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05 PARLIAMENTARIANISM AND ENLIGHTENED DESPOTISM, image, image, image,…
05 PARLIAMENTARIANISM AND ENLIGHTENED DESPOTISM
Parliamentary monarchies
developed institutional and legal systems that controlled the monarch’s power
main example: England
parliament chose Mary II and her husband William III of Orange as the new monarchs
were selected on the condition that they sign the Bill of Rights
limited the monarch’s power and recognised the rights of the individual
Absolute monarchies
ideology that supported the superiority of the king’s power over all others
characteristics:
growing centralisation of political and administrative decisions
permanent army under the orders of the king
royal treasury able to raise revenue
marginalisation of the courts and parliaments structured in estates
Enlightened despotism
variant of absolutism that incorporated ‘trickledown’ reforms inspired by the Enlightenment
reforms did not decrease the absolute power of the monarchs.
Important Enlightenment thinkers worked as government advisers or ministers
job was to rationalise how monarchies functioned
Monarchs thought that the Enlightenment ideas of universal progress and happiness would help them govern more efficiently and legitimise their power
Aditional reforms
Political reforms
Regalist reforms
Economic reforms
Catherine ‘The Great’
empress of Russia between 1762 and 1796
example of enlightened despotism
was in contact with the most important Enlightenment thinkers of the period:
Voltaire
D’Alembert
Diderot
only implemented the reformist ideas that strengthened her power
implemented reforms in central and provincial government
created different courts for noblemen, the middle class and free peasants
Serfs were administered justice by their masters
harsh policies for peasants led to popular uprisings
