Joseph II of Austria

Term Paper # 100384

History > European - 18th Century
History > Leaders

An analysis of the religious reforms of Joseph II of Austria.

1,957 words () | 5 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper describes the religious reform undertaken by Joseph II and explains his motives for carrying out that reform. It also evaluate how successful his reform was and what obstacles prevented the complete realization of the reform. In addition, the paper discusses historical evidence indicates that Joseph's reforms were a waste of time and that there was no difference in the secular and religious structures from when the reforms were first started.

Outline:
Introduction
The Reforms
Effects
Motives
Evaluation and Obstacles to Realization

From the Paper:

"Joseph was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790, and he ruled over the Hapsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the oldest son of the empress Maria Theresa, and was one of the enlightened monarchs. The great influences on Joseph II's education and thinking were the writings of Voltaire, the Encyclopedists, and the example of Frederick the Great. However, he used autocratic and arbitrary methods to get what he wanted (Black 255). Joseph came to strongly believe in the idea of religious toleration and believed it was important to reduce the power of the church over the people. "

Sample of Sources Used:

Beales, Derek. "The False Joseph II". The Historical Journal. 18.3. (1975): 467-495.
Black, Jeremy. Eighteenth-Century Europe. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999.
Dickson, P. "Joseph II's Reshaping of the Austrian Church". The Historical Journal. 36.1. (1993): 89-114.
McHugh, James. "Last of the Enlightened Despots". The Social Science Journal. 32.1 (1995): 69-86.
Pauly, Reinhart. "The Reforms of Church Music under Joseph II". Musical Quarterly. 43.4. (1957): 372-382.