeal

Many of his brother’s
reforms
Catherine the Great
of Russia

Successors of Peter the Great

1725-1741




Catherine I
Peter II
Anna
Ivan VI

Elizabeth


1741-1762
Empress of

Russia

Peter III



1762
Tsar of Russia
Pro-Prussian

Made peace with


Frederick the Great
Married to Catherine

German princess

Catherine the Great


1762-1796
Sought to reform Russia

Using Enlightenment ideas

Charter of Nobility


1785
Guaranteed nobles



Rights
Privileges
Created an alliance
between


Catherine
Nobility

Territorial Expansion

Russia

Sought

Warm water Ports

Russo-Turkish War



1769-1774
Russia vs. Ottoman
Empire
Results

Russian victory

Annexation of Crimea


1783
By Russia
The Partition of Poland

Partition of Poland


1772-1795
Between



Prussia
Austria
Russia
The End of the 18th century in
Central and Eastern Europe

Pugachev Rebellion

1773-1775

Results of Enlightened Absolutism

Greatest rejection of

Enlightenment philosophy