1. Absolutism in Eastern Europe 1600-1740
Chapter 17 Part 1
Absolutism in Eastern Europe

2. HOP RAP In Decline: On the Rise: HRE Ottoman Empire Poland Russia
Austria
Prussia

3. The HRE In decline due to : The Reformation
Religious wars of the 16th and 17th Centuries
Germany split into 300+ sovereign principalities …Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist

4. The Ottoman Empire Was built on expansion
The Sultan had absolute power
After 1560 a decline in Western Expansion meant the disintegration of the Empire…
The Sultan could only keep power if the empire expanded because this is how he rewarded loyalty and military service…with conquered territory

5. The Ottoman Empire
Expansion was checked by Russian and Austrian expansion
Will soon be called, “The Sick Old Man of Europe”
Concern by great powers: Who would fill the gap?

6. The Ottoman Empire Suleiman the Magnificent (gone by 1566)
The most powerful man in Europe in the 16th Century
1529 Suleiman almost conquered Austria
DID capture Serbia
Took almost ½ of Eastern Europe
The Balkans
Part of Hungary
Part of Southern Russia

7. The Ottoman Empire
Talented Christian children from conquered provinces worked in the Ottoman bureaucracy
Janissary Corps: Christian slaves (not talented enough for the bureaucracy) served loyally in the Turkish army
NOTE: the Ottomans were tolerant re religion and culture and tradition of conquered people
Millets: Christian or Jewish communities within the Ottoman Empire were expected to pay taxes, contribute to the army, and keep the peace.

8. Poland Had once been very powerful BUT was undone by:
The Liberum Veto: voting in the Polish Parliament had to be unanimous for changes to be made
So little was done to strengthen or defend the kingdom

9. Poland
Will be divided up between Russia, Austria, and Prussia in three separate “Partitions of Poland” in the 1770’s and 1790’s
Poland will disappear from the map of Europe by 1800

10. Absolutism in Eastern Europe
Was different than Absolutism in Western Europe
Eastern Absolutism: was based on a powerful nobility, fairly weak and small middle-class, weak monarch and oppressed peasantry…serfs
Western Absolutism: Powerful monarch, weak nobles, stronger middle class peasants free from serfdom

11. Eastern European Centralization
Threats of war and Asian invaders necessitated strong leadership in Eastern Europe
So… for the sake of survival, Eastern European nobles agreed to support a monarch IF they were given something in return
The nobles in Eastern Europe insisted on more authority over the peasants

12. Results of Centralization:
Reduced political power of the nobility
BUT the nobility had increased power over the peasants
The nth degree of Eastern European Absolutism was the reign of Peter the Great

13. Eastern Absolutists
Kings imposed and collected permanent taxes without the consent of their subjects
Eastern European countries maintained permanent standing armies

14. Serfdom in Eastern Europe
During the early modern period, serfdom was revived or re-imposed in Eastern Europe
Bohemia, Silesia, Hungary, eastern Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Russia
The Black Death created tremendous labor shortages (like in Western Europe)

15. Nobles demanded:
That their kings and princes restrict or eliminate the free movement of peasants
By 1500 in Prussia, laws required that runaways be hunted down and returned
Laws were passed that froze peasants in their social class

16. The Nobles…
Confiscated Peasant land and imposed heavier labor obligations
The legal system was monopolized by the local lord

17. The Robot Labor obligation of the “free” (non-serf ) peasant
Free peasants were often required to give 3 to 4 days of labor to their local lord each week without pay
How did the robot differ from the corvee?

18. Between
Hereditary serfdom was re-established in Poland, Russia and Prussia
Poland: by 1574 nobles had complete control over the peasants…life or death
In 1694 the Russian tsar rescinded a 9-year term limit on recovery of runaway serfs

19. The Growth of Estate Agriculture
Especially in Poland and Eastern Germany
Food prices increased as a result of the influx of precious metals from the Americas
Surpluses of wheat and timber were sold to the big foreign merchants who exported to the West

20. In the East Monarchs NEEDED the nobles
The constant warfare in the East meant that the monarch needed the cooperation of the nobles to keep peace
Strong Kings will not emerge in Eastern Europe until after 1650
Until then…”First among equals”

21. Peasants in the East Uprisings did not succeed No solidarity
Landlords (nobles) undermined the medieval privileges of towns and power of urban classes
SO…population in towns small
Population of urban middle class was small

22. The Austrian Empire (Hapsburg)
The ruler of Austria was traditionally selected as the HRE
After the War of the Spanish Succession and the Treaty of Utrecht, the Bourbons occupied the Spanish throne
The Hapsburg power is now concentrated in Austria

23. The Austrian-Hapsburg Empire included:
Naples, Sardinia, Milan (in Italy)
Austrian Netherlands (Belgium)
Hungary and Transylvania (Romania)

24. Hapsburgs
Will attempt to consolidate their diverse holdings into a strong, unified state

25. The Reorganization of Bohemia
Czech (Bohemian) nobility was wiped out
Ferdinand II (who began the 30 Years’ War) redistributed Czech lands to aristocratic soldiers from all over Europe
Conditions for serfs declined

26. Provinces in Austria Proper
Were centralized
Ferdinand II created a large permanent standing army
Hungary the largest part of the dominion
Serfdom was intensified there

27. Government in the Austrian Empire
Austria was not a single nation-state
Each region had a different legal relationship with the Emperor
It included many nationalities and multiple regions:
Austria Proper: Germans, Italians
Bohemia: Czechs
Hungary: Hungarians, Serbs, Croats, Rumanians

28. Important Hapsburg Rulers
Ferdinand II ( ) Ruled during the 30 Years’ War
Ferdinand III ( ) Centralized Austria Proper
Leopold I ( ) Was influenced by Jesuits, severely restricted Protestantism, successfully defended Vienna from the Ottoman Turks in The Siege of Vienna in 1683…the last attempt by the Ottomans to take central Europe

29. Hapsburg Rulers
Charles VI : spent most of his reign protecting his daughter’s ascension to the throne
The Pragmatic Sanction of 1713: Hapsburg possessions were never to be divided and henceforth to be passes intact to a single heir
Maria Theresa ( )