europe pre-french revolution

SPAIN + PORTUGAL

  • hereditary monarchies

  • Spain linked to French monarchy (Bourbon) from 1700, previously Habsburg

  • 16th century (c16) → lots of exploration = glory = overseas empires (eg, Brazil, parts of Asia/Africa)

  • HOWEVER c17/18 decline → trade fell, prices rose

  • Spain = social + political stagnation (no progress)

  • Roman Catholic Church powerful in both

  • Spain traded w France, Portugal traded w England

  • C17 → P independence + ruled by enlightened despot

UNITED PROVINCES (HOLLAND)

  • independent from Spain (1648)

  • Financial center of Amsterdam

  • called a republic but monarchy under orange family kinda

  • protestant

  • powerful merchant class

AUSTRIAN NETHERLANDS (BELGIUM) - part of hre (weak)

  • roman catholic, agricultural

  • fav place for fr to attack au

  • increased amount of admin independence under maria theresa

SWEDEN

  • monarchy

  • c18 - period of decline after failed war against russia

  • protestant

DENMARK + NORWAY

  • protestant monarchy

  • enlightened despotism through ministers

  • out of wars = prospered agriculturally

HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE (HRE)

  • 365 independent states, cities etc linked by German language

  • holy roman emperor = leader (elected + normally from habsburg fam)

  • both protestant AND roman catholic states (no unity → economy + pop. fell, agriculture suffered)

AUSTRIA**

  • v. important in europe (habsburg monarchy)

  • 30year war cut habsburg power

  • 1714 austria included = austrian netherlands, part of italy, hungary etc

  • externally looked strong (but constant internal struggle eg no common language)

  • threats - turks (ottoman empire), rise of prussia

  • lots of bad treaties

  • many wars

  • maria thereasa ruled - successful eg. secured hungary, gradual reform (more homogenous political unit)

  • marriage of louis xvi + marie antoinette

PRUSSIA - part of hre

  • enemy - austria

  • 30 yr war ended in 1648 - low pop. + poor economy

  • c18 - rise of prussia due to ‘great’ rulers eg. they improved economy, increased army size

  • 7yr war (1756-63), britain + prussia vs. france, austria, russia → prussia established as great military + political power

POLAND

  • v. backward - 75% pop peasants

  • worst living conditions in europe

  • too large - racially disintegrated

  • republic (elected king) BUT political power = nobles w/ large estates

  • struggle for polish succession early c18

  • end of c18 - poland disappeared from europe

OTTOMAN EMPIRE

  • large BUT v. weak (’sick man of europe’)

  • sultan = figurehead leader (not much actual power)

  • diverse + large pop. (25mil)

  • c17 turks threat to austria

  • failure to reform → decline

  • army = only force holding empire together

RUSSIA

  • large backwater, loose confederation of ethnic groups eg ottomans

  • unaffected by european movements (too far)

  • monarch had little power

  • policy of westernisation being encouraged (peter the great)

  • changes by p the great forced on russia

  • catherine the great - married peter + replaced him, used enlightenment to increase her power (+ only when it suited her)

  • russia had BIG time gap to make up compared to other powers

GREAT BRITAIN

  • period of overseas expansion due to successful wars eg usa, india

  • expansion → deliberate policy to increase overseas markets + raw materials (slave labour)

  • result → growing wealth of merchant class + increased political importance

  • superior economy (industrial rev)