Eastern Europe Seeking a Political, Economic, and Cultural Center and Why Do They Fail?

Eastern Europe

Seeking a

Political, Economic, and Cultural Centerand

Why Do They Fail?

Ottoman Empire

Battle of Lepanto – 1571(Spain, Naples, Venice, Sicily v. Ottomans)

150 Ottoman vessals lost to 50 for allies. Ottomans lost 2x as many soldiers/sailors

Ottomans Post-Lepanto

• Rebuilt fleet in 6 months (a ship a day from Constantinople), and allies were compelled to sign a treaty

• Ottomans concentrated on North Africa• Ottoman military technology suffered from

stagnation (fed by increasing religious conservatives). The Western Europeans no longer feared Ottomen cavalry.

Collapse of the Ottomans• Last surge in 1683 in attempt to retake Vienna

– considered expansionists until then.• Western European nations wanted to curtail

Ottoman control of trade routes to the East.• Philip II (Spain) encouraged a combined

Western attack on the Ottoman fleet in the Mediterranean Sea

Siege of Vienna

Ottomans lose 20,000Poles/Hapsburgs lose 4,500

Vienna - 1683• Defeated by Jan III (John III) Sobieski of Poland.• Treaty of Karlowitz (Ottomans concede Hungary

and Transylvania)• Ottoman Empire slowly retreats south – does fight

on for 16 years.• Left power vacuum as it retreated • No effective Holy Roman Empire or Eastern

leadership to fill the vacuum• Ottoman Empire suffered from weak leadership

The Three Families

• The Hanovers - who will ultimately rule England

• The Hapsburgs, whose focus will ultimately be Austria and Eastern Europe

• The Hohenzollerans, who will emerge as the most powerful family in Germany.

Austria and The Hapsburgs

Austria

Prince Eugene of SavoyBattle of Zenta- drove Turks out of Hungary

Peace of Karlowitz- Turks yielded most of Hungary, Croatia & Transylvania

Treaty of Rastadt- Austria annexed Spanish Netherlands

Charles VI• Ruled until 1740

(Charles III in Spain)• No male heir• Responsible for the

Pragmatic Sanction• Refrains from expansion

wants guarantee of daughters rule

Austria – Economic Issues• Landlocked – small middle class – limited

taxes

• Charles VI forms Ostend Company – 1722 - (East and West Indies) based in the Austrian Netherlands (from Treaty of Utrecht)

• Competed with British and Dutch

• British force its dissolution in 1731 as a part of the Treaty of Vienna (Anglo-Austrian Alliance)

War of Austrian Succession1740-1748

• Charles death signifies the start of foreign encroachment into Austria

• British enters war - hopes to gain a Continental position(and because England is now an ally of Austria)

• Austria's enemies distrust each other

• Austria survives But … the conflict expands

However, England …..Is not initially involvedBut …. Then there is …

• Begins with an incident in 1731

• Results in war in 1739 - Between Spanish and British …. Fought largely in the Caribbean But … becomes an

• Extension of the War of Austrian Succession

Jenkins Ear(The War of)

Then ………

King George’s War1744-1748

• Considered the third in a long line of French and Indian Wars (against English)

• English relied on colonial forces, which defeated French forces, and took control of a portion of Nova Scotia (heavy losses)

• War ends with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

• France and England returned land to the other - treaty caused a serious rift between British crown and American colonists

The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

• All lands were returned to those who originally controlled them

• Maria Theresa kept her throne

• Prussia gained respect for its military, and

• Prussia gains control over Silesia (the focus of the Seven Years War in Europe)

Austria Survives on its own …

Marie Theresa

• Marries Francis Stephen of Lorraine - 16 children

• Abandons traditional alliance with England

• Joins France and Russia• Helps divide Poland• Eventually rules with son• Considered Enlightened • Freed serfs to increase

taxes• Ignored other enlightened

practices

Joseph II• 1765-1790, Hapsburg

• Co-ruled with mother until her death in 1780

• Considered Enlightened

• Religious toleration

• Freed Austrian serfs

• Eliminated censorship

• Codified law

• Failed to extend territory

• Most reforms failed - no $

PrussiaElectors of the Holy Roman Empire

Beginning in 1415Originate from region of Brandenburg

Prussia takes on state status in 1701

when the Elector of Brandenburg takes the title ‘King of Prussia’

PrussianLeadership

The Hohenzollerns• First notice in 13th Century

• Began as moneylenders to the Holy Roman Emperor

• Awarded land for service, and eventually merged these lands into modern Prussia

• Used military to bind estates into a single country.

