How did joseph ii die

One of the "Enlightened Despots" of the 18th century, Joseph aspired to increase the power and efficiency of the state by placing all subjects of the realm, including the Church and the feudal nobility, under benevolent monarchical rule.

Joseph ii accomplishments

Committed to political reform, Joseph pledged to achieve the common good for all his subjects, and adhered to the Enlightenment tenet that the state's determination of the commonweal was based upon reason. Convinced that people should express their views freely, Joseph encouraged public debate, and issued decrees limiting press censorship and granting writers, journalists, scholars and scientists broad freedom to publish their works.

Joseph was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in March By he had already lost two wives and his sole surviving daughter. He did not remarry, kept no mistresses, and generally renounced private life. Minor reforms he introduced early in his reign so angered the nobility and clergy that his mother decided in to come out of retirement and force co-regency upon her son.

The arrangement curbed Joseph's authority, leaving him only those powers his mother afforded him. Thereafter, Joseph was frequently at odds with Maria Theresa about the proper governing of the realm.

What did joseph ii do for the enlightenment

Seeking escape in travel, he journeyed, often incognito, to France, Russia, and most of the Habsburg lands from His travels only deepened his commitment to comprehensive reform of the Empire. Surrounding himself with like-thinking advisors, he urged his mother to pursue more enlightened policies. The result of his efforts was a series of modest reforms establishing secular schools in Austria, banning torture as a way of securing evidence, and eliminating heresy as a crime.

Because the prerogatives of the clergy and minor nobility were unchecked, Joseph remained unsatisfied. His frustration would induce him to direct his attention to foreign matters.