1. The Impact of the
Enlightenment
Chapter 17, Section 3

2. Architecture
New architectural style created
Balthasar Neumann- great architect of the 18th century
Church of the Fourteen Saints
The Residence
Fancy decoration
Light
Bright colors
Detail

3. Art
New artistic style- Rococo
Emphasized
grace, charm, and gentle
action
Pleasure, happiness, love
Upper class
Antoine Watteau
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

6. Music
18th Century = greatest period in the history of European
music!!!
Baroque musical style
Bach- Mass in B Minor
Handel- Messiah
Classical musical style
Haydn- The Creation and The Seasons
Mozart- The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, Don
Giovanni

7. Literature
Growth of novels- middle class
Henry Fielding
Wrote novels about people with
no morals who survive by their
wits
The History of Tom Jones, a
Foundling

8. Enlightened Absolutism
Philosophes believed that people should be governed by
enlightened rulers
Religious toleration
Freedom of speech and press
Rights of private property
Nurture arts, sciences, and education
Enforce laws fairly
Enlightened Absolutism- rulers try to govern by
Enlightenment principles while maintaining their royal
powers

9. Prussia- Fredrick the Great
One of the best educated and cultured
monarchs
Well versed in the ideas of the
Enlightenment
Invited Voltaire to live in his court
Seemed willing to make reforms
Abolished use of torture (except for
treason and murder)
Limited freedom of speech and press
Greater religious toleration
But he kept Prussia’s rigid social
structure

10. Austria- Joseph II
Major reforms!
Abolished serfdom
Eliminated death penalty
Equality before the law
Religious toleration
Thousands of decrees and laws
But he failed
Alienated the nobles and Catholic Church
Serfs couldn’t make sense of the drastic
changes
Gravestone: “Here lies Joseph II who was
unfortunate in everything he undertook.” 

11. Russia- Catherine the Great
Intelligent, familiar with the
works of the philosophes
Invited Diderot to Russia
Liked his theories but thought
they were impractical
In the end she did nothing
because she wanted to keep
the support of the nobility

12. War of the Austrian Succession
Prussia invaded Austrian Silesia
France and Prussia vs. Austria and Great Britain
After seven years of fighting, everyone was tired
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
Return of all occupied territories
Except Prussia refused to return Silesia to Austria
This led to another war…

13. The Seven Years War
Austria, France, and Russia vs. Prussia and Great Britain
Fought in three areas
Europe- Prussia ended up controlling Silesia
India- controlled by Great Britain
North America- controlled by Great Britain
Great Britain = world’s greatest colonial power