Prussia rose to power in the late 1600s. Prussia’s ruling family, the Hohenzollerns, also had ambitions. Those ambitions threatened to upset central Europe’s delicate balance of power. The Hohenzollerns built their state from a number of small holdings, beginning with the German cities of Brandenburg and Prussia. In 1640, a 20-year-old Hohenzollern named Frederick William inherited the title of elector of Brandenburg. Frederick William decided that having a strong army was the only way to ensure safety, after seeing the destruction of the Thirty Years’ War. To protect their lands, the Great Elector and his descendants moved toward absolute monarchy.
He brought in the Carlsbad Decree, banning the teaching of nationalism and liberalism. Lecturers were expelled for teaching nationalism and students were not allowed to talk about liberal and nationalist ideas. On the other hand, the second most powerful Germanic state, Prussia was open to the idea of liberalism and nationalism. Prussia welcomed the idea of one German nation. Other states grew closer to Prussia and an economic union called Zollverein was created that did included Austria in it. This economic union allowed Prussia to improve its economic situation and its military. An attempt to unify Germany was made in 1848, which ended up in a partial failure. The 1848 attempt made it clear that the German’s wanted Germany without Austria. The attempt was partially a failure because Prussian king did not take the title of German Emperor since the commoners were giving it and it made the Prussian King feel
The Inquisition run by Tomas de Torquemada persecuted other religions and was a base of counter-reformation
German princes yearned for land, power, and wealth and the ideas Lutheranism contained gave them all of that. Lutherans believed that taxes should be paid to the rulers of the land, which would be the German Princes, instead of the church, like Catholics believed in. Also, if the Lutheranism was to be the true religion then the princes would own all of the church’s land. This was enough for them to support Luther. Free Cities, or imperial cities are cities that are not controlled by a prince. Merchants, lawyers, and literate folk made up the majority of these towns. Residents of
Britain obtained Prussia as her ally, but you might ask, why? Surely you can’t fuel Frederick’s massive army any more? Pitt the Elder argued though that while true...
The European expansion into the Western Hemisphere in the 15th and 16th centuries was a great advance for most of human civilization. There are several reasons this was an advancement of the human race, such as it laid the groundwork for new politics and a more diverse economy. The expansion is also important because the migration of the Europeans into the Western hemisphere was the first of its kind. The expansion brought new people, culture and ideas. Another reason this is an advancement is that it expanded the economic system, which is important because it made more people wealthy and shifted the economy away from a feudal system. However, socially, the expansion into the Western hemisphere made the settlers develop views of superiority over the natives. In conclusion, the European expansion in the 15th and 16th centuries had many positive effects on the Europeans and its settlers, but affected natives negatively.
The Rise in Political Power of 17th Century England and France In the seventeenth century, the political power of the Parliament in England, and the Monarchy in France increased greatly. These conditions were inspired by three major changes: the aftermath of the reformation, the need for an increased governmental financing, and the reorganizing of central governments. These three points were each resolved in a different way in both England and in France. The first major point which eventually increased political power was
Towards the end of the sixteenth century, the Thirty Years War was coming to an end. The Thirty Years War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts, as well as the deadliest European religious war, in history. Ending with the Peace of Westphalia, the war resulted in an end to religious warfare. It also, unintentionally, gave rise to a new type of monarch. The New Monarch worked to unify their nations and create stable and centralized governments. New Monarchs such as Louis XIV, Peter the Great, and Ferdinand III were known for creating a more centralized government. Centralization was the concentration of authority on a single source and was necessary for magisterial absolutism. A monarch was an absolute monarch when they had absolute
Absolutism affected the power + status of the European nobility depending on the country in which they lived. In England the power of the nobility increases due to a victory in the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution of 1658. However, in France, Louis XIV¡¯s absolutist regime decreased the powers of the noble but heightened their material status. In Russia and in Prussia, the absolutist leaders of those countries modernized their nations + the nobility underwent a change, but it retained prestige + power.
The European monarchs during that time period lacked any kind of selflessness. They want to keep themselves safe and protected. They will act deceitful and will always be eager to avoid danger (Machiavelli). They will be a person’s best friend when they need to, but when they are put in danger, they forget everything about the friendship. The selfish way of ruling makes it a tyranny. People's opinions about how the government should run are uncared for which gives the monarchs a chance to rule in a cruel way, in a tyranny. The monarchs were doing what they felt was right for their kingdom, but they should not have the right to decide what the members of the government do
Fredericksburg was established under the guidance of John Meusebach in 1846, caused by the German immigration to escape the political turmoil and economic uncertainty the German people looked for a new start in the new world. Traveling for the first time west towards Fredericksburg I found my breath taken by beauty of the plains and hills that fill the skyline, when I crossed through the road almost carved into the hills surrounding it allowing you to see up close the many different layers in the hill itself. When I reached the town I found myself taken by how small in size and compact the town truly was, though I had been told that it was rather small I thought for as much tourism that it hosts.
Frederick II, the Great, overcame the resource limitations within Prussia by mastering three aspects of the western way of war: the ability to finance war, possessing a highly disciplined military, and an aggressive mindset toward achieving quick decisive victory, which established Prussia as a major European power. Frederick II accomplished this feat while being surrounded by powerful neighbors that possessed larger populations, armies, and financial excess. His initial assessment on the state of his Prussian inheritance from his personal writings follows:
The Congress of Vienna in 1814-15 created the so-called German Confederation under Austrian and Prussian hegemony, but this unit disappointed the dreams of nationalists. The rivalry of Austria and Prussia paralyzed it in a way comparable to the effects of Soviet-American dualism on the United Nations during the Cold War. Almost everywhere, the old rulers repressed the nationalist movement after 1815. The German princes realized that nationalism required ...
Prior to unification in 1871 the territory that would become Germany was comprised of thirty-nine independent states and city states joined together in a loose German Confederation. The most powerful among these states was Prussia, both geographically the largest state and that with the largest population. The influential politicians and policies that came out of Prussia were instrumental in the gradual formation of a united Germany. Beginning with the rise of Napoleon, the nineteenth century was a time of incredible change which dramatically altered the political balance of Europe. In order to understand the factors that culminated in official German unification on January 18, 1871, it is necessary to examine the preceding decades.
European power rose so dramatically between the 16th and the 19th centuries that every other part of the world had to adapt or go under. The social order was expanding and transforming like never before, a Renaissance was taking place. This enligh tenment began revolutionizing and shifting the power structures of the world. Many countries began altering their sea routes with new technologies, as a result, they gained additional trading, exchanging, and subsequently began dominating the new worlds they encountered. These countries were, propelling themselves into prosperous, wealthy and powerful positions. Having dominance in addition to power, formed new ways to claim land, set up ports of trade, and created colonies either formerly or informally. Generating, commerence, land, and influence for those
The exercising of state power during the seventeenth century has undergone a paragon shift; all thanks to the revolutions of the time. During the seventeenth century, many of the nations were ruled by monarchies, much of whom had absolute control. The kings of these nations usually were considered to have the authority of God and their control was widespread. The only way that a leader would change is by inheritance or war. The society was based around aristocracy where people were divided from the peasants to the nobles. Whatever level you were born into, you were most likely going to stay in that level for the rest of your life. This divide is still here today but today, you do have the ability to raise your stature.