Examples Of Absolutism In Russia

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, leaders all around Europe were beginning to desire a stronger rule over their people. In numerous countries, absolutism was becoming a popular way to rule a nation, as it gave leaders the ability to have full control over their territory. Many believed that leaders became absolute through the power of God and divine right. However, rulers were able to gain power through military pursuits and well-controlled foreign relations. Therefore, international war gave leaders in Prussia, Russia, and Austria the foothold they needed to create absolute monarchies. War provided ample opportunity for Eastern European leaders to increase their power, as the need for military support grew dramatically stronger.

Also, Prussia was ravaged by the nomadic Tatars of the Crimea, which, in turn, gave Frederick the ability to increase his power. The Crimean attack proved to be beneficial for Frederick because it "softened up the estates and strengthened the urgency...for more military funding" (McKay). The slew of attacks that Prussia faced provided Frederick with the momentum he needed to create an absolute monarchy, as his goal of creating a strong military caused the estates to give him full control of the country. Similar events occurred in Russia, as the Great Northern War destroyed Russia, causing Peter the Great to use the military to make himself and Russia more powerful. Peter was determined to rebuild and improve the army, and he did so by creating new rules and laws to ensure the army's greatness. It was required that the army be "comprised of boyars and nobles" (Eichenbrenner) and that people be educated in all aspects of the military. Peter also established a regular standing army and a military-civilian bureaucracy, which, due to Russia being in a constant state of war, allowed him to create a

For instance, Frederick William I obtained his title as an absolute leader by collaborating with other European elites. He received his official title as king of Prussia after aided the Holy Roman emperor during the War of Spanish Succession. By becoming an ally to another European leader during a time of war, Frederick was able to better his reputation, which helped him increase his power. Having support and confidence from other European monarchs allowed Frederick to have greater control over his people, as foreign support contributed to his absolute rule. In Austria, foreign relations were not as simple, as it required more compromises for the Habsburgs to maintain their control. The Hungarians battled with the Habsburgs for rule, as the Hungarians did not want to be placed under the rule of the dynasty. However, the two nations reached a compromise, and while Hungary was not fully controlled by the Habsburgs (Eastern European Powers), the Habsburgs still remained powerful absolute rulers in Austria. This shows that leaders struggled to gain absolute power and struggled to maintain absolute power, but leaders continued to strive for power in spite of that. In Russia, Peter the Great was able to gain power by spreading his influence to other areas of Eastern Europe. Resulting from the Great Northern War, Peter was able to gain Estonia and present-day Latvia, increasing his