Which of these enlightened rulers made enlightened reforms which completely failed?

• A. Frederick the Great
• B. Joseph II
• C. Catherine the Great
• D. Louis XVI

Answer: (B)

Enlightened reforms can falter when traditional powers resist change, and the clearest example among these rulers is Joseph II. He pushed sweeping, rationalizing changes across the Habsburg lands—aiming to modernize administration, reduce noble and church privileges, abolish or limit serfdom, reform the legal system, and promote religious toleration with measures like the Patent of Toleration. These moves were bold and centralized, often pushing against long-standing privileges of the nobility and clergy, which made them deeply unpopular among powerful groups.

Because the reforms depended on the cooperation of those elites, they faced fierce resistance and were implemented unevenly. After his death, his successors reversed many of the changes, and in practice serfdom and old power structures endured, while church and noble privileges were restored in several areas. That is why Joseph II’s enlightened program is remembered as not lasting, a radical reform effort that did not endure, even though it carried the spirit of Enlightenment. The other rulers pursued reforms too, but not with the same trajectory of widespread reversal after their reigns.