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Enlightened Despots◦ 18th-century monarchs◦ NOT democratic◦ BUT used absolute power to reform their
countries. Areas of reform:
Law Social and economic conditions Education
Notice! No English monarchs here!
Many of them read the works of the philosophers of the “Age of Reason” or were advised by councilors who had.◦ Who were the philosophers?
Locke Hobbes Montesquieu Voltaire Rousseau The Physiocrats
Many monarchs realized that to improve their states, they needed to reform.
Several key absolute rulers invited many of the living philosophers to advise them.
Voltaire pushed the idea that a ruler can justify her/his power by improving society.◦ Voltaire is the
philosopher who said: “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it.”
◦ spent a lot of time at the court of Frederick the Great of Prussia (Voltaire was the first to call him “the Great”)
◦ corresponded with Catherine the Great of Russia.
Frederick of Prussia (1712-1786)◦ Reign 1740-1786◦ (Frederick William
Hohenzollern II)◦ Wrote poetry and
essays, played music, even wrote some philosophy.
◦ Strategic thinker
Reforms◦ Abolished torture (except for treason &
murder)◦ Established elementary schools◦ Promoted industry and agriculture◦ After “Seven Years War,” helped peasants
rebuild.◦ Established some religious freedom
Reign 1740-1780 Archduchess of Austria, Queen of
Hungary and Bohemia, empress of the HRE, and a ton of other titles. ◦ Husband Francis I – Francis Stephen of
Lorraine – was the Emperor in name only
Got to the throne by “Pragmatic Sanction” which recognized succession through female line.◦ But as soon as her dad died, Frederick
of Prussia invaded.◦ Her appeal to the Hungarian Diet for
help was “over the top”
Her son, Josef II, became HRE; the two ruled together for some time.
Devout Catholic; 16 children (10 to adulthood)◦ Among them, Marie “Let them eat cake”Antoinette
Disagreed with many Enlightenment Philosophers.
Reforms◦ Protected the rights of serfs:
codes established regulating relationship with lords
◦ Freed all peasants on crown lands
◦ Started a paid bureaucracy (civil servants)
◦ Set up elementary schools funded by local and state funds.
◦ Created a tariff union of all parts of the HRE
◦ Kicked the Jesuits out of the country
Reign with Mom (1765-1780); all by himself (1780-1790)
Huge fan of Enlightenment philosophers.◦ When MT died, he
pushed for even greater reforms.
“Too many notes”
Reforms◦ Serfdom completely
abolished.◦ Taxes were made equal for
both serfs and nobles◦ Freedom of the press◦ Took property from the
church to fund hospitals.◦ Relaxed laws binding Jews to
villages. His brother Leopold,
however, was a huge reactionary, and rolled back a lot of the reforms.
Reigned 1762-1796 German-born princess
who staged a coup against her incompetent husband, Peter III.◦ Did the Romanov dynasty
end with her? Ignored son Paul, but
practically raised grandson Alexander by herself.
Major reformer…
Reform◦ Reorganized local
government and established a civil service.
◦ Decreased use of torture◦ Codified laws.◦ Toured the countryside
incognito. Potemkin village comes from
this tour.Potemkin
Backlash!◦ When Pugachev rebellion
arose, she back-pedaled some of the reforms. Toyed with the idea of
freeing the serfs.
The Don Cossack, Pugachev