1. 16.4-The Rise of Austria & Prussia

2. Holy Roman Empire
Voltaire’s take: neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire
By 1600 the HRE: patchwork of several 100 separate states; emperor selected by 7 electors (the top German Princes) held no real power

3. Thirty Years War (War of German Principalities) 1618-1648
Bohemia: present day Czech Republic
Ferdinand: Catholic Hapsburg king of Bohemia wanted power over nobles
Defenestration of Prague:1618 rebellious nobles threw officials from a window

4. Shifting Alliances?
Religion v. politics: Ferdinand set out to reverse the Reformation by force, general revolt widened into alliances across Europe, eventually political interests became more important than religious beliefs - Catholics were joining Protestants to fight Catholics

5. Destruction of HRE
Mercenaries: soldiers for hire, thugs seeking wealth
Depopulation: 1/3rd of all Germans are killed in the ensuing conflict

6. Peace of Westphalia (1648) Results: France is the big winner!
Gained lands from Germany & Spain
Neth. & Swiss Fed. Gained independence
HRE basically disintegrates, princes on their own (Hapsburgs big losers)
Ger. fragmented til 1871

7. Hapsburg Austria Bohemia, Hungary, & parts of Poland added
Challenges to its unity: geography, cultural diversity, variety of languages, laws, political assemblies, customs
settled these areas with German speaking officials and landowners

8. Maria Theresa (1717-1780): (ruled 1740-1780)
father Charles VI persuaded European rulers to recognize his daughter (failed!)
Qualities:gained the respect of her people by standing up to Prussia, reorganized the gov., and tax system easing pressure on the poor

9. War of Austrian Succession: Theresa’s fight for Legitimacy (1740-1748)
Frederick II of Prussia: occupied the mineral rich province of Silesia following Charles VI death
Maria Theresa never forced him out, but “shored up” her empire

10. Prussia Background: emerging Protestant power across northern Germany
Hohenzollern: rich landowning family which united their lands to create Prussia in 1600s

11. Hohenzollern bureaucracy
Frederick William I: ruler who shrewdly gained the support of the junkers by giving them jobs- mostly military
Junkers: Prussian nobility

12. Frederick II
Frederick I’s heir whose rough upbringing saw him go from scholar (poet/flute) to runaway (friend’s beheading) - bold military leader “Frederick the Great”

13. Prussia v. Austria
Catholic Austria (S) vs. Protestant Prussia (N) - fought from 1740 through Treaty of Paris in 1763

14. England v. France
Seven Yrs War ( ): fought on 4 continents by major European powers
French & Indian War: No. Am aspect of the Seven Yrs War (Last of Mohicans)

15. Treaty of Paris (1763) Britain big winner and huge empire
Changed the balance of power in Europe for the next 100 yrs
Prussia & Austrian soon partitioned Poland (1795)