Example Of Essay On Frederick The Great Of Prussia And Emperor Joseph II Of Austria

Frederick the great is recognized for his military prowess and passion for war. Frederick, a grandson to George I of Great Britain is associated with many accomplishments. The foremost achievement is the fact that he made Prussia the most significant military power in Europe through centralization of military operations and continuous staffing. Secondly, Frederick laid the foundation for the future confederacy of the princely states of Germany. This saw Germany become a major world power. The third accomplishment was the unprecedented territorial expansion through a series of military conquests. Frederick the great also ensured the establishment of a functional primary school education system and a framework of codified law. Fifthly, Frederick the great established a system of bureaucracy which made administrative bodies run more efficiently promoting a culture of hard work.
Emperor Joseph II of Austria is listed among the top three enlightenment monarchs alongside Frederick the great and Catherine II of Russia. Joseph, the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa, is known for his popular Josephinism –a set of administrative policies that sought to enhance efficiency and fight for the position of the poor in society. The second accomplishment is the fact that he championed for the spread of formal education, a commodity initially meant for the royalties. Thirdly, Joseph accomplished the secularization of the vast resources controlled by the church and the clergy. The church’s role in societal matters was exaggerated and unreasonable there before. Additionally, Joseph did promote unity through making it mandatory that all subjects use the German language as a common language replacing the fragmented communication system. The fifth among the many accomplishments of Joseph is the abolishment of the death penalty in 1787.
The primary advantage of the monarch form of government is the actuality that power is centralized. Centralization of power helps a kingdom attain a strong military power because of unity of command. Secondly, monarchy government is associated with clarity in terms of locus of power. This reduces conflicts significantly. The key disadvantages revolve around the fact that power is bestowed upon a single family – something that introduces incompetent people to leadership, causing potential failure of a kingdom. Secondly, the people in power can use resources for their personal interests, for instance, Emperor Joseph did try to use the state army to rescue his estranged sister. Finally, monarchies are resistant to change.