1. Bellringer Download today’s notes: Enlightened Absolutism Notes
Answer the following questions:
1. What does “enlightened” mean?
2. What does “absolutism” mean?
3. Could these two terms go together and how?

2. It Matters Because

3. Enlightened Absolutism

4. Prussia Major European power Frederick William I
Absolute ruler
Doubled the size of the army
Frederick II (Frederick the Great),
One of the best educated monarchs of the time
Friend of Voltaire, big on Enlightenment ideas
Enlarged the Prussian army
Willing to make enlightened reforms
Abolished torture
Limited freedom of speech and press
Greater religious toleration
Kept serfdom and rigid social structure, no additional reforms

5. Austria & Prussia

6. Austria
One of the greatest European states by the start of the 1700s, but difficult to rule. Why?
Empress Maria Theresa tried to centralize and strengthen the state
Not open to the philosophes call for reform, but did try to improve the conditions of serfs
Joseph II
Big on “reason”
Abolished serfdom, eliminated the death penalty
Established the principle of equality before the law
Religious reforms and religious toleration
Program largely failed… alienated the nobles by freeing the serfs, alienated the Catholic church through reforms, serfs didn’t understand changes
Successors undid all his reforms

7. Russia Peter the Great followed by 6 weak successors
Catherine II (Catherine the Great),
Intelligent, familiar with the philosophes’ work
Favored enlightened reforms
Considered equality before the law, but didn’t want to lose support of nobles… but peasants ended up revolting, serfdom was expanded
Expanded Russia’s borders

8. The Verdict
Did these rulers live up to Enlightenment ideals? Why or why not?

9. Balance of Power Philosophes condemned war.
Many rulers still waged war as a means to maintain the balance of power.
Define:
Large armies not only defended the states, but conquered new territories.
This led to two major wars in the 18th century…

10. Review! 1. What are natural rights? Give examples.
2. How did the philosophes think these rights could be protected?
3. What reform did Catherine the Great consider putting into effect? Why did she not follow through with this?
4. Were any of the rulers truly enlightened in the sense envisioned by the philosophes?
5. What were the main goals of all these rulers?
6. Why did European states build up their armies?