A History of Western Society: Chapter #17

Was a time of general economic expansion- growth of trade, towns and population. By 1300, serfdom had practically disappeared. Cultural and religious unity was reinforced

Nobles established serfdom in Bohemia, Silesia, Hungary and eastern Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Russia

In the west, by 1500 most peasants were free. East of the Elbe River, the landlords won

1- the lords made their kings and princes issue laws that restricted or eliminated the peasants' precious right of free movement 2- Lords steadily took more and more of their peasants' land and imposed heavier labor obligations

- Was also the local prosecutor, judge and jailor - He ruled in his own favor in disputes with the peasants - No independent royal official to provide justice or uphold the common law - *Gradual erosion of the peasant economic condition is wound up in this

Established 1574. Nobles gained complete control over their peasants after which they could legally inflict the death penalty on their serfs whenever they wished

Established 1653. Peasants were assumed to be tied to their lords in hereditary subjugation

Established 1603. The right of peasants to move from a given estate was "temporarily" (permanently) abolished

Peasants were bound to their lords (and the land) from one generation to the next. Common fate of peasants by the middle of the 17th century

Caused by - the growth of estate agriculture - agricultural depression - population decline - prosper of export markets - eastern lords had much more political power than the west - monarchs in the east were weak due to constant war and political chaos

Lay in the massive variety of 300 separate political jurisdictions, which included the independent cities, small principalities, medium-sized states (Bavaria, Saxony) and some of the territories of Prussia and the Habsburgs

The representative body of the different territories in Bohemia. In 1618, they rose up in defense of Protestant rights (Czech majority was Protestant)

Momentous turning point in Czech history. Bohemian Estates' revolt was crushed here

Reduced the power of the Bohemian Estates. Confiscated the landholdings of the Protestant nobles and gave them to Catholic nobles and aristocratic soldiers. Protestantism is stamped out. Religious unity

After 1650, a large portion of them were foreign (Catholic) and owed everything to the Habsburgs

A quarter of the Bohemian serfs worked for their lords every day but Sundays and religious holidays

Centralized the government in Bohemia (province such as Austria, Styria and Tyrol). Reorganization of Bohemia was a large step towards absolutism. His reign saw the creation of a permanent standing army

- selling to big foreign capitalists - important of the middle class will decline greatly - westerners portrayed eastern Europe as being more "barbaric" and less civilized, thus expanding eastern Europe's undeniably harsher social and economic conditions

Due to war and threat of war

By - imposing permanent taxes without consent - maintaining permanent standing armies - conducting relations with other states as they pleased

Military conquerors that had come out of Central Asia, settled in Anatolia, created one of history's greatest military empires. Followers of Islam, they were determined foes of the Catholics

Sultan of the Ottoman Empire at peak of the 16th century. All property belonged to him

Every year, the sultan levied a tax on the one to three thousand male children conquered Christian population in the Balkans. They were raised in Turkey and taught to fight as Muslims. The most talented slaves rose to the top of the bureaucracy, the less were in the janissary corps

The Ottomans divided their subjects into these religious communities, which enjoyed religious autonomy and self-government under its religious leaders. Created a power stabilizing bond between the Ottoman ruling class and the different religious leaders, who supported the Sultan

Lead to monarchical absolutism giving place to palace intrigue, weak sultans and the emergence of a powerful oligarchy of top officials. The army lost its dedication and lagged

Turks committed this huge attack in 1683. A mixed force of Habsburg, Saxon, Bavarian and Polish troops save the city last minute. As Russian and Venetian allies attacked on all other fronts, the Habsburgs conquered almost all of Hungary and Transylvania by 1699. The Turkish wars strengthened the Habsburg army and promoted a sense of unity

Composed of three separate and distinct territories, the old "hereditary" provinces of Austria, the kingdoms of Bohemia and then Hungary that were tied to their same ruler

Issued by Charles VI in 1713 which stated that the Habsburg possessions were never to be divided and were always passed in tact to a single heir

Rose in revolt against Vienna's attempts to impose absolute rule- they never triumphed entirely, but they never failed either. Partially resist because many had remained Protestant (and were given religious toleration by their former rulers, the Turks)

Lead the Hungarian nobles in their final revolt in 1703 post War of Spanish Succession. Eventually defeated, but Charles VI had to compromise and restored many of the traditional privileges of the Hungarian aristocracy in return for acceptance of his rule- never fully centralized

Ruled Prussia through its senior and junior branches as the electors of Brandenburg and the dukes of Prussia, had little real princely power

