Transcript The Austrian Habsburgs and the Rise of Prussia

* Means definition (pay attention)

Habsburg Emperor: Leopold I
› His empire was positioned between the
French in the West and the Turks in the East
Dana Holt
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His brother died of small pox in 1657, making
him become the Holy Roman Emperor at the
age of 17.
Deeply religious
› At first, he did not play the role of monarch very well
because he believed he would have a career in the
church
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Married 3 times
› Had 16 sons and daughters
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Well accomplished musician and performed
for his court.
He built *Schӧnbrunn
Definition: Leopold I’s palace on the
outskirts of Vienna
 Was built to rival the palace of Louis XIV’s
palace, Versailles
 Over 400 rooms with gardens and
fountains- one of the most impressive
palaces in Europe
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A Turkish army marched up the Danube River
and attacked Vienna
› After 2 months of attacking the city, an army from
Hungary defeated the Turks
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These events opened the gate for the
Habsburgs’ reconquest of Hungary
› The occupation of the Turks in Hungary destroyed the
Hungarian land
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The Turks was again tried to recoquer Hungary
but failed
In 1699, after the Habsburgs defeated the Turks,
the Treaty of Carlowitz confirmed the
Habsburgs reconquest of Hungary
During the War of the Spanish Succession,
problems occurred in the Eat when a
Transylvanian prince, Francis II of Rakoczi,
led a rebelion against Leopold I in Hungary.
 In 1711, he was defeated by the Habsburgs
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› They won because there was a large non-
Hungarian population now in Hungary that
supported the Habsburgs.
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Rakoczi went into hiding under the Muslim
sultan, and died in exile.
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The Treaty of 1711(after Rakoczi
attacked Leopold I)uniting Hungary to
the other Habsburg lands through the
common ruler.
› Which increased Habsburg power
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In the Habsburg lands at the top of the
social system were the Magnates*
› The Magnates were fabulously rich, few in
number, but dominated Habsburg
administration and government.

At the bottom of the social system, were
the Serfs*
› They were the vast majority of people that
lived in the country side, who were bound
peasants to the land as a labor force.
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Charles VI was the successor of Leopold I
› He became the ruler over Austrian and Spanish Habsburg land
(reconstituting Charles V empire)
› However, many European states feared that this succession
would upset the European balance of power
 So they supported the division of the Habsburg lands between the
Habsburgs and Bourbons, which was written in the Treaty of
Utrecht (ending the War of the Spanish Succession)
› During his reign, he devoted his life to making sure his daughter
succeeded him- Maria Theresa
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War of Austrian Succession
› When he died, war broke loose… the European rulers would not
recognize Maria Theresa as the next ruler of Austrian Habsburg
land
› A new ruler, Frederick II, King of Prussia, fought against Maria
Theresa in the war
› ***the new war showed how we weak the Habsburgs had
become***
It emerged out of the chaos of the Thirty
Years War, North of the Habsburgs land
 Prussia was a poor country, but the rulers
wanted it to become a major European
power
 The rulers:
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consolidated the states territories
Strengthened the state administration
Raised revenue
Enlarged Prussia’s army
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Fredrick William Hohenzollern:
› Known as the Great Elector
› Ruler of Brandenburg and other territories from Northern
Germany to the Polish Border
› One of the eight German princes to elect the Holy Roman
Emperor
› Tow policy goals for his lands: to build up his army and to
reorganize his finances to pay for it
 Imposed excise tax
 The von Hohenzollern’s had one third of their country’s
agricultural land
› He united all his lands into a single state was the most
important military figure in Germany
› Succeeded by his son Frederick, who adopted the title of
King of Prussia
Frederick William von Hohenzollern
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A strict Calvinist (although Prussia was
mainly Lutheran) who believed in the
principle that he was responsible to God
alone
› Very violent- even beat his people, including
his son, with his cane
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Continued his grandfather’s two policies:
› Strengthening the royal administration
› Enlarging the army of Prussia
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80,000 men
› Making it the fourth largest army in Europe
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Commandment of troops were under
Prussian nobility
› This bounded the nobility to his government and
created a tradition of loyal state service among
his nobles
Military budget was granted with taxes and
domain revenues, not with borrowing
money like other states
 Army was mostly occupied with people
from Prussia
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Prussia had a very successful economy
 Great army
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› Doubled the size of it
› Reluctant to use it in war (which saved it for
what was about to come…)
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When Frederick William I died, his son,
Frederick II took over Prussia
› Frederick II went after Maria Theresa and
started the war of Austrian Succession with
Frederick William’s I army