AP Euro Unit IV

How long did absolutism last?

It lasted from 1600s to 1700s in Europe

What was absolute rule like?

Monarchs claimed total power as a divine right given to them by God

What did Enlightenment philosophers reject about absolutism?

They did not believe in divine right

What did Enlightenment philosophers believe about absolutism?

They believed that monarchs were entrusted with power by means of the social contract and state originated from their citizens

What did philosophers believe people were born with?

Certain civil and political rights

What did philosophers believe the government's role is?

To secure its citizen's liberty and happiness - rights derived from natural law before the formation of government

What were John Locke's main beliefs?

He believed humans were born with natural rights

Social contract formed between government and people

What did John Locke's beliefs justify?

Many revolutions like the Glorious Revolution

What did many philosophers also advocate for?

Political reform through convincing kings and not citizens

What did many European look at Enlightenment philosophers for?

Strengthen state control and streamline bureaucracy, reform and modernize social institutions, better manage resources, and increase national prosperity

What were enlightened monarchs/despots?

They embraced Enlightened ideals to further their goals while rejecting concepts that limited their power

Were philosophes hostile to enlightened absolutism?

No unless they violated the social contract

What countries regarded the Enlightenment with indifference or hostility?

Britain and France

What rulers welcomed Enlightenment ideals?

Catherine the Great of Russia

Fredrick II of Prussia

HR Emperor Joseph II

What were Enlightened despots drawn towards?

Reforms that weakened the church and the aristocracy who they believed was a threat

How did Enlightened despots lessen the power of the nobility and clergy?

Limited nobility's ability to punish peasants

Abolished tax exemptions for clergy and nobility

Religious toleration

Worked to arrange laws

Supported internal improvements

What did King Fredrick of Prussia order to limit nobility's power?

Ordered cultivation of potatoes to help soldier's diets and respond to rising bread costs

What did Fredrick say? What did Louis XIV say?

Fredrick - I am the first servant of the state

Louis - I am the state

What Enlightened despots maintained absolute power?

Fredrick II of Prussia and Joseph II of Austria

What did Fredrick II of Prussia and Joseph II of Austria use absolute power to promote?

Industrial, educational, societal, and legal reforms

What did King Fredrick William I reform?

Prussian military structure and technology with original methods

What did King Fredrick William need for his army?

He heavily taxed peasants

Was Fredrick William an Enlightened monarch?

No

Who was Fredrick William's son?

King Fredrick II

What did King Fredrick II do?

Expanded Prussia's territories to collect taxes and pay for stronger army

New departments to manage mines, forests and commerce

Reformed judiciary system and required exams for judges and other civil servants

Worked on the Prussian Common Law

Did Fredrick II end serfdom?

No he continued to believe the nobility was better and did not end serfdom

What did Fredrick II believe about good rulers?

They must be personally involved and decisions must come directly from them

What was Fredrick II interseted in?

The arts - he was a skilled flute players and composed sonatas, was impressed by French culture, and was friends with Voltaire, Rousseau, and more French thinkers

What was the most powerful family of Europe in the 17th century?

The Catholic Habsburgs

What challenged Habsburg's dominance?

Peace of Westphalia

What happened after the Peace of Westphalia to the Habsburgs?

They continued to hold power in Austria but began to move east

Who was Maria Theresa?

Part of the Habsburg Dynasty and did not rule as a true enlightened monarch but did make some reforms

What reforms did Maria Theresa make?

Limited landlord's power and enforced public education

What did Maria Theresa believe about religion?

She enforced Catholicism

Who was King Joseph II?

Maria Theresa's son who believed in religious toleration

What reforms did Joseph II make?

Limited power of Catholic Church

Provided freedom for press

Abolished serfdom

Signed Edict of Toleration

What was the Edict of Toleration?

Protected religious freedom for Jews, Protestants, and Greek Orthodox citizens

Why did Joseph II's reforms face opposition?

Because he did not gain approval from the nobles or clergy before reforming

What did Joseph II do to Austrian Netherlands?

Alienated them by trying to trade their land to gain control of Bavaria

Stopped by Fredrick II of Prussia

What were Fredrick II of Prussia and Maria Theresa's relationship like?

Enemies

What did Joseph II do to peasants?

Heavily taxed them

Who did Joseph II form a military alliance with?

Catherine II of Russia to counter Prussia's growing strength

What did Joseph II's alliance brought his empire to?

Conflict with Turkey and Ottomans that wanted to control Hungary

What did Joseph II do to Hungary?

Abolished his reforms there to regain absolutist control

What did Joseph II ultimately do?

Encouraged the end of feudalism

Where was Enlightenment influence seen in religion?

In new religious tolerance

What did Locke advocate?

Freedom of religion

Separation of Church and state which promoted tolerance

What the Enlightenment's growth influenced by?

Nationalism

What was nationalism?

The belief that an individual's primary loyalty should be to the nation

What did nationalism deemphasize?

