Prussia and Austria

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Prussia and Austria
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Austria

• Ruled by the Habsburgs (along with their Spanish
  cousins)
• When Spain went into decline, the Austrians were
  on their own
• Still had control of the HR Emperor title and
  various German states (Hanover, Bavaria, Saxony)

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Treaty of Rastatt-1714

• Expanded Austrian control of territory
• Get the Spanish (now Austrian) Netherlands,
  Lombardy (Northern Italy)
• In each one, they ruled using a different title
  (Emperor, duke, archduke, bishops)

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War with the Ottomans

• The Ottoman Turks began advance out of the
  Balkans towards Vienna in the 1680s.
• 1683- Vienna under siege
• Over time, the Turks are pushed back
• Leopold I wins recognition by the Turks for his
  take over of Hungary and some of Balkans
• Allowed the Habsburgs to set up trading posts
  along the Mediterranean and make money
• Leopold replaced by Joseph I and continues the
  same policies

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Charles VI

• Joseph is replaced by Charles VI
• Problem Charles has no male heir and very weak
  precedents for female rulers
• Charles fears that the kingdom will fall into
  enemy hands upon his death (like Spain)
• He devotes his reign seeking his familys
  approval and foreign powers using

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Pragmatic Sanction

• This allows Charles daughter Maria Theresa to
  become the next ruler, which was recognized by
  other nations
• When he died in Oct 1740, he thought as was well
• However, he left MT with a weak army and her
  inheritance open to outside aggression

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Prussia

• Largest and soon to be most powerful of the
  German states
• Led by the Hohenzollern dynasty (former rulers of
  Brandenburg)
• Prussia took power after the power vacuum left by
  the Treaty of Westphalia
• Became the 2nd largest holding family in the HRE
  (behind the Habsburgs)

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Friedrich Wilhelm

• Creator of the modern state of Prussia
• AKA Great Elector
• Broke the power of the nobles, organized a royal
  government and created a stronger army
• 1655-60 Sweden and Poland fight for FWs land
  holdings- he didnt have a strong enough army to
  combat them- so long as he had the loyalty of the
  nobles.

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Junkers

• German noble landlords
• In exchange for loyalty to FW, they get to force
  loyalty on their serfs
• Over time, the Junkers become more powerful in
  the army, who then take an oath directly to the
  Elector
• The army made Prussia a force to be reckoned with

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Friedrich I

• Technically, the Hohenzollerns did not have a
  crown (their rulers were elected)
• Enter Frederick I (1688-1713)
• Transformed Prussia
• Built universities, patronized the arts, and live
  in luxury
• Gave his army to Leopold I (HRE) in exchange for
  becoming King of Prussia

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Friedrich Wilhelm I

• Most eccentric yet most effective of the
  Hohenzollerns
• Organized the government along military lines
• Prussian army grew from 39,000 to 80,000 in
  almost 30 years (3rd largest army in Europe, but
  the 13th largest population)

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• While other states had an army, Prussias army
  had a state
• Even with the army, Prussia avoided war.
• Succeeded by Friedrich II (the Great)
• Almost quickly, he breaks the Pragmatic Sanction
  and invades Silesia.

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Poland

• The Polish monarchy was based on elections
• John III Sobieski- came closest to unifying
  Poland (defeated Turks at Vienna)
• Most Polish kings were foreign
• Sejm- Polish diet (parliament)
• Liberum veto one members staunch opposition
  could derail the Sejm (exploding the diet),
  most likely through outside bribes.
• This will lead to the disappearance of Poland
  later in the 1700s.