Transcript Central European Monarchs Clash - mrs-saucedo

Central European
Monarchs Clash
Chapter 21, Section 3
Page 526
But First….
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What religion did France follow?
Catholicism
Which European family did Frances’s kings
and cardinals view as their biggest
competition?
Hapsburg Family (Spain, Holy Roman
Empire, Netherlands)
Which religion was the Hapsburg family?
Catholic
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For a short time, it seemed the Peace of
Augsburg (German Princes could
choose religion of their state) had
settled religious differences
After the peace agreement, Catholic
and Lutheran princes of Germany eyed
each other closely while trying to gain
followers
Churches in Germany could be Catholic
or Lutheran but not Calvinist
Protestants vs. Catholics
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As tension mounted, Lutherans joined
together in the Protestant Union, and
Catholic princes formed the Catholic
League
Any spark between the two would set off
war
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That spark came in 1618
Ferdinand II, head of the Hapsburg family,
and ruled the Czech kingdom of Bohemia
The Thirty Years War
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Protestants in Bohemia didn’t trust Ferdinand
because he was catholic and a foreigner
Ferdinand closed some Protestant churches,
leading to revolt and giving some Protestant
princes a chance to challenge the Catholic
Emperor
This began the Thirty Years War- a conflict over
religion, territory, and power among European
families
The First 12 Years- Hapsburg
Triumphs
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The Thirty Years War lasted from 16181648
There were 2 main phases: The Hapsburg
triumphs, and Hapsburg defeats
For the first 12 years, Hapsburg armies
from Austria and Spain crushed troops
hired by Protestant princes, and defeated
the German Protestants who supported the
Czechs
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Ferdinand paid his army of 125,000 by
allowing them to rob German villages
Huge army destroyed everything in its path
A Shift- the Hapsburg Defeats
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1630, Protestant Gustavus Adolphus of
Sweden drove Hapsburg armies out of
northern Germany with his army of 13,000
Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin of France
dominated the remaining years of the war
even though they were Catholic
Catholic Cardinals Fight The Catholics
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The 2 cardinals feared the Hapsburgs more
than the Protestants, and didn’t want any
ruler in Europe to have as much power as
the French king
Richelieu sent French troops to join
German and Swedish Protestants against
the Hapsburg armies
Damage
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War did damage to Germany:
-population dropped from 20 million to 16
million
-agriculture was disrupted
-economy ruined
Damage caused delay in Germany
becoming a unified state until the 1800s.
Peace of Westphalia
1648 ended the war, but had important
consequences
1)Weakened the Hapsburg states of Spain and
Austria
2)Strengthened France by awarding it German
territory
3) Made German princes independent of the Holy
Roman emperor
4) Ended religious wars in Europe
5) Introduced new method of peace negotiations still
used today
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Beginning of Modern States
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Treaty got rid of the idea of a Catholic
empire that would rule Europe
Recognized Europe as a group of
independent states
The beginning of a modern state system
was the most important result of the 30
Years War
Central Europe
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Formation of nation states happened slowly
in central Europe
Major powers of region were Poland, Holy
Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire
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Economy of central Europe developed
differently than western Europe
In the west, serfs headed to towns for
freedom, joining the middle class
In central Europe, nobles passed laws
forbidding the serfs to leave the land, and
worked them 6 days a week to produce
harvests that they sold to western Europe
NOT an Absolute Monarchy
Land owning nobles in central Europe
blocked the development of strong kings
 Poland, for example, elected the Polish
king, and limited his power by allowing
little income, no law courts, and no
standing army
 2 empires once huge became weak
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-the Ottoman Empire due to weak leaders
-the Holy Roman Empire by the 30 Years War
More Hapsburgs
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In the late 1600s, 2 German-speaking families
decided to try and take power by becoming
absolute rulers themselves
One was the Hapsburgs of Austria
Even after the Thirty Years War, Austria remained
the strongest state within Holy Roman Empire
During the war they were able to recapture
Bohemia, wipe out Protestantism there,. And
create a new Czech nobility that pledged their
loyalty
Created a standing army and took Hungary from
Ottomans
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1711 Charles VI became Hapsburg ruler
He spent his entire reign persuading other
leaders in Europe to sign an agreement
recognizing his daughter, Maria Theresa as
full heir to all his territories
He had hoped hers would be a peaceful
reign, but instead was filled with war
Rise of Prussia
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Like Austria, Prussia rose to power in late
1600s
Like Austria’s ruling family, the Hapsburg’s,
Prussia’s ruling family the Hohenzollerns,
also had plans to upset the balance of
power in central Europe
The Hohenzollerns-Fredrick William
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Fredrick William, 20 years old, thought a strong
army was the only way to ensure safety
He moved toward an absolute monarchy and
created a standing army- the best in Europe80,000 men
Prussia’s landowning nobility, the Junkers,
resisted the kings power
William bought their cooperation by giving them
exclusive right to be officers in the army
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Fredrick William
He could’ve played
for Van Halen!
Fredrick the Great
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Fredrick William was worried his son,
Fredrick II, was not military enough to rule
The prince loved books, reading,
philosophy, music, poetry and art
When Fredrick and his close friend were
caught trying to run away, his father, the
king, ordered his son to witness his friends
beheading
Frederick the Great
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Despite his bitter memories,
Frederick II became known
as Frederick the Great
He followed his fathers
military policies
He did soften some laws
because he thought a ruler
should be like a father to his
people
Maria Theresa
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Became ruler of Austria
months after Frederick
became king of Prussia
Had 16 children-most
famous was Marie Antoinette
As empress, she decreased
the power of the nobility
and cared more for
peasants well being
Maria vs. Frederick
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Frederick wanted the Austrian land of
Silesia, which bordered Prussia and Poland
Frederick assumed since she was a
woman, Maria Theresa wouldn’t defend her
lands
In 1740, he sent his army to occupy Silesia,
beginning the war of the Austrian
Succession
Please Help!!
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Even though Maria
Theresa had just given
birth, she went to Hungary,
and holding her infant in
her arms, she begged the
Hungarian nobility for aid
Hungarian nobles
resented their Hapsburg
rulers, but offered to give
Maria an army
Bigger Powers Take Sides
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Great Britain also joined Austria to fight its
long time enemy France, who was
Prussia’s ally
Maria Theresa did stop Prussia’s
aggression, but lost Silesia at the Treaty of
Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748
Switch-a-roo
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Maria Theresa decided that the French
kings were not a threat to Austria, and
made an alliance with them
When Frederick heard of this news, he
signed a treaty with Britain-Austria’s former
ally
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Austria
‘s France
And
Great Britain
‘s Prussia
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Now, Austria, France, Russia and some
others were allied against Britain and
Prussia
Not only had Austria and Prussia switched
allies, but for the first time, Russia was
playing a part in European affairs
The Seven Years War
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In 1756, Frederick attacked Saxony, an Austrian
ally
Soon every great European power was involved
in a war that was fought in Europe, India and
North America
The war lasted until 1763, called the Seven Years
War
The end result didn’t change the territorial
situation in Europe
Saxony is part of Germany