Period 2: 1648-1815
Key Concept 2.1
Part I
In much of Europe, absolute monarchy was established over the course of the 17th and
18th centuries.
● Absolute monarchies limited the nobility’s participation in governance but
preserved the aristocracy’s social position and legal privileges
o In Louis XIV the nobles aren’t excluded anymore but it didn’t compromise
his power
● Louis XIV and his finance minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, extended the
administrative, financial, military, and religious control of the central state over the
French population
o Colbert is considered the greatest of the mercantilists, advisor of Louis,
Louis was determined to be his own prime minister after Mazarin, Colbert
was in charge of the treasury, adopted govt regulations on manufacturing
and quality controls, huge expansion of the role of govt
o Ways in which power was absolute:
▪ New expansion of govt authority in Colbert’s mercantilism
▪ Administrative: Intendants-French equivalent of coregadors, land
split up into districts and intendants appointed to enforce royal law
▪ 1685-the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes-ended religious
toleration for Huguenots
▪ also increased power in the Catholic church, not only had right to
select bishops, but also insisted on ability to appoint lesser church
offices
▪ Civil Code (1667)-laws against property-overrode custom and
provincial estates by imposing uniform law, centralizing power
▪ Criminal Code (1670)-laws against persons-overrode custom and
provincial estates by imposing uniform law, centralizing power
▪ Lettres de cachet: an arrest warrant that only the king could use,
they could arrest without a trial, used against political enemies
▪ Preached Divine Right of Kings
▪ Building of Versailles was one of his main shows of power, did it to
symbolize his authority, lots of symbolism of the sun king (pictured
Louis as the very life of France)
th
● In the 18 century, a number of states in eastern and central Europe
experimented with enlightened absolutism
Enlightened Absolutism
1. enlightened monarchy, enlightened despotism
2. principles and characteristics
a. rational government structure
, 1) orderly: enlightenment monarchs had a great passion for order
a) at this point in time, there were few written laws, there were mostly social
laws, so they wanted to establish uniformity
2) uniform
a) same structure and same laws through or across a monarch’s various
states (composite monarchies)
b) required overriding customary laws, rights, and privileges
3) efficient
4) de-personalized: the notion that monarchy is more important than the
monarch (new idea in the 18th century), now seen as more of an office or
institution as opposed to a person, what’s important is strengthening the
monarchy, monarch had a duty to the state
b. rational goals: both movements embraced ideal that society should be based
on rational thought not custom
1) pursued “happiness” of the monarch’s subjects
2) promoted economic growth: had previously done things following
mercantilist policies, they now started increasing production simply to
benefit the economy not to make a profit, monarchs were the ones to start
building canals (first major canal was built across France so shippers didn’t
have to keep going around Spain), govts also tried to improve roads, did this
to promote increased production, if successful this would benefit everyone
not just the government
3) humanitarian: moved towards religious toleration
4) encouraged education and the growth of knowledge/learning
c. secular and skeptical about religion and tended to anticlerical
d. read enlightened philosophers’ works, admiration for enlightened philosophers,
they don’t line up entirely because the enlightenment centered around liberty
and equality, which the monarchs did not agree with, this movement almost
strengthened their hold, they didn’t grant civil liberties, huge divide at the core
3. Prussia
a. Frederick I (reigned 1688-1713); Hohenzollern
b. Frederick William I (reigned 1713-40)
1) emphasis on order, efficiency, and obedience
i. very determined to do this through discipline
ii. wanted to build the biggest army possible
iii. he succeeded in this
2) implemented the principle of a service nobility
i. every noble was required to serve either in the govt or military
3) built up a considerable army with the meager resources
4) doesn’t illustrate other aspects of enlightened absolutism
c. Frederick II, “the Great” (reigned 1740-86)
1) Considered the height of the Enlightened absolutism
, 1) Codified (organized them into categories) laws and rationalized courts (he
was persuaded that there wasn’t real justice being found in court,
discrimination because of class, people also had to pay fees)
2) Built canals
3) promoted economic improvements
4) humanitarian reforms
5) secular: established freedom of religion
6) “state”
7) defended and extended the privileges of the nobility, in return
for their service in the military of the state
a. gave more power to nobles over their serfs
4. Austria (Hapsburg Monarchy)
a. Maria Theresa (reigned from 1740 to 1780)
1) centralize the government of Bohemia, with the monarchy taking over the
governing functions of the Bohemian estates
2) eliminate tariffs between Bohemia and Austria and establish a free trade
area
3) ordered restrictions on religious holidays
4) limited serf labor to three days a week (down from the traditional six)
5) banned the “horse”
b. Joseph II (reigned 1780-90)
1) “Germanize” the administration of all his dominions
i. wanted German to be the sole language
2) establish a uniform structure for the bureaucracy throughout the Hapsburg
dominions, including a system of rank, with promotion schedules and
inspectors
3) expanded international trade
4) abolition of serfdom
5) abolished torture
6) adopted religious toleration and near equality before the law for Protestants
[not reversed by his successors]
7) built hospitals
8) abolished capital punishment
9) closed monasteries [not reversed by his successors]
10)asserted more government control over the Church in matters of discipline
and property
11) granted a measure of Jewish emancipation, permitting them to enter some
trades previously forbidden to them and to attend universities
12)established freedom of the press (relaxation of censorship in 1781) (nobody
else did this)
13)established equality before the law
5. Russia –
Westernization of Russia
● Russia’s Isolation-prior to 1688 (Peter’s reign), Russia was very isolated
from the west, had no political relations and did not participate in any of the
Key Concept 2.1
Part I
In much of Europe, absolute monarchy was established over the course of the 17th and
18th centuries.