Religious differences as devotion to church declined and devotion to state increased

What happened because of religious warfare?

General sense of fatigue

What happened to the relationship between state and church authority?

It shifted under democratic governments and enlightened desposts

What policy did England implement for religious toleration?

Toleration Act - included most Protestants but excluded Catholics and Unitarians

What did Prussia do for religious toleration?

Fredrick the Great of Prussia accepted exiled religious groups like Polish Jews

What did Austria do for religious toleration?

Under Joseph II, religious toleration was granted to any religion

Did Jews receive a lot of religious freedom?

No, not until the 20th century were they allowed to live anywhere in Europe

What was the Enlightenment?

A period of intellectual reason set in motion by the application of the scientific method to political, social, economic, and religious institutions

What were the two unifying themes of the Enlightenment?

Rational questioning of prevaling institutions and patterns of thought

General belief that human progress was possible

What restrictions continued to exist despite the Englihtenment?

Feudal, despotic, and religious restrictions

What was rationalism?

It relied on innate reason (reason within oneself and the concept that people are able to gain knowledge separate of their observations

Where was rationalism strongest and who led this belief?

Rene Descartes and his use of deductive reasoning

Strong in France

What was empiricism?

Based on the idea that all human knowledge comes from what senses experience

Where was empiricism strongest and who led this belief?

It was led by Francis Bacon and his use of inductive reasoning

Strong in England

What did rationalism and empiricism argue?

That what people knew was more important than what they believe - conflicted with religious authorities

What were rationalists and empiricists influenced by?

Socrates and Aristotle

What did the emphasis on human reason led to?

Strong dislike against slavery and the wish to end al torture and capital punishment

What did Thomas Hobbes believe?

The natural world followed natural law

Natural laws were laws that applied to all humans and could be discovered and understood through observation and reason

What wee Hobbes and Locke considered as?

Empiricists

What did Hobbes want?

A government that could guarantee peace and security for citizens

Without government humans would pursue their own self interests

Individuals must give up some of their rights to a sovereign authority

What type of government did Thomas Hobbes want?

Absolute monarchy not not based on divine right

What did John Locke believe?

Humans are governed by natural law given from a creator so they must possess natural rights that come from the creator as well

What religion was Locke?

Puritan

What did Locke argue?

People willingly came together to form governments forming a social contract

What was a social contract?

A beneficial agreement stuck between the people and those who would govern them

What did Locke believe was the purpose of government?

To protect people's natural rights - if they fail to do so the people may replace the government

What did Locke argue about the nature of mankind?

People are neither bad nor good but are motivated by self interest

Emphasized education for a stable society

What were philosophes?

Intellectuals who popularized Enlightenment beliefs (French)

What did philosophes criticize?

France's ancient regime - country's feudal social and political systems

Also sought social reform by applying principles of Scientific Revolution

Who was Jean Jacques Rousseau?

French philosophe and Geneva born thinker who wrote the Social COntract

What did Rousseau believe?

People in their natural state were free and happy and the government must promote the equality and freedom of its citizems

What government did Rousseau not like?

Republican and believed citizens should directly make laws

What did Rousseau talk about in his book, Emile?

Education must foster the curisotiy of a child and children should be able to follow their interests

What did Rousseau believe about women?

Women should marry and nurture children

Who was Mary Wollstonecraft?

Feminist who challenged Rousseau

What did Wollstonecraft believe in her book?

A Vindication of the Rights of Women - through equal education, etc women may reach their full potential

Who was Francois-Marie Arouet?

Voltaire who advocated religious toleration

What happened to Voltaire in France?

He was exiled from Paris and imprisoned twice in France before moving to England where he was impressed by English society

What was Voltaire's masterwork?

Candide where he commented on the hope for progress (believed it was unlikely to progress)

Who was Denis Diderot?

French philosophe who wrote the Encyclopedie which gathered ideas from all subjects and focused on human reason as the base for knowledge

Who was Baron de Montesquieu?

He criticized monarchs use of taking power of traditional privileges of aristocracy

What was Montesqueiu?

A aristocrat

What did Montesquieu believe?

King's power must be balanced by nobility and clergy

Three branches - executive, judicial and legislative

Checks and balances

What did Cesare Beccaria believe in?

Sought criminal justice reform - inspired by Voltaire

Wanted an end to torture and capital punishment

What were coffeehouses for?

Male sphere used for promoting Enlightenment ideas

What were salons for?

French discussion groups often hosted by influential women

Who was Marquis de Condorcet?

A philosophe who attended many salons

He advocated for women's rights

Mathematician

What were academies?

Specialized groups sometimes funded or protected by wealthy individuals or royalty

Promoted knowledge

What were lending libraries' purpose?

Collecting information and educating citizens

What happened as the power of the Church diminished?

Fraternal brotherhoods of Freemasonry became popular and met in masonic lodges

They were not religious - encouraged personal growth

What was censorship?

Religious and political institutions tried to prevent the spread of ideas