Enlightened Absolutism

1
Enlightened Absolutism
2
Evaluating Enlightened Absolutism

• To what extent did Enlightenment ideas influence
  monarchs of the time?
• Is enlightened absolutism a useful term to
  describe these monarchs?

3
Historiography of the term

• mid-19th c concept of enlightened absolutism
  develops
• 1960s historians start questioning terms
  validity see monarchs as pursuing conventional
  aims of state-building above all
• self-defense was key need strong armies and
  strong admin/fiscal systems to support them
• enlightened policies existed but were mere
  window-dressing
• enlightened policies were often incomplete
  limited
• 1970s/80s back to the idea that enlightened
  absolutism is a valid term (product of detailed
  studies on particular countries)

4
Most historians agree that

• monarchs did encourage and spread cultural values
  of Enlightenment
• monarchs believed in change from above tried to
  enact reforms
• improvements were only modest
• life of peasantry remained very hard

5
Historians differ on the question of why reform
was so limited. Was it that

• monarchs were not really sincere in their
  efforts?
• powerful nobilities blocked absolutists
  sincere desire to enact reforms?

6
Cmon, Ms. Muller, whats the right answer?

• Some historians fuse the two ideas
• monarchs were committed to reform but
  humanitarian objectives were secondary.
• But what do you think? History is a matter of
  debate, and you are all budding historians!

7
Assignment

• For each enlightened monarch (Fred, Cathy, MT
  Joe), take notes on
• policies that were enlightened
• policies that were not enlightened
• foreign policy / territorial expansion
• Write a thesis To what extent were the policies
  of the enlightened monarchs actually
  enlightened?

8
Jewish Enlightenment

• Haskalah Jewish Enlightenment
• 2nd half of the 18th c.
• led by Moses Mendelssohn
• advocated freedom and civil rights for Jews

9
How did Jews fare during the Enlightenment?

• There were some reforms
• Britain repealed a law that denied
  naturalization
• Joseph II granted Jews eligibility for military
  service, admission to higher ed and artisanal
  trade, removed reqs for special clothing/emblems

10
How did Jews fare during the Enlightenment?

• Many monarchs did not make reforms
• Fred the Great no emancipation of Jews
• Cathy the Great no emancipation est. the Pale
  of Settlement, a territory where most Jews were
  required to live, 1791-1917.

11
When, if ever, did Jews gain more rights?

• France, 1791 (French Revolution) first country
  to remove all restrictions on Jews
• 19th c Jews gained more rights around Europe,
  until the 1870s, when a financial crash hit and
  Jews became scapegoats