● Absolute monarchies limited the nobility’s participation in governance but
preserved the aristocracy’s social position and legal privileges
o In Louis XIV the nobles aren’t excluded anymore but it didn’t compromise
his power
● Louis XIV and his finance minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, extended the
administrative, financial, military, and religious control of the central state over the
French population
o Colbert is considered the greatest of the mercantilists, advisor of Louis,
Louis was determined to be his own prime minister after Mazarin, Colbert
was in charge of the treasury, adopted govt regulations on manufacturing
and quality controls, huge expansion of the role of govt
o Ways in which power was absolute:
▪ New expansion of govt authority in Colbert’s mercantilism
▪ Administrative: Intendants-French equivalent of coregadors, land
split up into districts and intendants appointed to enforce royal law
▪ 1685-the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes-ended religious
toleration for Huguenots
▪ also increased power in the Catholic church, not only had right to
select bishops, but also insisted on ability to appoint lesser church
offices
▪ Civil Code (1667)-laws against property-overrode custom and
provincial estates by imposing uniform law, centralizing power
▪ Criminal Code (1670)-laws against persons-overrode custom and
provincial estates by imposing uniform law, centralizing power
▪ Lettres de cachet: an arrest warrant that only the king could use,
they could arrest without a trial, used against political enemies
▪ Preached Divine Right of Kings
▪ Building of Versailles was one of his main shows of power, did it to
symbolize his authority, lots of symbolism of the sun king (pictured
Louis as the very life of France)
th
● In the 18 century, a number of states in eastern and central Europe
experimented with enlightened absolutism
Enlightened Absolutism
1. enlightened monarchy, enlightened despotism
2. principles and characteristics
a. rational government structure
, 1) orderly: enlightenment monarchs had a great passion for order
a) at this point in time, there were few written laws, there were mostly social
laws, so they wanted to establish uniformity
2) uniform
a) same structure and same laws through or across a monarch’s various
states (composite monarchies)
b) required overriding customary laws, rights, and privileges
3) efficient
4) de-personalized: the notion that monarchy is more important than the
monarch (new idea in the 18th century), now seen as more of an office or
institution as opposed to a person, what’s important is strengthening the
monarchy, monarch had a duty to the state
b. rational goals: both movements embraced ideal that society should be based
on rational thought not custom
1) pursued “happiness” of the monarch’s subjects
2) promoted economic growth: had previously done things following
mercantilist policies, they now started increasing production simply to
benefit the economy not to make a profit, monarchs were the ones to start
building canals (first major canal was built across France so shippers didn’t
have to keep going around Spain), govts also tried to improve roads, did this
to promote increased production, if successful this would benefit everyone
not just the government
3) humanitarian: moved towards religious toleration
4) encouraged education and the growth of knowledge/learning
c. secular and skeptical about religion and tended to anticlerical
d. read enlightened philosophers’ works, admiration for enlightened philosophers,
they don’t line up entirely because the enlightenment centered around liberty
and equality, which the monarchs did not agree with, this movement almost
strengthened their hold, they didn’t grant civil liberties, huge divide at the core
3. Prussia
a. Frederick I (reigned 1688-1713); Hohenzollern
b. Frederick William I (reigned 1713-40)
1) emphasis on order, efficiency, and obedience
i. very determined to do this through discipline
ii. wanted to build the biggest army possible
iii. he succeeded in this
2) implemented the principle of a service nobility
i. every noble was required to serve either in the govt or military
3) built up a considerable army with the meager resources
4) doesn’t illustrate other aspects of enlightened absolutism
c. Frederick II, “the Great” (reigned 1740-86)
1) Considered the height of the Enlightened absolutism
, 1) Codified (organized them into categories) laws and rationalized courts (he
was persuaded that there wasn’t real justice being found in court,
discrimination because of class, people also had to pay fees)
2) Built canals
3) promoted economic improvements
4) humanitarian reforms
5) secular: established freedom of religion
6) “state”
7) defended and extended the privileges of the nobility, in return
for their service in the military of the state
a. gave more power to nobles over their serfs
4. Austria (Hapsburg Monarchy)
a. Maria Theresa (reigned from 1740 to 1780)
1) centralize the government of Bohemia, with the monarchy taking over the
governing functions of the Bohemian estates
2) eliminate tariffs between Bohemia and Austria and establish a free trade
area
3) ordered restrictions on religious holidays
4) limited serf labor to three days a week (down from the traditional six)
5) banned the “horse”
b. Joseph II (reigned 1780-90)
1) “Germanize” the administration of all his dominions
i. wanted German to be the sole language
2) establish a uniform structure for the bureaucracy throughout the Hapsburg
dominions, including a system of rank, with promotion schedules and
inspectors
3) expanded international trade
4) abolition of serfdom
5) abolished torture
6) adopted religious toleration and near equality before the law for Protestants
[not reversed by his successors]
7) built hospitals
8) abolished capital punishment
9) closed monasteries [not reversed by his successors]
10)asserted more government control over the Church in matters of discipline
and property
11) granted a measure of Jewish emancipation, permitting them to enter some
trades previously forbidden to them and to attend universities
12)established freedom of the press (relaxation of censorship in 1781) (nobody
else did this)
13)established equality before the law
5. Russia –
Westernization of Russia
● Russia’s Isolation-prior to 1688 (Peter’s reign), Russia was very isolated
from the west, had no political relations and did not participate in any of the
