Eastern Europe in the Age of Absolutism: Brandenburg-Prussia & Austria AP European History

Eastern Europe: Land of lords and peasants ► ► In Eastern Europe: powerful nobility, weak middle class, serfs   1400 – 1650: Serfdom reintroduced by princes and “landed nobility” ► Due to population decline as a result of the PLAGUE  Lords solve econ. problems by exploiting serfs (peasants) - ► By 1500 – serfs throughout East  Lords take peasant lands – enslave serfs  Restrictions on movement – runaways hunted!  Demands made for unpaid serf labor

Political Reasons for Serfdom ► Weak monarchs could not resist powerful lords ► Kings don’t protect peasants ► Peasants had less political power in Eastern Europe ► Uprisings failed BUT STRONG KINGS ARISE... (the point of our story!!!!)

AUSTRIA rises in 17 th century!!! ► Problems: struggles with Turks / 30 Years’ War / Internal Issues (fighting btw. nationalities) ► 30 Years’ War failed to renew HRE – but -  Protestants wiped out, 1620 at White Mountain – centralization under Catholicism ► (nobility decimated so lands given to soldiers!)  Ferdinand III creates standing army ( ) ► Now – Austria turns East for land

► Ottomans – from central Asia to Turkey (Anatolia) – followers of Islam – determined foes of Catholic Hapsburgs ► The Sultanate – peaks  Under Suleiman the Magnificent  Sultan was absolute head of state ► Little private property – except slaves ► Male children in conquered Christian lands in Balkans! (Janissaries) ► Habsburg Victory  Final Turk attack on Vienna in the 17 th century - turned back in 1683 (Polish king – Sobieski helps);  Treaty of Karlowitz, 1699 = Hungary, Transylvania, Croatia & Slovenia incorporated into Austrian Empire  “Sick man of Europe” = beginning of the end for Turkey in late 17 th century Austria and the Turks

Hussar, King Sobieski (Poland), Pancerni, Light Calvary, Dragoon, Infantry, Ensign, Infantry Officer Deli, bannerat, visir, porte-wuntschuk, spahi, artillery, janissary, peik, captain of Janissaries, solak

Austrian Power ► Habsburg Family Possessions  Austria – Bohemia – Hungary  Union of rulers: not law or people --- Slavs, Hungarians, Croats, Serbs, Romanians, Czechs, Poles, Italians, Germans ► Pragmatic Sanction, 1713  Declared by Charles VI ( ) ► Hitherto, only males can rule HRE ► BUT he has no son – only daughter Maria Theresa  SO -- argued for no division of Austrian properties; land should be passed intact to a single heir = Maria Theresa = Empress of Austria, 1740; her husband, Francis-Stephen of Lorraine elected HREmperor, 1745

An Eastern European Anomaly: Brandenburg – Prussia Frederick William Frederick III (King Frederick I) Frederick William I ► Hohenzollern Family  AT FIRST “Elected” to lead as “first among equals” BUT the Elector of Brandenburg is relatively “helpless” ► SO prestige without power BUT  In 1614 inherits territory on the Rhine  In 1618 inherits Prussia from cousin  By 1640 Frederick William will raise Brandenburg- Prussia to new heights *stronger absolutism than Austria *unites German people in 19 th century!!!

Frederick William - The Great Elector Devastation of 30 Years’ War helps Fred. Wm. increase family power over Estates (aka Nobility) weakened by war family power over Estates (aka Nobility) weakened by war  Ignored traditional representative rights: RULED ABSOLUTE LY  Used military force and taxation to: ► Weaken the (feudal) Estates: Junkers ► Weaken the authority of towns  Example: Opposition leader in Königsberg was simply arrested and imprisoned for life!

Frederick William - The Great Elector  Permanent Standing Army est ► War Commissariat = oversaw taxation, growth and training for military / eventually became a branch of civil gov’t. that directly answered to the Elector  Permanent taxation without consent  Soldiers doubled as tax collectors and policeman ► Revenue triples ► In 1688, Prussia had 1 million people; 30,000 person permanent army -- and was at peace ► Many soldiers French Huguenot immigrants – welcomed as hard workers

Frederick William, The Great Elector ► But – needs war for unity --- so:  Fighting Sweden / Poland over Baltic  Fighting Louis XIV’s expansionism  Fighting Tartars of Crimea

King Frederick I,  “the ostentatious” - Weak imitator of Louis XIV  Granted title of King by Holy Roman Emperor in 1701 (after helping with War of Spanish Succession!)

Characteristics of Prussian Bureaucracy  Efficient  Honest  Successful  Paradoxically, most militaristic BUT almost always at peace!!!  “Sparta of the North” rigidity / discipline / obedience “to keep quiet is the first civic duty”  Tried to develop the economy

King Frederick William I, ► Fuses Prussian bureaucracy and militarism  1740 army = 80,000 men  Separate laws for military and civilians!!  Officer corps (remember these are primarily Junkers) = highest ranking social class ► Monarchy and Junkers join together to form a unified political entity  HOWEVER Frederick William I uses the military as a Prussian unifier NOT to wage foreign wars!!