1. 3. Enlightened reforms of Frederick the Great
a. Frederick claimed that he saw himself as the “first servant of the state”
The destruction of war encouraged Frederick to help improve society
Yet, Frederick was an absolute ruler
His reforms were mostly intended to increase the power of the state
The peasantry did not really benefit from his reforms

2. b. Allowed religious toleration (although less so for Jews)
Jews did not receive full rights until eight years after Frederick’s death
c. Promoted education in schools and universities
Gains in primary education were modest
Codified and streamlined laws
Freed serfs on Crown lands
Peasants were needed for the army
Serfdom remained on noble lands although Frederick ordered an end to physical punishments

3. f. Improved the state bureaucracy by
f. Improved the state bureaucracy by requiring exams for civil servants
g. Reduced censorship
h. Abolished capital punishment (but not in the army)
i. Encouraged immigration
j. Encouraged industrial and agricultural growth

4. 4. Yet, Prussia’s social structure remained stratified
a. Serfdom remained on non-crown lands
b. The Junkers were the backbone of the Prussian military and the state
The state did not recognize marriages between nobles and commoners.
Nobles were not allowed to sell their lands to non-nobles.
c. Middle class had trouble moving up

5. D. “Catherine the Great” (Catherine II) of Russia (r. 1762-1798)
      1. Background
a. One of the greatest rulers in European history
Perhaps the least enlightened of the Enlightened Despots
b. Conspired against her husband Peter III to gain the throne.
c. Lover of French culture and saw herself as a child of the Enlightenment
Diderot lived in her court briefly
Wikipedia Commons Artist: Johann Baptist von Lampi the Elder Date: 1780s Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum

6. a. Eugene Pugachev, a Cossack soldier, led a huge serf uprising
2. Pugachev Rebellion (1773)
a. Eugene Pugachev, a Cossack soldier, led a huge serf uprising
Demanded an end to serfdom, taxes, and military conscription
Landlords and officials were murdered all over southwestern Russia
Pugachev was eventually captured and executed
Wikipedia Commons Artist: Johann Baptist von Lampi the Elder Date: 1780s Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum

7. Serfdom spread to new areas (e.g. Ukraine)
b. Catherine needed support of the nobility and gave them absolute control over serfs
Serfdom spread to new areas (e.g. Ukraine)
1785, Catherine freed nobles from taxes and state service
Confiscated Orthodox Church lands and gave them to her favorite officials
Nobles reached their height while serfs were worse off
Wikipedia Commons Artist: Fyodor Rokotov Date: Location: Tretkayov Gallery, Moscow

8. 3. Catherine imported Western culture into Russia a
3. Catherine imported Western culture into Russia a. Architects, artists, musicians and writers were invited to Russia b. Culturally, Russia gained the respect of western European countries 4. Educational reforms a. Supported the first private printing presses -- Number of books published annually in Russia increased dramatically b. A school for noble girls founded

9. 5. Restricted the practice of torture 6
5. Restricted the practice of torture 6. Allowed limited religious toleration a. Stopped persecution of Old Believers b. Jews granted civil equality 7. Strengthened local gov’t led by elective councils of nobles -- Yet, the crown not obligated to accept recommendations from councils 8. Shortcomings of Catherine’s reforms a. Only the state and nobility benefited b. Serfdom became even more severe

10. 9. Territorial growth under Catherine
       a. Annexed Polish territory through three Partitions of Poland: 1772, , 1795
      Poland’s Diet was weak due to the Liberum veto
         b. Gained Ottoman land in the Crimea controlled by Tartars.
c. Began conquest of the Caucasus
d. Expansion provided new lands with which to give Russian nobles

11. Partitions of Poland: 1772-1795
Wikipedia Commons Map Maker: Halibutt 2005

12. D.  Austria 1. Maria Theresa (r. 1740-1780)
a. Inherited the throne from Charles VI
Pragmatic Sanction of 1713: issued by Leopold
She was archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia
Sought to improve the condition of her people through absolute rule
Conservative and cautious

13. b.  War of Austrian Succession
As a female, she could not assume the title of Holy Roman Emperor
This cast doubts on her legitimacy as ruler of the Habsburg empire
Though she lost Silesia, she saved her leadership of the empire
Gained support of the Hungarian nobility in defeating Bohemian revolt and preserving the empire

14. c.  Centralized control of the Habsburg Empire
Limited the power of the nobles
Reduced serfdom
Increased size of the empire’s army
Improved the tax system
Reduced conflicts between various provinces in the empire
Reduced torture in legal proceedings

15. d.  Brought the Catholic Church under state control
Reduced papal influence in Austria
Taxed the Catholic church
Believed the Church and nobility were the foundations of the state
e. Promoted economic development
Hoped giving serfs freedom would make them more productive
Abolished guilds
Abolished internal tariffs
Encouraged immigration
Improved transportation
Supported private enterprise

16. f. Maria Theresa is not considered an
f.  Maria Theresa is not considered an Enlightened Despot despite numerous reforms
She was not a fan of the Enlightenment
Did not go as far as others in allowing religious toleration (although she allowed some tolerance for Protestants)

17. a. Co-regent with Maria Theresa until 1780
2. Joseph II (r )
a. Co-regent with Maria Theresa until 1780
b. Perhaps the greatest of the Enlightened Despots but also the least effective
c. Major reforms
Abolished serfdom and feudal dues
Freedom of religion and civic rights to Protestants and Jews
Reduced influence of the Catholic church
Wikipedia Commons Artist: Georg Decker Location: Albertina, Vienna

18. Freedom of the press (to some degree)
Reformed the judicial system and sought to make it equal for all citizens
Abolished torture and death penalty
Expanded state schools
Established hospitals, insane asylums, poor houses and orphanages

19. d. The Empire declined under Joseph’s reign
Austria was defeated several times by the Ottoman Empire
The Austrian Netherlands were in revolt
Russia was threatening Austria’s interests in eastern Europe and Balkans
Leopold II reversed many reforms in order to maintain effective control of the empire
Joseph (right) with his younger brother Peter Leopold (later Leopold II). Wikipedia Commons Artist: Pompeo Batoni Date: Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum