ABSTRACT
Women have always been involved in politics, but with the modern emphasis on democracy and voting, their activities have often been ignored or seen as only ‘pillow-talk’. One of the more important groups has been rulers, who, by virtue of their position, had the potential for great power. The eighteenth century saw several female rulers. Empress Maria Theresa came to the throne after her father’s unexpected death in 1740 as an ill-prepared 23-year-old. Because many would not accept a woman, especially the Prussian Emperor, Frederick II, she had to act decisively and swiftly to keep her hold on the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Her Political Testament reveals some of her concerns and personal political guidelines as she navigated uncharted territory. Similarly, on a smaller stage, Anna Amalia unexpectedly became ruling Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, responsible for an infant male heir. She saw her mission as holding the Duchy intact and preparing her son for rule. She established a court of intellectual distinction, being herself a composer, as well as governing. In extracts from her Gedanken [Thoughts] and correspondence, she shared Maria Theresa’s concerns about rule, and demonstrated to Frederick II her passionate regard for her Duchy. Catherine II of Russia was another ‘enlightened’ monarch. Her accession was bloody, however, and she was implicated in her husband’s assassination. Her Grand Instructions demonstrate some of the contradictions of eighteenth-century monarchy. She draws on enlightened thought, while retaining absolute rule. The subtleties of her thinking recognise the limits of the possible in a country so relatively undeveloped, uneducated and enormous as Russia.
