Enlightened+Monarchs

 Hannah Lian   Describe the term "Enlightened Absolutism" as it applies to certain rulers in Europe in the eighteenth century.   Frederick the Great:  Prussia  Voltaire stayed with him for several years  Established a sing code of law  Eliminated use of torture except in treason and murder cases  Limited freedom of speech and press  Complete religious toleration  Too dependent on Prussian nobility to eliminate serfdom  Social conservative  Made Prussia more aristocratic  Reversed policy allowing commoners to rise to power in civil service  <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Catherine II the Great: <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Russia <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Voltaire and Diderot were her correspondents <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Called an assembly to debate a new law code in 1767 <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">// Instructions   // <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Questioned serfdom, torture, and capital punishment <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Advocated equality of all people in the eyes of the law <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Instituted policies that supported the landholding class at the expense of all others <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Lead to worsening conditions for the surfs <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Joseph II: <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Austria <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Abolished serfdom <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Gave peasants hereditary rights <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Eliminated internal tra barriers <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Ended monopolies <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Removed guide restrictions <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Abrogated the death penalty <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Established a principle of equality before the law <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Complete religious tolerance <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> Restriction on the Catholic church <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> 6,000 decrees and 11,000 laws <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> alienated nobility and clergy <span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> reforms failed

<span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/SSPOD/SuperStock_900-104712-CT~Frederick-the-Great-Posters.jpg

<span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> http://gentlewindsbolognese.com/Portals/0/images/482px-Antropov_CatherineII.jpg

<span style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"> http://de.academic.ru/pictures/dewiki/74/Joseph_II.jpg