Question

Compare and contrast absolute France, Russia, and Prussian

Answer 1

Answer:

CharlesIV persuaded other Europe leaders to sign an agreement that declared they would recognize Maria Theresa his eldest daughter as the heir to all Hapsburg territories; guaranteed that she would have a peaceful reign; but she faces many years of war (Prussia)

Pragmatic Sanctation- allowed Maria to become ruler

Peasants were given more rights

Established peasant rights

1740 Maria Theresa succeeded her father 5 months after Frederick II

WAR OF THE AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION

Frederick II(the Great) became king of prussia

Frederick II wanted Austrian land of Silesia; produced iron ore, textiles, and food products

Maria Theresa was a woman; assumed she would not be forceful enough to defend her lands

- just gave birth; went to Hungary with child and asked them for aid (gave her an army)

Great Britain joined to fight France (Prussia's ally)

She lost Silesia at the treaty of Aix La Chapelle in 1748

Once the war had ended, Maria Theresa set about further reforming the Habsburg government

Silesian Count Frederick William Haugwitz; focused mainly on centralization of the empire’s power.

Assigned Bohemia and Austria to a joint ministry, &took power away from the Provincial Estates.

As a result, the affected territories lent Austria’s weakened army significantly more military power. Austria also benefited from the wealth produced by those provinces’ industries.

Maria Theresa also allowed Haugwitz to deal with yearly resource negotiations with the empire’s estates in favor of meeting to negotiate only once a decade.

Over the course of that decade, the estates would pay the central government yearly taxes. Maria Theresa reorganized several government functions, combining them in a centralized General Directory.

Maria Theresa

1717–1780

An able ruler, Maria Theresa also

devoted herself to her family. Unlike

many monarchs, she married for

love.

Maria Theresa continued to

advise her children even after they

were grown. Perhaps her most

famous child was Marie Antoinette,

wife of Louis XVI of France. Maria

Theresa often scolded Marie for

spending too much money and

making the French people angry.

As empress, Maria Theresa

decreased the power of the

nobility. Very religious, she cared

more for the peasants’ well-being

than most rulers. She limited the

amount of labor that nobles could

force peasants to do. She argued:

“The peasantry must be able to

sustain itself.”