Analyze the Military, Political, and Social Factors for the Rise of Absolutism in Austria, Prussia and Russia in the 17th and 18th Centuries.

Emerged from the decline of the Ottoman, Polish, and Holy Roman Empires and in response to the threat of war with European and Asian invaders, absolutism in Eastern Europe differed much the classical French and Spanish versions. Built on a powerful monarchy controlling of taxation, military, and foreign affairs, Eastern European absolutism was epitomized in Austria, Prussia, and Russia. The rise of absolutism in these three empires developed from numerous military, political, and social factors that would shape these monarchies into powerful entities.
Stretching to include Austria, Bohemia, and Hungary, the Austrian, or Hapsburg, Empire remained the strongest offshoot of the Holy Roman Empire. Following the ineffective rule by Hapsburg monarchs to control the roman empire and the loss of power in Spain after the Treaty of Utrecht, the Austrian emperors turned their attention inward to consolidate the empire into a strong, unified, absolutist state. A crucial step in this transformation, the reorganization of Bohemia removed the nobility from this Czech province, redistributed lands to aristocratic soldiers, and was marked by a decline in the conditions of serfs. Following these measures by Ferdinand II, Ferdinand III further centralized the provinces of Austria proper – the Italian and German portions of the empire – by concentrating the government here and created an unprecedented permanent standing army. Leopold’s I maintaining of the empire by repelling the Turks from the gates of Vienna in 1683 marked the last attempt of Eastern empires to invade central Europe and led the Austrian Empire to a position of military and political power.
Emerged after the Great Elector Frederick William assumed control in 1640, absolutism in Prussia was the development of a series of social, political, and military reforms that brought Prussia to a prominent position in Europe. During his governance Frederick William’s heavy military spending countered by high taxes was...