Joseph was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in March 1764. Joseph's reforms included abolishing serfdom, ending press censorship and limiting the power of the Catholic Church. Joseph, in contrast, gave the reforms an ideological edge reflecting the utilitarian theories of the Enlightenment. Omissions? After his mother’s death, Joseph had involved himself fruitlessly in 1784 in an attempt to force the Dutch to lift their blockade to secure a passage to the sea for the Austrian Netherlands. He wanted the Church to be practical and “reasonable” and he also wanted to centralize everything under his own control, in secular and spiritual matters. And with his Edict of Toleration, Joseph gave minority religions, such as Protestants, Greek Orthodox and Jews, the ability to live and worship more freely. When Maria Theresa appointed him to the Council of State, he exhibited unusual intelligence and an intense interest in politics. Both Joseph II and Frederick the Great were enlightened despots who cared for their people. Generally, he is presented as the representative enlightened absolutist—that is to say, the most typical of those 18th-century monarchs who applied the principles of the philosophical movement known as the Enlightenment to the problems of government and society. Author of. His Russian visit gave him the impression of a state retarded in its development compared with the West, but the loyalty of its enormous population to Catherine and her nearly unlimited power seemed to make her the best ally for political manoeuvres in Europe. In short, the ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers were not fully realized during the Age of Enlightenment. He is one of the best examples of Europe's enlightened despots. However, it elicited grudging compliance at best and more often vehement opposition from all sectors in every part of his empire. During his time in … granted religious tolerance to Jews, Protestants and Orthodox Christians. Before we get into the key figures of Enlightened Absolutism in this AP Euro crash course, let’s go over a quick recap of what these people actually believed in.Enlightened Absolutism is Abolishing feudal and ecclesiastical judicial rights. Assess the impact of the ideas of the Enlightenment with respect to the policies of Frederick the Great of Prussia, Maria Theresa and Joseph II of Austria and Catherine II of Russia. Professor of History, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. Joseph was a proponent of enlightened despotism, but his commitment to modernizing reforms engendered significant opposition, which eventually culminated in a failure to fully implement his programs. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. So, if you study no one else in this AP® European History Review, make sure you pay attention to these three. Because his reforms were more ideologically driven and thus less flexible and pragmatic, they frequently were also less successful and disrupted the At the time of Joseph's birth, the Habsburgs ruled Austria, Bohemia, Hungary, parts of Italy and the Netherlands, and were accorded the rights of the Holy Roman Emperor in the German states. One of the "Enlightened Despots" of the 18th century, Joseph aspired to increase the power and efficiency of the state by placing all subjects of the realm, including the Church and the feudal nobility, under benevolent monarchical rule. Because the prerogatives of the clergy and minor nobility were unchecked, Joseph remained unsatisfied. Incorporation of Enlightenment ideas (such as religious toleration, freedom of speech) ... Joseph II. Reforms unpopular with the church and the nobility and were overturned by successor Leopold II. After her death in 1780, Joseph tried to finish her work of reform. Further reforms introduced by Maria-Theresa and Joseph II reflected such Enlightenment principles as the dissolution of feudal social structures and the curtailment of power of the Catholic Church. The educational system had been consolidated throughout the monarchy. Josephinism was the collective domestic policies of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (1765–1790). Joseph lived from 1741-1790 and had a brother, a Holy Roman Emperor, and a sister, the Queen of France. Pragmatic Sanction. Under Joseph II a uniform law code was established, and in 1781 he abolished serfdom and in 1789 ordered the General School Ordinance, which required compulsory education for Austrian children. limited censorship of literature. Joseph II, (born March 13, 1741, Vienna, Austria—died Feb. 20, 1790, Vienna), Holy Roman emperor (1765–90), at first coruler with his mother, Maria Theresa (1765–80), and then sole ruler (1780–90) of the Austrian Habsburg dominions. Joseph II's preference for total isolation from foreign competition was supported, in the Staatsrat, only by Izdenczy; Kaunitz and Martini favoured trade based on reciprocity. Joseph was a proponent of enlightened despotism, but his commitment to modernizing reforms engendered significant opposition, which eventually culminated in a failure to fully implement his programs. The reforms that survived profited from the conciliatory policies of Joseph’s successor, his younger brother Leopold II (r. 1790-1792), who was an enlightened despot in his own right. The … He also introduced economic and judicial reforms. However, the 18th-century monarchs did help to build a foundation for greater political and social freedom in the future. ex. He granted religious tolerance to Jews, Protestants and Orthodox Christians, and planned to emancipate the serfs in his domains by 1784. Seeking escape in travel, he journeyed, often incognito, to France, Russia, and most of the Habsburg lands from 1765-80. The power of the church was even more affected by the dissolution of more than 700 monasteries not engaged in such useful activities as teaching or hospital work. But Joseph left Prussia out of his calculations. His frustration would induce him to direct his attention to foreign matters. Jump to: navigation, search. The Austrian and Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II, has been proclaimed by some scholars as having been the “last of the enlightened despots.” However, it is possible to draw parallels between the political and theoretical climate of Austria during the Age of Enlightenment and a similar climate that prevailed during the final years of the Soviet Union, during the presidency of Mikhail Gorbachev. Prussia, supported by France, bridled Joseph's designs, which resulted in a costly and painful foreign policy defeat. The emancipation of the Jews within a short time endowed cultural life with new vitality. He established national training colleges for priests and deprived the bishops of their authority and limited their communications with the Pope. Joseph II was a big contributor to the Enlightenment Era, specifically in Austria. