4.

2 ENLIGHTENED
ABSOLUTISM
 WELCOME! AGENDA:
LEARNING TARGET: 1.
Evaluate the effectiveness 2.
of the Enlightened
Despots.
SUCCESS CRITERIA 3.
Grade each monarch and
rank them in order of
effectiveness.
Recap Enlightenment
Overview of Enlightened
Absolutism (aka
Enlightened Despotism)
Report Card Assignment
(due tomorrow end of
class)
 RECAP: ENLIGHTENMENT
Major People and Ideas: Causes:

Effects/Impacts:
 ENLIGHTENED ABSOLUTISM
 Aka: Enlightened Despots
 Eastern and central Europe

 Goal: apply principles of Enlightenment to kingdoms

 Inspired and supported by philosophes

 Absolute rulers should promote the good of the

people – top-down approach

 MODEST REFORMS
 Religious toleration
 Streamlined legal codes

 Increased access to education

 Reduction of elimination of torture and death

penalty
Catherine II Frederick II Joseph II
(Russia) (Prussia) (Austria)
 FREDERICK THE GREAT
 Frederick II of Prussia
 r. 1740-1786

 Wars:

AustrianSuccession
Diplomatic Revolution
Seven Years War
 FREDERICK THE GREAT
 “First servant of the state”
 Patron of Voltaire

 Religious toleration

Jews: 1794, after death

 Codified and streamlined laws

 Freed serfs on crown lands, 1763

FREDERICK THE GREAT
 Promotion through merit 
education
 Reduced censorship

 Encouraged immigration,

agriculture, and industry

 CATHERINE THE GREAT
 Catherine II of Russia
 r. 1762-1796

 Murder of Peter III

 Russia = backwards
CATHERINE THE GREAT
 Huge patron of arts +
educational reforms
 Imported Western

culture
 Pugachev’s Rebellion

Gave nobles absolute

control over serfs
 Restricted torture
 CATHERINE THE GREAT
 Limited religious toleration
 Local elected councils of nobles

 Limitations: only
nobles and state
benefited, serfdom
more severe
 CATHERINE THE GREAT
 Significant territorial growth
Partitions
of Poland, 1772, 1793, 1795
Ottoman land in Crimea
Caucasus
 JOSEPH II
 Joseph II of
Austria
 r. 1762-1796

 Son of Maria

Theresa
 Co-ruled until
her death in
1780
 JOSEPH II
 Abolished serfdom and
feudal dues, 1781
 Freedom of religion and civic

rights to Protestants and Jews

Centralize the large, multi-
ethnic empire
 Freedom of the press
JOSEPH II
 Reformed justice system
Abolished torture and death
penalty
 Expanded state schools
 Established hospitals, insane

asylums, poorhouses, and

orphanages
 JOSEPH II
 Empire declined
Defeats vs. Ottomans
Netherlands revolted
Russian threat
Leopold II reversed reforms
 REPORT CARD ASSIGNMENT
LEARNING  Use a variety of resources to research the
TARGET: three monarchs.
Evaluate the  This PPT, another textbook reading, and
effectiveness of the Dunbar’s outline are on the class website.
Enlightened Despots.
You can also use other resources as well.
SUCCESS CRITERIA
Grade each  Grade the monarchs in each category and

monarch and rank justify/explain. Then, rank them in order

them in order of of success as an enlightened despot.
effectiveness.  It is due tomorrow at the end of class.