ABSOLUTISM IN AUSTRIA
Rachael Kang
Absolutism was first introduced by philosopher Thomas Hobbes of England, where it was Francis Bossuet who brought to light the truth that our monarchs are the messengers just a step away from God.
Austria, as we all may know, has just attempted to overthrow the absolutist form of government that has been ruling over them for the last few centuries. Before we explain more of this attempt, we have from a special inside source, the background of this occurrence. We shall leave their name unsaid for safety and privacy policy.
“Austria’s government was not doing too well in the first place. Well, I wouldn’t say the government; actually, it was more like the social classes. The nobles and higher ups were all living just pleasantly, while [the serfs] were being worked to the bone with endless labor and grueling treatment. And at the same time, [serfs] were still being taxed, while the nobles did nothing, not even get a notice about a tax!”
“Not just the serfs either, anyone who wasn’t a noble or the king felt the overpowering pressure set on by the constant taxes and the struggle to survive at the same time. We all were sick and tired, of being sick and tired. The constant struggle to make enough for ourselves because everything we worked hard to earn gets sucked away by those in higher classes—it was just too much, and we wanted out. It’s not fair that the only power anyone else, who isn’t the king, is the power to choose whether we breath every second or not.”
Unfortunately, even though the new monarch did try to alleviate the lower classes by splitting the taxes with the nobles and higher-ups, a more powerful monarch came to power, ultimately setting all standards back to the way they were before. For now, Austria must live with its Absolutist government. One can only hope for a brighter future, but maybe that future is closer than people expect it to be.
Peter the Great
Natasha Anbalagan
French writer, Jean Bodin, defines an absolute ruler as, “The first characteristic...is the power to make general and special laws...without the consent of superiors, equals, or inferiors.” from Six Books on the Slate. Peter the Great became the sole ruler of Russia at a time when it still had serfs and boyars in contrast with the rest of western Europe which began experiencing reform and changes. In 1697, the young ruler embarked on the “Grand Embassy”, which was another way to say “long trip to western Europe”. This act was shocking to the commoners of Russia since westerners had a different branch of Catholic faith than themselves and were thus considered heretics. After his “Grand Embassy”, Peter set out to westernize Russia. His reforms included: founding a school for the arts and sciences, raising women’s status, starting the first newspaper, introducing potatoes, and commanding nobles to adopt western clothing.
But the change did not occur willingly. He said himself, “...though a thing be good and necessary, our people will not do it unless forced to.”. He increased his power as an absolute ruler to make sure these changes will be made. He brought the Russian Orthodox Church under state control and set up the Holy Synod which ran the church for him. He modernized his army by hiring European officers to drill his soldiers with European tactics and weaponry.
Peter’s reforms to westernize Russian culture and government, to an extent, succeeded. By his death, Russia was a strong and powerful country in Europe.
Prussia
Jeam Im
The country of Prussia began as smaller German states from Brandenburg to Prussia. With this, Frederick William or Frederick I came to power. He felt that the protection of his country would occur if he only had a standing army. But to support an army, Frederick William needed money, so he introduced permanent taxation. In addition, he weakened the representative assemblies, and gave power to the landowning nobility, or Junkers allowing them to become officials in the army. Soon however, Frederick the Great or Frederick II came to the throne after the death of his father, Frederick I. He used the militaristic ideas like his father, but allowed religious toleration and legal reform. To expand his power, he tried taking the land of Silesia from the Austrian ruler, Maria Theresa. Yet, Frederick’s actions only led to the War of Austrian Succession which was between Austia and Great Britain against Prussia. In the end, Prussia gains the land of Silesia through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
