The Synthesis of "Enlightened Absolutism"

Explore Maria Theresa, the only woman to rule the Habsburg lands, who defied expectations and modernized an empire with sweeping reforms.

Discover the Enlightenment, the 18th-century intellectual movement that championed reason and reshaped politics, science, and society forever.

An overview of the Enlightenment, the 18th-century intellectual movement that championed reason and reshaped politics, science, and human rights.

Discover Catherine the Great, the German princess who became Russia's longest-reigning female ruler and transformed it into a global power.

An introduction to John Locke, the Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas on natural rights and government by consent shaped modern democracies.

Discover Voltaire, the brilliant French Enlightenment writer whose advocacy for reason, tolerance, and liberty helped shape modern democratic societies.

Discover Cardinal Richelieu, the influential chief minister of France who centralized power, challenged the nobility, and shaped European politics.

Discover Emperor Meiji, the ruler who presided over Japan's dramatic transformation from an isolated feudal society into a modern industrial power.

An introduction to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the influential Enlightenment thinker whose ideas on freedom, inequality, and government rocked the world.

An introduction to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the influential Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas on freedom and inequality sparked revolutions.