Chapter 14

Central and Eastern Europe

Prussia – Frederick William the Great Elector

The General War Commissariat – levy taxes, oversee growth… transformed into agency for civil government

Junkers – Prussian aristocracy who served as officials in the GWC and as officers in army.

Central and Eastern Europe…

The New Austrian Empire – originally a significant part of the Holy Roman Empire’s political domain.

Thirty Years War ended HRE political control.

Austrian monarchy, while gaining lands that included Hungary, Transylvania, Croatia and Slavonia – it never became a centralized, absolutist state (made up of too many nationalist groups)

Collection of territories held together by Hapsburg emperor but each with its own laws and political life (no common alliance).

Russia

Ivan IV first czar.

Expanded territories and crushed the nobility (boyars)

Ruthless deeds including the stabbing of own son led him to be called Ivan the Terrible.

Russia…

After Ivan’s death – anarchy – Time of Troubles- for 15 years.

National assembly selected Michael Romanov as new czar in 1613.

Romanov dynasty lasted until 1917.

Peter the Great (see previous notes)

Introduced western customs, practices and manners into Russia (including the shaving of men’s beards and the removal of women’s veils).

St. Petersburg – Baltic Sea port (ice free) –

1703-1918 – capital of Russia.

World of European Culture

What are natural rights?

Who?

This royal throne of kings, this sceptered isle,

This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars

This other Eden, demi-Paradise,

This fortress built by Nature for herself

Against infection and the hand of war,

This happy breed of men, this little world,

This precious stone set in the silver sea,

Which serves it in the office of a wall

Or as a moat defensive to a house

Against the envy of less happier lands-

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm…

What?

Who?

This royal throne of kings, this sceptered isle,

This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars

This other Eden, demi-Paradise,

This fortress built by Nature for herself

Against infection and the hand of war,

This happy breed of men, this little world,

This precious stone set in the silver sea,

Which serves it in the office of a wall

Or as a moat defensive to a house

Against the envy of less happier lands-

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm…this England

Richard III, William Shakespeare

What?

Literature Literature in Spain

Creative form of expression

Lope de Vega – wrote to please the audience…wrote not for fame but…”I wrote them for money.”

Miguel de Cervantes

Don Quixote – dual nature of character – lofty ideals vs. reality

Elizabethan Era

Most famous dramatist of that era – William Shakespeare

Showed remarkable understanding of the human

condition.

ArtBaroque Period

Mannerism – breaking down the High Renaissance principles of balance, harmony, moderation and rules of proportion.

Developed into baroque

Brought together and returned to classical ideals with spiritual feelings of the religious revival

Reflected the search for power (create awe)

Dramatic affects to arouse emotion

Gian Lorenzo Bernini p.449

Caravaggio

Caravaggio became renown for his use of chiaroscuro, his

most effective device to awaken the deep recesses of the soul. Chiaroscuro was the use of contrasting light and dark colors and shadows.

Architecture

The Quire of St. Pauls

W. Holman Hunt - artist

Political thoughtThomas Hobbes

Human struggle for self preservation –ruthless and not guided by morals if left alone

Agreed to be governed by absolute ruler

Absolute power needed to preserve order, rebellions need to be suppressed

Leviathan -1651-wrote it to try and deal with the problems of disorder –creation of social contract with “the state”

John Locke

Original state one of equality and freedom

Natural rights – rights with which a person was born with

Established government to protect rights – mutual obligation

If government breaks contract, people have the right to form a new government

Two Treatises of Government -1690 – argued against absolute power.

not an advocate of democracy – favored the aristocracy not commoners

Locke’s ideas were used to support demands for constitutional government, the rule of law and the

protection of rights.

Locke’s ideas can be found in the American Declaration of Independence

and the United States Constitution