FREE ESSAY ON AUSTRIA 17TH & 18TH CENTURIES

AUSTRIA 17TH & 18TH CENTURIES

Austria
Keith Henriques
History 21
August 22, 1999
In my paper I will examine the absolute monarchy of Austria during the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. I shall focus on the on the power of Austria, its foundation,
preservation, and expansion. Lastly I will take into consideration the relationship
between the classes, the growth of the power of state institutions, and some of the
consequential figures in the evolution of absolute monarchy in Austria.
The foundation of absolutism was the theory of the divine right of kings. This theory
maintained that the monarch was God's representative on earth. In reality absolutism was
a closer working relationship with the nobles in order to maintain control. Ensuring the
power of the nobles meant solidifying his authority. The bureaucracy began to reorganize,
making it more effective on the local level. Local and national government began to meet
on a regular basis. This was done by dividing the monarchy into ten units, then dividing
it further into ten subdistricts. Kreishauptmann were the administrative heads of each
district, appointed by the King to work at the local level. All this helped to extend the
monarch's power to the far reaches of the domain. 
To the people this basically meant that not only was the king a supreme ruler but he
could emphasize his will with armies of unmatched size giving the idea of absolutism an
illustration and an authenticity never seen before. With this need for a standing army
came the need for new funds. These new funds gave way to a new system of tax collection.
Throughout history the war and taxes have gone hand in hand. The goal of every monarch
was to have independent power and only economic independence could make that possible.
Maria Teresa (r. 1740-1780) won approval of the realm to administer property tax on all
subjects. These new funds were used to reform and build up Austria's depleted military.
She expanded military academies, increased the size of her standing army, and even
created a Hungarian army.
The very nature of absolute monarchies created the need for state religion. If the people
were to believe God had appointed the king, they better all believe in the same god. One
of the few successes of the Counter Reformation was that all of Austria's nobility was
converted back to Catholicism. Finally religious predominance could be used for the
creation of an Austrian state. Then later on in Austrian history you'll see that the
state even goes as far as to begin taxing the church. During Maria Theresa's reign the
church was no longer exempt from taxation. The government then began to issue regulations
to the amount men and women to enter in monastic institutes. This was a ploy by the
government to tap into the wealth of the nobility. No longer could the nobles hide their
money under the shroud of the church. Then under Joseph the II (r. 1780-1790) all
non-productive religious institutions were closed. All together there were 700 monastic
orders closed, leaving only the charitable, nursing, and educational institutions
continuing to function. This freed up church funds for philanthropic endeavors. Priests
then became state employees. While across the Atlantic they were trying to separate
church and state, Austria was making the bond even stronger.
Another way that the absolutist monarchs of Austria maintained their power was the
creation of a court at Vienna. Beginning with Leopold I (r. 1658-1705), there was a
promotion of the court as the center of political and social life. This turned Vienna
into a city not only for the nobles but for businessmen as well. Leopold, unlike the
Hapsburg rulers before him, was not a great ruler. He was a deeply religious man with no
interest in the grandiosity of the great European Kings before him. He himself was a
composer and his benefaction was a main reason for Vienna becoming the great musical
center that it was renowned for. Leopold had plans for a grand palace, Schonbrunn, which
was to surpass Versailles. These all contributed to the centralization of the government.
The King finally could seek counsel of entrusted nobles and yet keep a watchful eye on
those that would do him harm. 
Early on during Leopold's rule the class system was like the systems of old, nobility
controlled the peasants. The landowners were exempt from taxes, while the poor carried
the burden of the stat. Then under the reign of Maria Theresa the burden on the peasantry
was lightened. Government then tried to limit the degree of labor service to the lord to
three days per week, but this initiative was never strictly enforced. Nobility began to
regularly pay tax on land, making the tax burden somewhat more equal. Joseph II continued
his mother's reform. He required compulsory primary education for all people. Again a
lack of enforcement led to the failure of this decree. Joseph lifted the restrictions on
the surfs. Giving them freedom to move about, marry, and trade. He also stated that
peasants could pay no more than thirty percent of their gross income for the year in tax.
He then restricted the nobles, granting them only eighteen percent of the peasants
income. A middle class was born. A bridge would start to be formed between the wealthy
and the poor.
In conclusion Austria saw great changes between the time of Leopold and Joseph II. They
saw the rebirth of national Catholicism, a magnificent military build up, political
expansion, and many economic strides. The greatest accomplishment I could see during this
period was the elimination of serfdom. This led to a rise in economic independence
necessary for the economic stability of a future strengthened Austria.