Enlightenment and Prussia. The Story of Fredrick I and Fredrick II

Transcription

1 Enlightenment and Prussia The Story of Fredrick I and Fredrick II

2 Have you ever ignored good advice? If yes, tell me about a time when you wish you would have taken someone else's advice? If no, tell me about a time when you listened to somebody else's advice and it worked in your favor.

3 Enlightenment and Absolutism What does Absolutism mean? (hint we studied this right before break, King Louis ) Think about your assignment from yesterday, what does Enlightenment mean?

4 Philosophies behind Enlightenment: Natural rights for all people Equality before the law Freedom of religion Freedom of speech Freedom of the press Freedom to assemble Hold property

5 Where have you seen or learned about these freedoms before?

6 Most philosophers believed that the people needed to be governed by enlightened rulers. They believed that enlightened rulers are monarchs who allow religious tolerance, freedom of speech and the press, and the right to private property. The monarch would nurture the arts, sciences and education. Above all enlightened rulers obey the laws and enforce them fairly for all subjects.

7 Have we studied any ruler or monarch so far that has acted like the described monarch on the previous page? Describe the typical ruler or monarch that we have talked about.

8 So were there any enlightened absolutism monarchs? Many historians believe that a new type of Monarch emerged in the late eighteenth century. Rulers tried to govern with enlightened ideas along with maintaining their royal power. Did Europe s rulers actually follow the advice of the philosophers and become enlightened? Over the next couple of days we will look at several different rulers and you will have the chance to decide.

9 First Case Study: Prussia: Frederick the Great ( I know they all name themselves that!)

10 Frederick William I Before we can learn about Fredrick the Great we need to talk about his dad and a little background on Prussia itself. Prussia, was a new territory after the Holy Roman Empire divided. It covered modern day Germany and parts of modern Russia.

11 Frederick William I Maintained a highly efficient group of civil service workers. These workers observed the supreme values of obedience, honor, and above all service to the king. In the words of Frederick himself: One must serve the king with life and limb, and surrender all except salvation. The latter is reserved for God. But everything else must be mine.

12 From what you just read about Frederick William do you think he was enlightened? Why or Why not?

13 Frederick William I The Army was the #1 thing on the mind of Frederick William. By the end of his reign in 1740 he had doubled the size of the army. Although Prussia was 10 th in physical size and 14 th in population in Europe, it had the 4 th largest army. It had the reputation as one of the Best Armies in Europe.

14 Members of nobility, who owned large estates with many serfs were the officers in the army. These officers had a strong sense of service to the King and their country. They believed in duty, obedience, and sacrifice.

15 Early life of Frederick II (the Great) His father despised the prince, who showed a taste for French art and literature and no interest in government and war. At the age of 18 Frederick, who had been repeatedly humiliated and ill-treated, planned to escape to England. He was arrested, imprisoned, and forced to witness the beheading of his friend and accomplice.

16 Frederick submitted to his father and was released. Price Frederick spent the next few years writing a book and corresponding with enlightened people of Europe like Voltaire. He gained the throne in 1740, and showed the skills of a good leader.

17 Who was Voltaire and why do we care? French philosopher and author. One of the towering geniuses in literary and intellectual history, Voltaire personifies the Enlightenment. Voltaire was a trusted friend of Frederick and helped to enlighten him.

18 Back to Frederick II ( the Great) He was a dedicated ruler. He enlarged the army by recruiting the nobility into civil service. Frederick kept a strict watch over the bureaucracy.

19 Fast Forward to today Do you think the president of the United States could convince the richest people in the country to help lead the army or any of the armed forces? Why or Why not? Why do you think the aristocrats (the rich) were willing to join the army in the 1700 s?

20 Frederick and Enlightenment For a time, Frederick seemed quite willing to make enlightened reforms. He abolished the use of torture except in treason and murder cases. He also granted limited freedom of speech and press, as well as religious tolerance.

21 Frederick not so enlightened Frederick kept Prussia s serfdom and rigid social structure intact and avoided any additional reforms. Why do you think that Frederick wanted to keep the social structure the same as it always had been? What could he have been scared of?

22 So was he enlightened or not? Frederick did make some reforms and changes in Prussia, but when all was said and done we was concerned with the balance of power. Let s not forget that he was an absolute monarch. The fundamental rule of government is the principle of extending their territories. -Frederick the Great

23 Name the Enlightened person? a. Voltaire b. Maria Theresa c. Catherine the Great d. Frederick the Great e. Mozart f. Isaac Newton g. John Locke

24 Name the Enlightened person? 1. D 4. E 7. C 2. G 3.A 5. F 6. B a. Voltaire b. Maria Theresa c. Catherine the Great d. Frederick the Great e. Mozart f. Isaac Newton g. John Locke