Had the right to help choose the Holy Roman Empire with six other electors, but had no military strength whatsoever. Had control of the swampy "sandbox" of the Holy Roman Empire

Territory was totally separated from Brandenburg; part of Poland. In 1618 this branch died out, and all power resorted to the elector

The devastation of Brandeburg and Prussia prepared the way for this because foreign armies dramatically weakened the political power of the Estates

Took a giant step towards absolutism post-weakening of the Estates. Was determined to unite the three separate provinces (Brandenburg, Prussia and scattering holdings along the Rhine). In order to pay for the permanent standing army that he established, he forces the Estates to accept permanent taxation without consent. Uses soldiers as tax collectors. Created a single state by the time of his death - total state revenue triples during his reign - army leaps by 10 times its original size

Nobility that dominated the Estates of Brandenburg and Prussia. They were the landowning class. After the 30 Years War, they zealously reasserted the right of the Estates to vote on taxes, a right the Swedish armies of occupation had ignored- Great Elector still has his way

Was contributed to - the ongoing struggle between Sweden and Poland for control of the Baltic and the Wars of Louis XIV creating an atmosphere of permanent crisis + the wild Tartars sweeping through Prussia. War and Invasion softened up the Estates and strengthened the urgency of the Great Elector's demand for more money and soldiers - Great Elector reconfirm nobilities' privileges, he reduced their power but they weren't angry. Nobles cooperate, they are not taxed

Main political accomplishment was winning a prestigious royal title from the Holy Roman Empire as a reward for aiding them in the War of Spanish Succession

- truly established Prussian absolutism and gave it unique character - created the best army in Europe for its size - made a militaristic society - created a strong, centralized bureaucracy- Estates and local gov vanish - turns the Junkers into an officer caste - built a first rate army with third rate resources (4th largest- best army soldier to soldier) - so frugal that he was ironically always at peace - harsh peasant bondage

Credited for establishing religious toleration and judicial reform. Also was a major supporter of the arts, and compulsory education. Wanted stronger borders and more territory. Involved in the war of Austrian Succession. Was able to keep control of Silesia, a very rich land highly coveted during the war

Eastern Slavs were converted by missionaries from the Byzantine Empire to this religion. Became the state religion of Kiev (present day Ukraine). Rejects the authority of the pope

Were united under a single prince and dynasty. So, too, was the feudal division of the land based into a boyard nobility and common peasantry

Nomadic tribes from present-day Mongolia. Major conquerors. In 5 years, they subdued all of China and smashed everything in their path until they reached Hungary (1242)

United the Mongols. One of history's greatest conquerors

The Mongol army that was extremely savage, often slaughtering entire populations of cities before burning them to the ground

Rule of the Mongols over the eastern Slavs for over 200 years. - forced all the bickering Slavic princes to submit to their rule - if the people rebelled, they were quickly punished with death and destruction - unified the eastern Slavs, Mongol khan recognized as supreme ruler

Title given to the local princes that were most obedient to the Mongols as either their servants or tax collectors

Starting with Alexander Nevsky in 1252, this band of princes were particularly adept at serving the Mongols- they loyally put down uprisings. Eventually, they were able to destroy their princely rivals and even replace the Khan as supreme ruler

Completed the process of consolidating power around Novgorod, almost reaching the Baltic Sea- defeated all rivals to win princely authority

Was reinforced by two developments - ceasing to acknowledge the khan as supreme ruler - after the fall of Constantinople, the tsars saw themselves as both the Caesars and beacons of Eastern Orthodoxy- the true tsars (all other Europeans are heretics)

Idea promoted by Orthodox churchmen who spoke of "Holy Russia"

15th century. Resulted in the noble boyars losing their power and influence

Ivan III confiscated more than half of the land from Novgorod and gave it to these people, who held the tsar's land on the explicit condition that they serve in his army

Under his reign, the rise of the service nobility occurred. Suffered terrible neglect as the hands of the haughty boyars as a little boy, and esp. after his mother mysteriously died when he was 8. At age 16, he pushes the boyars aside and crowned himself tsar. His endless wars and demonic purges left much of central Russia depopulated

Site where Ivan IV defeated the faltering khanates between 1552-1556, adding vast new territories to Russia. During these wars, he abolished the old distinction between hereditary boyars' private property and land granted temporarily for service

In 1557, Ivan IV turned westward and fought with these peoples in an exhausting and unsuccessful war

After the death of his wife Anastasia, Ivan IV blamed this body of people. He vowed to strike down all those who stood in his way, starting with them. Leading members, their relatives and even their peasants were mass-executed. Large estates were confiscated, broken up and handed out to the service nobility

