1. Central and Eastern European Absolutism

2. Juxtaposition of Eastern and Western Europe Time Period (AD) Western EuropeEastern EuropeComparison High Middle Ages 1000 - 1300 Economic Expansion Rise of Towns and Middle Class Declining Serfdom Ditto Plus, more wilderness out here to reclaim Germanic people move in; often see themselves as superior to Slavs Basically the same Black Death and Renaissance 1300-1500 Peasant Power – end of serfdom Nobles are a bit more limited Nobles manage to use force to maintain and even greatly enhance serfdom; noble judiciary Strong nobles Major point of divergence Renaissance and Wars of Religion 1500-1650 Renaissance Princes Split of the church weakens hierarchy Growing wealth/ Atlantic System Lords push peasants even further down Few cities; nobles export agricultural products directly to wealthier west; almost no middle class ‘First Among Equals’ Continued Gap… Then, 30 Years’ War Ravages Central and Eastern Europe… from the ruins… Absolutism

3. Prussia and Austria Both turn to Absolutism after the Wars of Religion –Raise Taxes –weaken nobles –Build standing armies Both parts of the HRE Turn east in search of land for an empire after Wars of Religion

4. Austria –Home of Austrian branch of the Habsburg family –fights Ottomans –eventually wins Hungary and Bohemia (and the Tyrol and Styria and other smaller HRE states) Prussia- Brandenburg –Hohenzollern family –Geographic difficulties Poor land Divided land –Sparta of the North ‘Usually the state builds an army. In Prussia, the army built the state’ –Every leader is named Frederick or Frederick Williams- confusing…

5. In the long run, the rise of Prussia and Austria is key to the unification of Germany Prussia’s militarism is key because they become the central actor in unifying Germany, not Austria –German militarism might be a touch important later In fact, Prussian victory in the competition to lead the unification of Germany explains, in part, why Austria is not a part of Germany today