Enlightened Despotism

The political doctrine of enlightened despotism, after enjoying great prestige in the 18th century, has fallen on hard times in the 19th and 20th centuries. On the level of political theory, it was eclipsed first, in the late 18th century and through much of the 19th century, by the doctrine of limited constitutionalism, whether republican or constitutional monarchy. In the 20th century, it has been eclipsed even more forcibly by the doctrine of democracy. Even political systems that are in practice purely despotic now tend to veil themselves in the forms of parliamentary democracy.

Thus, few today will say a good word for despotism, enlightened or otherwise. Yet a strong argument can be made that, in practice, only an enlightened despot can intelligently solve a country's problems, particularly when that country is faced with a crisis. The natural tendency of a republican or parliamentary system is toward compromise and putting off hard decisions, which works well enough in good times, but in a crisis leads to paralysis. Only a despot (whether formal or de facto) can in such conditions take forceful, risky decisions.

Thus, in the economic crisis of the 1930s and the drift toward the Second World War, the Western democratic powers were largely paralysed. In the early 1930s, only in the United States, where FDR, though an elected republican leader, ruled in much the manner of an enlightened despot, was energetic action taken against the Great Depression. The pur

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s to secure and round out the frontiers of the Prussian state, establishing it as the leading force within Germany and as a European Great Power. The fruit of his efforts was reaped in following generations; though Prussia itself was defeated and overrun by Napoleon, its heroic resistance confirmed it as the center of a developing German nation, which was formally united in 1871 under the Prussian royal family. In spite of the disasters that Germany brought on itself in the first half of the 20th century, modern Germany, arguably the leading power of Western Europe, owes its existence ultimately to the enlightened despotism of Frederick the Great. His contemporary, Catherine the Great of Russia, is now best known for the salacious stories told about her. Most of these were invented and spread by her enemies; her actual career was a success bearing striking comparison to Elizabeth I of England--though the despotic power Catherine enjoyed allowed her to be open in her lifestyle, rather than wrapping herself in the fog of "virgin queen." Catherine was not born Russian; in fact, she was not even born Catherine. She was born Sophia Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst, a minor German principality, and married in her teens to Peter, son of t

Category: History - E