1. Three Aging Empires Section 5.23
Chapter 5: The Transformation of Eastern Europe,

2. Questions to Consider
What major differences may be noted between eastern and western Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries?
Why may the HRE, the Republic of Poland and the Ottoman Empire in the mid 17th century be characterized as “old-fashioned” political institutions?
Describe the changes in the HRE brought about by (a) the Reformation, (b) the 30 Years’ War, © the Peace of Westphalia.
What was distinctive about the political life of the Poland in the 17th century?
How would you categorize the nature of Ottoman rule in eastern Europe? What changes were taking place in the 17th century?

3. Introduction 1648 Modernity v. Tradition
HRE, Poland, and the Ottoman Turks=Tradition
Prussia, Austria, and Russia are rising to new heights
Eventually they will expand to absorb territory on their perimeters

4. Rough line divided east and west
Less urban
Labor less productive
Bourgeoisie less influential
Peasants becoming serfs (robot)
Commercial revolution in the west changed the working class into a mobile free populace
Result is a powerful landholding class in Prussia, Austria and Russia

5. Three Aging Empires HRE, Poland, Ottoman Turks
Similarities
Loose, ranging, and undefined borders
Central authority weak & relied on various dignitaries
Inefficient government administrations
Diverse ethnic or language groups
Lack of centralization

6. Holy Roman Empire 1714

7. The Holy Roman Empire after 1648
War
Devastated by the Reformation and 30 Years War
Thirty Years War drained capital and reduced commercial connections
Arts and letters drifted to low ebb
Leibniz and Bach were among the few noteworthy minds
Motley Crew of States
Multitude of laws, tariffs, tolls, coinage, and calendar slowed economic development

8. The Holy Roman Empire after 1648
Hundreds of independent states capable of action and intent on preserving Germanic liberties
capitulations
No central authority allowed to impede the imperial diet Absolutism was developed in the small states and cities
Miniature league of nations protected large and small states alike
Marriage and inheritance was an avenue to accumulated power
Lacks army, revenue, and working government

9. Poland

10. Blocked both absolutism & parliamentarianism
Poland 1650
Republic
Technically a republic b/c king was elected
Really feudal
Diverse population
Szlachta’s Power
Landed aristocracy
Blocked both absolutism & parliamentarianism
Elected king had to accept capitulations
“exploding”
Liberum veto (free veto)
Szlachta

11. King had no army, no courts, and no income
Poland 1650
King had no army, no courts, and no income
Nobility paid no taxes, held armies and conducted foreign affairs independently
Serfs fell into virtual bondage
Power vacuum was perceived by surrounding political powers
1660 East Prussian fief became independent
Fatal characteristic of Poland will haunt her throughout history

12. Ottoman Empire

13. The Ottoman Empire 1650 Militarily Dated Was once a power Janissaries
Ethnically/Religiously Diverse
Little focus on assimilating subjected people
Only Muslims subject to Koranic Law
Policy of religious tolerance
Religious leaders mediated between the Ottomans and non-Muslims

14. The Ottoman Empire 1650
Economic motive for toleration
External interests gained privileges within the empire
Trade protections were given to French traders since 1535
Equitable legal systems
Outlying governors had near free had over their areas of control
By 1663 trouble for Europe is fermenting in Hungary

15. Map Activity
On the outline maps of Europe indicate (a) in the upper panel the approximate boundaries about 1660 of the HRE, the Republic of Poland, and the Ottoman Empire; (b) in the lower panel the boundaries of the three “new” states---Austria, Prussia, and Russia---as they had developed by 1795
Show the boundary of east and west (agrarian zone)
Label the Danube, Elbe, Oder, Vistula, Po, Volga rivers
Label the Adriatic, Black, North, Baltic, and Mediterranean Seas
Label Trieste
Use pages 212, 216 and 222 of 8th edition