Austria+and+Prussia

Guided Reading: 559-561 Serfdom in Eastern Europe
1. What was the attitude of western Europe toward eastern Europe in this time period? 2. How and why had serfdom “all but disappeared” in eastern Europe by 1300? 3. How was serfdom re-imposed and reinvigorated in the east? What economic and political factors account for this? 4. How were towns also hurt in this system?

**Guided Reading: 565-572 The Rise of Austria and Prussia**
1. Why did the period of the Thirty Years’ War help eastern European rulers build absolute monarchy? 2. This is the first time you’ve read about Prussia. Where was Prussia and what modern nation did it become? 3. Describe the mix of cultures and religions within the Austrian Hapsburg empire. How was political power structured in the empire? 4. What goal did the Habsburgs focus on during and after the Thirty Years’ War? What happened in Bohemia? 5. How were Hapsburg efforts at building absolutism in Hungary challenged? 6. What was the Pragmatic Sanction and why did Charles VI devote considerable time to building support for it? Who succeeded him in 1740? 7. Which family held the title of Elector of Brandenburg? Why was Brandenburg initially considered a weak area? 8. How did Brandenburg come to control Prussia? 9. How did the Thirty Years’ War pave the way for the Hohenzollerns to build absolutism? 10. What group dominated the Prussian estates? 11. How did Frederick the Great Elector establish his authority over the estates/nobles? 12. How did the Great Elector's son, earn the title King Frederick I ? 13. Describe Frederick William I’s approach to military matters. 14. How did he deal with the nobility?