1. Central European Monarchs Clash

2. Thirty Years’ War ( )
Holy Roman Empire has broken down into several Prussian (German) territories.
Peace of Augsburg – Choose Lutheran or Catholic; peace was short lived; Calvinists move into area and all princes allied with their “own kind”
1618: Ferdinand of Bohemia (Hapsburg king) elected emperor. He is Anti – Protestant. Tried to return Prussia (Germany) to Catholicism.
Spain, Poland supported Ferdinand.
Protestant countries – Sweden, Netherlands – sent troops into Prussia to protect Protestants.
France comes in on side of Sweden to protect Alsace from Prussian control and to insure that the Hapsburgs monarchy would not be as powerful as France.
Over thirty years alliances continually changed.
War led to starvation, famine and disease. Area severely depopulated.

3. Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) 1648: Peace of Westphalia signed.
New Peace method used for 1st time!
Germany is destroyed (population decimated, agriculture and economy destroyed)
Prussia remains fragmented
German princes independent of HRE
Spanish and Austrian Hapsburgs lose much power.
France is clear winner, gains territory from Spain and Prussia, including Alsace.
Ended the religious wars
MOST IMPORTANT- beginning of the modern state; no more religious empires
Power vacuum in the central part of Europe will be filled by two German speaking families!

4. From World History: Connections to Today Prentice Hall, 2003

5. Hapsburgs
&
Austria

6. Prussia & the Austrian Empire: 1721-22

7. Austria – Maria Theresa (Hapsburg) 1740 - 1780
Absolute monarch of Austria
Controlled a diverse population
Inherited the throne from her father, Charles VI; other leaders promised to recognize her as leader
Took away nobles power
Enlightened Despot
Eased tax and labor burden on her people
Gave more rights to her subjects
Gave birth to 16 children while in power (Louis XIV’ wife, Marie Antoinette)

8. Maria Theresa & Her Family
Her Notable Children:
HRE Joseph II
HRE Leopold II
Queen Marie Antoinette (Fr.)

9. The Hohenzollerns
&
Brandenburg-Prussia

10. Frederick I - King of Prussia 1713-1740
Family name: Hohenzollerns
Also known as the Great Elector
Fear b/c of 30 yr. war - builds the strongest army in Europe
Becomes an absolute monarch
To protect his lands
Began calling themselves kings
Introduced taxation
Weakened the representative assemblies of their territories

11. Junkers- Prussia’s landowning nobility
Originally oppose Fredericks growing power
Later are given the exclusive rights to be officers in the military
Prussia becomes a strictly controlled, highly militarized society.

12. Frederick the Great
King of Prussia
Frederick II

13. Frederick II “the Great”
Childhood: Not military enough?
Frederick loves poetry, music, and philosophy
Runs away with a friend
Gets caught
Forced to watch his friend get beheaded
Leaves Frederick with bitter memories

14. Frederick II “the Great”
Once king he follows his fathers military policies.
Softened some of his fathers laws
Encouraged religious toleration and legal reform
Believed that a ruler should be like a father to his people

15. The War of the
Austrian Succession

16. War of Austrian Succession
Frederick II of Prussia wants control of Hungary and Silesia (1740)
Silesia- an area that produces iron ore, textiles & food products.
He doubts Maria’s power
Maria Theresa gathers and army and together with Great Britain and Hungary fight Prussia and France.
Result: Maria Theresa loses Silesia
Prussians unified into 1 nation
and become a major power!

17. War of the Austrian Succession

18. Seven Years War
Maria Theresa (Austria) makes an alliance with France – she switched alliances
Frederick the Great (Prussia) signs an alliance with Great Britain – he switched alliances
Austria, France, and Russia vs. Prussia and Great Britain.
1st time Russia has played a part in European affairs.
1756 Frederick attacks Saxony (an Austrian ally)
Seven Years war begins ( )
Also known as the French and Indian War
British emerge as the victors and French lost its colonies in North America.