1. The Enlightened Absolutists

2. Prussia  Frederick The Great (Frederick II) (r. 1740-1786)

4. 18 th Century Military  Professional, standing armies are now the norm.  Armies are bigger than in the early modern period. Large battles may include 100,000 soldiers total.  Training and paying these armies full time required lots of money and resources which requires central control.  Fortunately, having a large standing army allowed the state to enforce more control. How convenient.  Armies moved very slowly and carefully due to logistical concerns. Battles were rarely decisive.

5. Austria/HRE – Charles VI (r. 1711-1740)

6. Charles VI Has A Daughter Problem  Marie Theresa of Austria (r. 1740-1780)

7. War Of Austrian Succession (1740-1748)

9. The Seven Years’ War  Prussia Prussia  Great Britain Great Britain  Hanover Hanover  Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel  Iroquois Confederacy Iroquois Confederacy  Portugal (from 1761) Portugal  Hesse-Kassel Hesse-Kassel  Schaumburg-Lippe Schaumburg-Lippe  France France  Austria Austria  Russia (until 1762) Russia  Spanish Empire (from 1761) Spanish Empire  Sweden (1757-62) Sweden  Saxony Saxony  Mughal Empire (from 1757)Mughal Empire

10. The Seven Years’ War (1756- 1763)

11. Frederick Is Saved By A Miracle!

12. Post-War Frederick & Prussia

14. Russia & Catherine The Great  (r. 1762-1796)

15. Catherine Come To Power

16. Catherine The Enlightened

17. Catherine The Less Enlightened

19. Austria  Marie Theresa of Austria (r. 1740-1780)  "She has, as you well know, a terrible hatred for France, with which nation it is most difficult for her to keep on good terms, but she controls this passion except when she thinks to her advantage to display it. She detests Your Majesty, but acknowledges your ability. She cannot forget the loss of Silesia, nor her grief over the soldiers she lost in wars with you." Prussian ambassador's letter to Frederick the Great.Frederick the Great

20. Marie Theresa’s Reforms "She is most unusually ambitious and hopes to make the House of Austria more renowned than it has ever been." – Prussian ambassador's letter to Frederick II of Prussia. Frederick II of Prussia "That woman's achievements are those of a great man." – The writings of Frederick II of Prussia.

21. Joseph II  (r. ~1780-1790)  He tries to implement the enlightened absolute ideal, but fails.

22. The Bottom Line(?)