Absolutism in prussia, History

Assignment Help:

Absolutism in Prussia

A slightly different form of absolutism developed in the 1700's in the German- speaking kingdom of Prussia. Originally a small region known as the principality of Brandenburg, it was ruled by a noble family named Hohenzollern, who had their court at the small city of Berlin. In the mid-1600s, they seemed unlikely to become powerful rulers. After the Thirty Years War, their lands were devastated and moreover, although they were Calvinist, most of their territory had remained Lutheran.

However, Prince Frederick William saw a way to overcome these problems. Rather than relying on nobles to help him rule his various regions, which ranged from the agricultural region of Prussia to the east to the commercial port city of Konigsberg in the west, he decided to establish a single government over the entire region and to assess taxes equally on all of it, paid into a single treasury. With this money, he developed an army, which was small compared to the armies of Austria or France during the Thirty Years War. However, he did not dissolve it after the end of the war, instead using it to enter into other, smaller wars and thereby win more territory -- and eventually he was able to unite all of his territories.

To pay for and command this army, he turned to the nobles in the regions of Brandenburg and Prussia, called Junkers. Junkers were somewhat like the Polish nobles or the English gentry in that there were many of them so their estates were not that large. To make money from these smaller estates, they would have to ensure that those who worked the land would be reduced from peasants back to the status of serfs. Frederick William authorized the nobles to re-feudalize Prussia in return for which the nobles would serve in his army as officers and the serfs as soldiers. 


Related Discussions:- Absolutism in prussia

Who was to blame for britain''s failure and why, Who was to blame for Brita...

Who was to blame for Britain's failure to win a quick victory over the American rebels: General Howe, General Burgoyne, or the ministers in London? Explain your answer.

The majority of african-americans in the south, The majority of African-Ame...

The majority of African-Americans in the South transitioned from slavery to sharecropping in the decades following the Civil War. In what ways did the sharecropping system represen

What were the colonization methods used by each, The Spanish, French, and E...

The Spanish, French, and English all explored America and left a lasting mark on the New World's development. What were the colonization methods used by each? In 1898, the battl

Congressional Recontruction, Under Congressional Reconstruction in order to...

Under Congressional Reconstruction in order to protect the former slaves and the new governments of the south, Congress ? A.relied on the good faith of white southerners B.the sout

Socialism or communism, When it comes to politics, is America really open t...

When it comes to politics, is America really open to other political ideals, such as socialism or communism? If we believe in freedom, why don't we tolerate other political beliefs

The british fought a series of wars with european powers, The British fough...

The British fought a series of wars with European powers that also spread to the North American colonies. What was the War for Spanish Succession and against whom did the colonists

Why were the progressives successful, The Populists and the Progressives sh...

The Populists and the Progressives shared many positions on key reforms. Why were the Progressives successful in getting most of these reforms passed where the Populists failed?

Strengths and weaknesses of the articles of confederation, write an essay d...

write an essay discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the articles of confederation. how were these weaknesses corrected under the constitution?

Reflect the ideas of rousseau, What statements in the "Declaration of the R...

What statements in the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizens" reflect the ideas of Rousseau?

Explain two causes of the second world war, Identify and describe two cause...

Identify and describe two causes of the Second World War. Then analyze significant ways in which World War II changed the world. Make sure you use enough historical details to supp

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd