Tuesday, November 20, 2007
What was going on socially and culturally during the Renaissance & Reformation
With the rise of absolutism in both Austria and Hungary, there began a social struggle for power. Through this came the rise of the Habsburg family, who eventually hold a strong rule ver the area. Society became very angered at the newly imposed taxes, which they had no representation for. Despite this and a few other dislikes, Austria and Hungary actually became a more unified people.
Mckay, Hill, and Buckler. A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Mckay, Hill, and Buckler. A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Austria/Hungary during the Renaissance & Reformation
During this time period, war and the threat of war began to aid rulers in their attempts to create absolute monarchies. An endless struggle for power began as eastern rulers battled amongst each other and also against invaders from Asia. In this atmosphere, monarchs reduced the political power of the landlord nobility and bean to gain and monopolize political power. THey began to impose and collect taxes without conesent and also maintained permanent armies. Finally, they also conducted relations with other states as they pleased. This absolutism that was created in Prussia was stronger and more effective than Austria's.
Entry from a member of the clergy
Dear Journal,
I’m deeply saddened by the conquest of my country of Hungary that is now controlled by the Habsburgs. They are trying to convert us to the ways of Catholicism which is something I will not condescend myself to doing. I have been and will remain a Protestant throughout my life and I’m dedicated to my teachings. I don’t understand why the Habsburgs would try to re-catholicize their nation after what happened in the 30 Years War. I’m hoping that this problem will be settled as peacefully as possible and quite soon as well.
Mckay, Hill, and Buckler. A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
I’m deeply saddened by the conquest of my country of Hungary that is now controlled by the Habsburgs. They are trying to convert us to the ways of Catholicism which is something I will not condescend myself to doing. I have been and will remain a Protestant throughout my life and I’m dedicated to my teachings. I don’t understand why the Habsburgs would try to re-catholicize their nation after what happened in the 30 Years War. I’m hoping that this problem will be settled as peacefully as possible and quite soon as well.
Mckay, Hill, and Buckler. A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Political Changes
Beginning in the 1600s, one of the first changes that was made politically was the attempt to weaken the noblility. With absolutism becoming popular, monarchs began to impose taxes without consent, meaning no parliamentary approval; they could maintain "standing" armies, who also worked as police to the villagers; third, they communicated with other states at leaders at their own will.
Religion played a part in political change as well. In the early 1600s, many lords had been Protestant, especially in the Bohemian Estates, but after the Protestant uprising was crushed in the Thirty Years War, Ferdinand II eliminated Protestantism, and replaced many Protestant nobles with Catholic ones, even though some were foreign. However, strong, direct rule was now established over Bohemia, as well as stronger and centralized governments in other lands.
While not much of a change politically, in 1713 the Pragmatic Sanction was proclaimed, which stated that Habsburg possesions were never to be divided and were always to be passed intact to a single heir. While this would not fully unify the Holy Roman Empire, it was a step towards it. Somewhat of a reverse-step was often made by Hungarian nobles, who tried very hard to avoid absolute rule. While never completely triumphing, they were successful in that a true, absolute monarch was never established in the region.
Religion played a part in political change as well. In the early 1600s, many lords had been Protestant, especially in the Bohemian Estates, but after the Protestant uprising was crushed in the Thirty Years War, Ferdinand II eliminated Protestantism, and replaced many Protestant nobles with Catholic ones, even though some were foreign. However, strong, direct rule was now established over Bohemia, as well as stronger and centralized governments in other lands.
While not much of a change politically, in 1713 the Pragmatic Sanction was proclaimed, which stated that Habsburg possesions were never to be divided and were always to be passed intact to a single heir. While this would not fully unify the Holy Roman Empire, it was a step towards it. Somewhat of a reverse-step was often made by Hungarian nobles, who tried very hard to avoid absolute rule. While never completely triumphing, they were successful in that a true, absolute monarch was never established in the region.
Peasent Blog Entry
There has always been many serfs like myself in Austria, but as of late there has been an increasing amount of peasents, it seems. And not only that, but conditions are getting worse for those of us who have lived like this for as long as we can remember. A new word has come into my vocabular: robot. It's meaning is horrible, but a fact of life now- three days of work per week without pay! Fortunately, the cituations could be worse for me. Many have to work every day except for Sunday and religious holidays.
Nobility Blog Entry
Many changes have occured over the past number of years, especially for us nobles. After the violent Thirty Years War, Protestantism had basically been wiped out, which is a pretty powerful statement seeing that as recently as 1600 a large number of nobles were Protestant in Bohemia. With Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II trying to rid his land of Protestants, many nobles that are followers of that religion are being replaced by Catholics. It's strange, though, because these new nobles have little in common with the lands that they rule.
Journal Entries
Dear Journal,
I am overwhelmed with how well the conquest of Bohemia is going. The Czechs have mainly been defeated at the Battle of White Mountain and now we are working on the conquest of the Bohemian Estate, to make our conquest complete. By taking over the Bohemian estate we will cripple the country’s government and their religious power as well. I can’t wait until I am king of both Austria and Bohemia.
Yours Truly,
Ferdinand II
Dear Journal,
My main goal throughout these past years has been to centralize the government in the German speaking provinces especially Austria, Styria, and Tyrol which now today I’m happy to declare is the main area of my family’s holdings (Habsburg’s). We now finally after numerous years have a permanent army ready to thwart and strike down any adversaries threatening our countries way of life. I also feel it is time to fight and take the plains of Hungary from the Ottoman Turks because I feel our empire is stronger than ever.
Yours Truly
Ferdinand III (r. 1637- 1657)
Dear Journal,
After years of fighting and hardships we have taken over Hungary from the ruthless Ottomans and I am thrilled at the vast empire that we throughout the years have amassed. I feel that since our family has done so well we need to keep absolutism in power to ensure our newly acquired land doesn’t go to corrupt political members and get dismantled. Therefore, I am thinking of issuing the Pragmatic Sanction, which will state that all of my families’ possessions will never be divided and will always be passed intact to a single heir of either sex, since I am the last of the Habsburg males. I hope that this is accepted and our reign will continue for years to come.
Yours Truly,
Charles VI ( r. 1711-1740)
Mckay, Hill, and Buckler. A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
I am overwhelmed with how well the conquest of Bohemia is going. The Czechs have mainly been defeated at the Battle of White Mountain and now we are working on the conquest of the Bohemian Estate, to make our conquest complete. By taking over the Bohemian estate we will cripple the country’s government and their religious power as well. I can’t wait until I am king of both Austria and Bohemia.
Yours Truly,
Ferdinand II
Dear Journal,
My main goal throughout these past years has been to centralize the government in the German speaking provinces especially Austria, Styria, and Tyrol which now today I’m happy to declare is the main area of my family’s holdings (Habsburg’s). We now finally after numerous years have a permanent army ready to thwart and strike down any adversaries threatening our countries way of life. I also feel it is time to fight and take the plains of Hungary from the Ottoman Turks because I feel our empire is stronger than ever.
Yours Truly
Ferdinand III (r. 1637- 1657)
Dear Journal,
After years of fighting and hardships we have taken over Hungary from the ruthless Ottomans and I am thrilled at the vast empire that we throughout the years have amassed. I feel that since our family has done so well we need to keep absolutism in power to ensure our newly acquired land doesn’t go to corrupt political members and get dismantled. Therefore, I am thinking of issuing the Pragmatic Sanction, which will state that all of my families’ possessions will never be divided and will always be passed intact to a single heir of either sex, since I am the last of the Habsburg males. I hope that this is accepted and our reign will continue for years to come.
Yours Truly,
Charles VI ( r. 1711-1740)
Mckay, Hill, and Buckler. A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
The Role of Ferdinand II (r.1619-1637)
After numerous setbacks Ferdinand II was determined to turn the Habsburg Empire back into one of the most feared in the world. Ferdinand II was very influential during this time period to Austria and the spread of Catholicism by conquering mainly Protestant Bohemia. Ferdinand by brilliantly targeting the Bohemian Estates (the main religious and political power of Bohemia,) and defeating their organized uprising in 1620 at the Battle of White Mountain, crippled the country and opened it for a quick and decisive takeover, which inevitably occurred soon after. Ferdinand (an absolutist) immediately reduced the power of the Bohemian Estates to stop the possibility of an organized revolt occurring and so he could control the country more easily. Then Ferdinand II gave away large sums of land to a few Catholic nobles as well as aristocratic soldiers that had remained loyal to him as a sign of gratitude in Bohemia. These carefully planned political moves caused the Habsburgs to regain some of their power lost during the 30 Years War for a while and make Bohemia a strong but not a unified country.
Mckay, Hill, and Buckler. A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Mckay, Hill, and Buckler. A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Travelogue
For the travelogue, we shall be taking a trip to Vienna, Austria. Vienna is of historical importance and is relevant to Austria/Hungary because when the Hapsburgs were taking over Eastern Europe, this was the capital of Austria and was the site of the last siege by the Ottoman Empire.
The heart of Vienna was once surrounded by a protective wall that was removed in 1857 and its preoccupied area was turned into new roads and buildings. Vienna is a beautiful city and is known for its many parks and monuments (such as the Stadtpark and Belvedere Park). The main park of Vienna is the "Prater, which is situated on an island formed by the Danube River and a canal. " Another attractive site is the Schönbrunn, the Imperial Summer Palace, which has the world's oldest zoo and an 18c park.
The climate in Vienna consists of mildly warm summers and cool winters that average 20-30 degrees. This mild climate contributes to the many tourists that come to Vienna year round to experience its Austrian heritage first hand. These tourists are a economic source for Vienna and can make the city very busy at times.
Bibliography:
The heart of Vienna was once surrounded by a protective wall that was removed in 1857 and its preoccupied area was turned into new roads and buildings. Vienna is a beautiful city and is known for its many parks and monuments (such as the Stadtpark and Belvedere Park). The main park of Vienna is the "Prater, which is situated on an island formed by the Danube River and a canal. " Another attractive site is the Schönbrunn, the Imperial Summer Palace, which has the world's oldest zoo and an 18c park.
The climate in Vienna consists of mildly warm summers and cool winters that average 20-30 degrees. This mild climate contributes to the many tourists that come to Vienna year round to experience its Austrian heritage first hand. These tourists are a economic source for Vienna and can make the city very busy at times.
Bibliography:
- "Vienna." Euro Weather. 2007. 20 Nov 2007 http://www.eurometeo.com/english/climate/city_LOWW/meteo_Vienna.
- "Welcome." viennaAustria. October 24, 2007. 20 Nov 2007 <http://www.viennaaustria.co.uk//>.
Links
For more information on Austria/Hungary during the 1600's go to:
- Pages 569-573 in the textbook, A History of Western Society
- http://caca.essortment.com/habsburghapsbur_rosi.htm
- http://reference.howstuffworks.com/austria-hungary-encyclopedia.htm
Monday, November 19, 2007
The Impact of This Era on Austria/Hungary
By the end of the Thirty Years War, the Hapsburg's were weak and tired of fighting. Their efforts to "root out" Protestantism and to make the HRE into a state had failed. The real power from the HRE laid in the 300 independent "political jurisdictions." The Hapsburg's defeat in the Thirty Years War made them move their look onto the East for a hopeful new Empire State. An important move for this was when Ferdinand II, the Hapsburg King, reduced the power of the "Bohemian Estates" and gave it to Catholic nobles. By 1650, most of the nobility in Bohemia was foreign and was absolutely controlled by the Hapsburgs. Because of this, The Hapsburgs had complete control over Bohemia, which would be the first of three main countries to fall under the title of the "Hapsburg State."
By the end of the Thirty Years War, Ferdinand III had centralized the government of German-speaking provinces including Austria. Now the Hapsburgs had an army large enough to defeat any that opposed it. Luckily for the Hapsburgs, the Ottoman Empire under a sultan attacked the Hapsburgs in a two month siege at Vienna. The siege ended in the retreat if the Ottomans and the conquering of almost all of Hungary and Transylvania. These wars helped promote a sense of unity among the Hapsburg's controlled lands and while each area had its own laws and political interests, all the areas had the Hapsburg monarch as a tying factor.
Although the Hungarian Empire was weak, they still made several attempts to revolt against Hapsburg rule. Since the Hapsburgs were Catholic and the Hungarians were Protestant, there was a lot of fighting between them. Therefore the Hungarians and their Turkish allies attacked the Hapsburgs under the command of Prince Francis Rakoczy. This attack was after the Hapsburg's defeat from the War of Spanish Succession. After they were defeated, Charles VI compromised and restored the Hungarian aristocracy and other traditions indigenous to them. In return for this compromise, Charles VI made the Hungarians accept Hapsburg rule over them and the rest of what is known as the "Hapsburg State."
Mckay, Hill, and Buckler. A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
By the end of the Thirty Years War, Ferdinand III had centralized the government of German-speaking provinces including Austria. Now the Hapsburgs had an army large enough to defeat any that opposed it. Luckily for the Hapsburgs, the Ottoman Empire under a sultan attacked the Hapsburgs in a two month siege at Vienna. The siege ended in the retreat if the Ottomans and the conquering of almost all of Hungary and Transylvania. These wars helped promote a sense of unity among the Hapsburg's controlled lands and while each area had its own laws and political interests, all the areas had the Hapsburg monarch as a tying factor.
Although the Hungarian Empire was weak, they still made several attempts to revolt against Hapsburg rule. Since the Hapsburgs were Catholic and the Hungarians were Protestant, there was a lot of fighting between them. Therefore the Hungarians and their Turkish allies attacked the Hapsburgs under the command of Prince Francis Rakoczy. This attack was after the Hapsburg's defeat from the War of Spanish Succession. After they were defeated, Charles VI compromised and restored the Hungarian aristocracy and other traditions indigenous to them. In return for this compromise, Charles VI made the Hungarians accept Hapsburg rule over them and the rest of what is known as the "Hapsburg State."
Mckay, Hill, and Buckler. A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
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