The First Two Fredericks

• Frederick William, The Great Elector, 1640-1688

• Frederick III, Elector of BrandenburgBecomes Frederick I, King of Prussiawith permission of HRE

Frederick William I,The Drill-Master of Europe

• 1713-1740

• Frugal

• Built army through mandatory service

• Developed Potsdam Guard – special unit

• Cousin of George II

• Excellent administrator Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau

The Prussian Military• 4th largest although population was 12th

largest – 4% of the population.

• 70% of state budget devoted to military

• Reorganized leadership and unit structure

• Increased mobility

• Unsuccessful in longer conflicts – insufficient troops

• Reputation often outstripped ability

Frederick II The Great1740-1786

• Raised in rigid (militaristic) environment

• Inherited a nation in excellent condition.

• Used military to expand territory – wanted to ‘connect the dots’ of Prussia

• Considered an intellectual and Enlightened leader

• Administrative genius

Frederick William II

• 1786-1797• Second son of Frederick William I

(brother of “The Great”)• Not ‘strong of intellect’ –

Frederick ‘The Great’ had ‘misgivings’ about his ability

• Tax reform damages Prussian economy – leaves nation near bankruptcy

• Support for Louis XVI and poor leadership during war damage Prussia.

• Strong support of arts (Mozart and Beethoven)

The Prussian ‘Tradition’

• Protestant• Territorial consolidation• Efficiency• Rule of law• Militarism and duty to country• Hallmarks of the German state to follow

in the 19th century

Lithuania

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Lithuania• 14th Century – conversion to Christianity and

unity with Poland.• Defeated Germanic Knights in 15th Century and

reached territorial maximum• Devastated by Great Northern War (war, plague,

famine killed over 40% of population)• Control eventually lost to Austrian (Hapsburgs),

Russia, Prussia• Soviet control 1940-1990

Lithuania Today

• First Soviet Republic to declare independence (1990 – not recognized by Soviets until 1991)

• Joined NATO and EU in 2004• 3.5 Million people/15% unemployment• Per Capita GDP ($17,000) ranks 58 in world

(U.S. - $46,000).• World Health Ranking of 73 [behind all of

Western Europe – except Russia (130)]

Russia

The Largest Land Mass in Europe

A Region in TurmoilStill ….

Global Peace Index 2013

Early Russia - until 1547

• Was focused on the East (Asia) • Ural Mountains provided early barrier

to Western influences• Ivan the Terrible (first Czar – 1580s)

redirects Russian attention to the West• A Romanov ascends to throne in early

1613 - 1645 (Michael)

Peter the Great

Peter The Great

• 1672-1725

• Rules jointly with half-brother Ivan (V) (controlled by half-sister Sophia – eventually exiled by Peter)

• Takes throne on own at 22 – defeats Turks gaining a port on the Baltic Sea.

• Began process of ‘westernizing’

• Peter made the following changes to Russia once he returned to Russia:– The Russian Church, which had opposed

all learning and change came under Peter’s direct control

– All non-serfs were required to serve the state in the government or in the military and nobility did not guarantee any high positions

• Peter created a professional army that was drilled by European soldiers with European weapons

• Taxes were raised to pay for the army and taxes were put on items such as beards, land, inns, mills, leather, coffins, meat & the right to marry

• Encouraged industrialization and provided government money for companies to start making products the army needed

• Eastern fashions were prohibited and men could not wear beards

• A newspaper was created which helped to increase literacy and exchange ideas

• Russians were sent abroad to study

• A book of etiquette was published that encouraged Russians not to spit on the floor, scratch themselves or to wear hats indoors

• Peter built his new capital, St. Petersburg, on Swedish lands on the Baltic Sea and forced nobles to move there

• His new capital provided the ice-free port that Russia had desired for so long

St. Petersburg

Average Winter Temperature -7/ Summer 64

Catherine the Great

• German princess - organized palace revolt, murdered Peter III

• Intellectual - corresponded with Voltarie and Diderot

• Attempted modest reforms

• Success in foreign policy – except – no warm water port

1762-1796

PolandA Failed State ….

The Partition of Poland• Ruined by wars of 17th Century• Wars reduced population by 1/3• Poland becomes prize of war• Russia, Austria, and Prussia divide

Poland. • Three separate actions – Poland

disappears• Poland does not reappear until the 20th

Century