Enlightened Absolutism Philosophes believed that the success of any state depended on the degree of freedom and happiness it was able to assure its people. Educated people, who were primarily nobility and middle class came to regard political change as both possible and desirable. Many enlightenment thinkers believed that political change should come from above- from the ruler- rather than from below Voltaire and Diderot in particular believed in “enlightened absolutism” – were friends of monarchs and did not wish to limit their power but rather to redirect it toward the: Rationalization of economic and political structures Liberation of intellectual life Rousseau warned that enlightened thinking and absolutism were incompatible

Frederick the Great German states were fertile ground for enlightened absolutism. German philosophes remained closely tied to existing order Less critical of the state than their French counterparts. Immanuel Kant- Enlightenment mean liberation of the individual intellectually and morally, but not politically or socially. Individual should think critically, but also obey.

“The officer says: Do not argue-drill “The officer says: Do not argue-drill! The tax collector: Do not argue-pay! The pastor: Do not argue- believe! Only one ruler in the world says: Argue as much as you please, but obey!”- Kant

Frederick the Great (r.1740-1786) Turned his court into a center of learning for the nobility “Sans Souci”- rococo chateau “transformed a sad Sparta into a brilliant Athens”- Voltaire Emphasized French as language of learning Made Voltaire center of his court for 2 years Voltaire fell out of favor when he was critical of the wars Frederick was entering in “first servant of the state” Anti-Machiavelli in that he argued against Machiavelli that the ruler should be chiefly concerned with the well being of his subjects

Sans Souci In Potsdam, near Berlin

“Enlightened Reforms” Freed the serfs of the royal domains and ordered the abolition of the lords’ right to punish their own serfs physically Judicial reforms ended abuses by magistrates Relaxed censorship and abolished capital punishment Improved the state bureaucracy—examination system Civil service reform- Made it possible for men of non- noble birth to fill senior government and military posts Meritocracy Also focused on economic development- drained swamps for more agricultural land New crops introduced like potatoes and turnips- grown intensively

Or not? Many of the reforms were intended to make the Prussian state more powerful Freed serfs meant more people in the army Refused to emancipate Prussian Jews Prussian law reinforced distinction between noble and commoner Refused to ban serfdom on private estates Jews will be granted freedom eight years after his death with the Prussian Code “every inhabitant of the state…complete freedom of religion and conscience.”

Or Not? Social Structure in Prussia remained heavily stratified Serfdom on noble lands maintained “Junkers” were the backbone of Prussia’s military and state Middle class will find it very hard to move up socially The state did not recognize marriages between nobles and commoners Nobles not allowed to sell their land to non nobles Civilian bureaucrats not permitted to enter nobility But in judiciary 2/3 of judges were non nobles

Catherine the Great (r. 1762-1796) Her husband Peter III was assassinated- she likely took part in the assassination Catherine admired and read Montesquieu and Voltaire- hosted Diderot and actually purchased his library for a large price Born German princess from Pomerania , contemptuous of Russian culture – preferred French “To instruct a nation is to civilize it” Established a school for the daughters of nobles, and without eliminating censorship she authorized private printing press and encouraged more books Restricted the use of torture But did little to reform or modernize Russia – perhaps least enlightened

Relationship with Nobles Pugachev Rebellion (1773) Eugene Pugachev led a great serf revolt in the Volga region Demanded end to serfdom Eventually captured and beheaded Catherine gave nobles absolute control of serfs Nobles reached height of their position while serfs were worse than ever before The Charter of Nobility (1785)- recognized rights and privileges of the nobility, including exception from taxes and military service After death of Peter the Great, the nobility had escaped many of the restrictions imposed by Peter. Catherine too dependent on the nobility to make serious reforms Extended serfdom into new areas- including Ukraine

Religion Termination of official persecution of Old Believers – dissident sect in the Russian Orthodox Church When Jewish population increases with addition of first Partition of Poland, she placed Jewish merchants and other townspeople on equal basis with Christians Didn’t last long due to protests In 1794- double taxation for Jews Shortcomings of Catherine’s reforms Only the state and nobility benefited- the rest of the Russian population benefited little, if at all Serfdom even more severe (only nobles could own land)

Austria- Maria Theresa and Joseph II

Maria Theresa (r. 1740-1780) Not typically considered Enlightened despot Successfully defended her right to inherit Hapsburg throne during War of Austrian Succession Centralized control of the Hapsburg Empire Limited power of nobles Helped condition of the serfs Increased standing army from 30,000 to 100,000 Reduced torture Brought the Catholic Church in Austria under state control Promoted economic development Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 issued by Leopold – rule could be passed to daughter Reduced power of the lords over their serfs-some serfs partially freed- feudal dues by peasants were reduced or eliminated Nobles taxed Sought to reduce Pope’s influence in Austria Supressed the Jesuits She believed the Church and nobility were the foundations of the state Did not go as far as others with religious toleration

Joseph II (1765-1790) Ruled with his mother as co-ruler until her death in 1780 Perhaps greatest in terms of reforms, but ended up being least effective Firm believer in absolutism Goal was to modernize the instruments of government and increase crown’s authority

Joseph II’s Reforms Abolished serfdom and feudal dues in 1781 Religious toleration Freedom of religion to Protestants and removed some restrictions on Jews Reduced the influence of Catholic Church Reduced monasteries and confiscated lands Bishops and other high-ranking churchmen had to swear obedience to ruler Allowed freedom of the press to a significant degree Reformed judicial system Abolished torture and death penalty Expanded state schools Made German the official language of empire Many peasants didn’t like this because it stated that obligations to lord had to be paid in cash rather than labor Nobles resisted their reduced power Was overturned after his death b/c his brother Leopold II needed more support from nobles Empire declines after his rule- Leopold II forced to reverse many of the reforms to maintain control

Enlightened Despots? In spite of differences, the leading monarchs of the late 18th century all believed they were acting on principals of the enlightenment Philosophes generally cheered them on Frederick and Catherine encouraged spread of cultural values Skeptical of religion Found happiness in the enjoyment of life Tried to make life better for their subjects through reforms Still the gap between the privileged nobility and heavily burdened people remained as great as ever Many historians believe they were not sincere in efforts Strengthened their authority Sincerity particularly applies to Catherine