As the service nobles demanded more and more from the peasants, many fled east and south. This band of peasants in particular consisted of free groups and outlaw armies

The tsar assumed that he owned trade and industry as well. If a new commercial activity became important and profitable, he often took it over. This, along with service obligations, checked the growth of the Russian middle classes and stood sharp in contrast with developments in the West

Ushered in by the death of Ivan IV. an era of confusion and violent struggles for power, especially after Ivan's son died without an heir - Ivan's relatives intrigued against and murdered one another, inviting the invading Swedes and Poles - social upheaval - Cossack rebellions***

Former slave that led the Cossack rebellions. Marched northward, rallying peasants and slaughtering nobles and officials. Him and his bands called for the return of the "true tsar" who would restore their freedom of movement, reduce heavy taxes and lighten the yoke imposed by the landlords. His rebellion was finally quelled at the gates of Moscow

Ivan's grandnephew who was elected to tsardom in 1613 by the nobles His election was a restoration, and his reign saw a re-established tsarist autocracy. Relaxed obligations on the nobility. Result of his election was mass upheaval- the unity of the Russian Orthodox church will be torn apart

Dogmatic purist/patriarch that was elected by Romanov who introduced religious reforms that were meant to purify the corrupted Russian practices of worship and bring them into line with the Greek Orthodox model. Church hierarchy went along, but the people resisted- saw him as the Antichrist who was stripping them of the only thing they had- the true religion of Holy Russia

The people who left the church and formed illegal communities- hunted down and persecuted. 20,000 burned themselves alive in protest

Michael's successor. Also relaxed obligations on the nobles

Led the Cossacks in another rebellion. Moved up the Volga River and attracted a lot of urban and poor peasants. Killed nobles. Eventually defeated. Holding down the peasants became the principal obligation of the nobility until 1689

Focused mainly in asserting military power. Wanted to redress the army's defeats in the wars against Poland and Sweden. Wanted to territorially expand. Built St. Petersburg. Increased serfdom. Reigned for 36 years- only 1 year of peace

After a long war with Poland, Russia gained a large mass of this land from weak and de-centralized Poland (also completed the conquest of Siberia in 1689)

Conquered by Peter in 1696. Part of his campaign against the Turkish forts and Tartar vassals on the Black Sea

Included Peter the Great, the elector of Saxony (Augustus II) King of Poland and Denmark in order to wage a sudden war of aggression against the powerful and strongly centralized Sweden

Surprised Peter with his military expertise. Quickly defeated Denmark in 1700. Young and absolutist ruler.

Charles defeats unsuspecting Russians and Swedes at this battle. Marks the beginning of Great Northern War

Suffering defeat and faced with a military crisis, Peter responded with a long series of measures to increase state power and strengthen his armies and gain victory. - tightened up Muscovy's old service system and made it work - created schools and universities - 5 years compulsory education away from home for every nobleman (hated) - interlocking civilian-military bureaucracy with 14 ranks; decreed that all had to start at the bottom - searched for talented foreigners and placed them in his service - army grew to 300,000

Greatly increased their service requirements. Often drafted into the army for life. Taxation on these peoples increased threefold during his reign. Serfs arbitrarily assigned to work in the growing number of factories and mines with direct accordance to the military. Serfdom becomes more oppressive

1706. One of the most crucial battles in Russian history. This will essentially win them the Great Northern War

Eventually annexed Estonia and much of present-day Latvia. Became a dominant power on the Baltic Sea and much a European Great Power. Many Westerners and Western ideas flowed into Russia for the first time. A new class of educated Russians emerged. The split between the enserfed peasantry and educated nobility widened. New idea of state interest took hold

Petty princes, although their reign in the grand scheme of history was irrelevant, liked to build these in order to stroke their own egos. Many were modeled after Louis' Versailles. Rulers built them as well- extension of the monarch

Founded in 1715 as the capital city of a German principality, one extreme example of remodeled absolute monarchy baroque city.

Broad avenues, imposing gov buildings, mathematical layout, baroque townhouses, rapid moving carriages, fancy shops

Peter demanded that the city be built in baroque style, and also intended that it would make it easier to reform the country militarily and administratively. Peter wanted a comfortable, modern city with wide streets, canals, stone-paved avenues, large parks etc

The government drafted 25,000-40,000 men each summer to labor for 3 months w/o pay. Households had to pay special tax to feed their workers. Nobles were summarily ordered to built costly stone houses and palaces there and live in them. Huge tax on the wealthy

Named chief architect by Peter's youngest daughter, Elizabeth. Combined Italian and Russian traditions in a colorful style