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-II, The Classical Music Pages - Biography of Joseph II, Military History Encyclopedia on the Web - Biography of Joseph II. Robert A. Kann. Despite the criticism and opposition, Joseph’s policies, popularly known as Josephinism, aimed at equating the society on all grounds – religion, education, administration and law. The Emperor hoped for more success with his unusual plan of exchanging the Austrian Netherlands for Bavaria. Joseph II had great veneration for his mother Maria Theresa’s arch-enemy Frederick the Great. the peak during Joseph II´s reign, sometimes also called josephinism centres of enligtened life – noble salons and Masonic lodges – enlightened state clerks and army officers focused on charity 1784 – the Bohemian Society of Sciences – focused on natural and historical sciences the Bohemian enlightment and science was However, Joseph failed because he angered people by making changes far too swiftly, and even the serfs weren’t satisfied with their abrupt freedom. There the Emperor attempted to establish peace in the Austrian Netherlands by delaying negotiations, but he failed in this as he did in Hungary, where his refusal to be crowned had deprived him of a legal foundation for his reign. Joseph II. Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (1765–90). Blog. Born in Vienna on March 13, 1741, the first son of Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Francis Stephen of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Joseph achieved his first triumph merely by being born a boy. He ordered the abolition of serfdom; by the Edict of Toleration he established religious equality before the law, and he granted freedom of the press. Enlightened absolutism (also called enlightened despotism or enlightened absolutist) refers to the conduct and policies of European absolute monarchs during the 18th and 19th centuries who were influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment, espousing them to enhance their power. Corrections? In Hungary topographical surveys and the replacing of Latin by German as the official legal language drove the Hungarian gentry into opposition, and in the Austrian Netherlands immigrants who had fled from Holland opened hostilities against the occupation forces, and finally the country declared its independence. The Enlightenment. Revolutionary unrest in the Austrian Netherlands and Hungary grew in the belief that preoccupation with the war would prevent the Emperor from taking on the revolutionaries as well. By 1789, his radical reforms brought his Empire to the verge of revolt, and his foreign policy adventures in Belgium and Bavaria exacerbated his difficulties. Frederick II, the Great (1712-86): King of Prussia. Enlightened despotism is an interesting phenomenon that still exists to some extent in politics today when otherwise educated and intelligent leaders feel that they know best … Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Both Joseph II and Frederick the Great were enlightened despots who cared for their people. The result of his efforts was a series of modest reforms establishing secular schools in Austria, banning torture as a way of securing evidence, and eliminating heresy as a crime. By 1770 he had already lost two wives and his sole surviving daughter. The House of Habsburg, 1964. http://enlightenment-revolution.org/index.php/Joseph_II. The artistic life of Vienna rose to new heights when the Burgtheater became the German National Theater. The way they handle foreign policy, their abilities in warfare, and their methods of reform were different than each other, but in other ways they were similar. Under Maria Theresa the physician Gerard van Swieten had organized a public health service, and in Joseph’s time the General Hospital in Vienna was considered one of the best equipped in Europe. (grand duke of Tuscany, emperor, 1745-65) and Maria Theresa (queen of Bohemia and Hungary, archduchess of Austria, 1740-48), was born at Vienna Mar. Joseph II (1741–1790), Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Hapsburg (Austrian) territories, was the arch-embodiment of the Enlightenment spirit of the later 18th century reforming monarchs known as the benevolent despots, or enlightened despots. Why educators should appear on-screen for instructional videos; Feb. 3, 2021. In 1786 the Universal Code of Civil Law was issued. The arrangement curbed Joseph's authority, leaving him only those powers his mother afforded him. Enlightenment. These peasants, although plainly Protestant Updates? This all would go under natural rights for Enlightenment ideals. The reorganization of the army secured Joseph’s position in Europe. Committed to political reform, Joseph pledged to achieve the common good for all his subjects, and adhered to the Enlightenment tenet that the state's determination of the commonweal was based upon reason. He personally scrutinized much administrative procedure. The judiciary and the executive had already been separated at the top; Joseph extended this process to the lower administrative levels. By cause of this, Joseph II abolished serfdom. granted Joseph’s passionate zeal to change everything and to force a new form of life on his subjects met with embittered resistance, chiefly in such strongly traditional countries as the Austrian Netherlands and Hungary. A History of the Habsburg Empire, 1974. The 36,000 monks forced to leave their orders were given an annuity or money to return home; those so returning could continue as secular priests. Joseph II was Enlightened because like [Enlightened philosophy] his [policy] was [how it was like the philosophy or idea of a philosophe] Thanks! These religious policies, despicable as they were, and I think they were, did not, in my opinion, originate in any malice on the part of Joseph II. Both monarchs, for Click to see full answer Regarding this, what did Joseph II of Austria do? In 1788, he joined Russia in a conflict to plunder the Ottoman Empire. Born in Vienna on March 13, 1741, the first son of Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Francis Stephen of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Joseph achieved his first triumph merely by being born a boy. His inability to make decisions necessarily limited his ambition. After his father died, in 1765, he became emperor, but Maria Theresa made all the important decisions. Although his thrift in his private finances and distaste for Baroque court ceremonial earned him the reputation of being a man close to the people, Joseph never actually took steps to overcome social Joseph II(1741-1790): Holy Roman Emperor One of the "Enlightened Despots" of the 18th century, Joseph aspired to increase the power and efficiency of the state by placing all subjects of the realm, including the Church and the feudal nobility, under benevolent monarchical rule.