3The imperial castle of Sch÷nbrunn, Vienna, Austria. ñIn the 18th century, Austria, Prussia, and Russia emerged as leading European powers. In large part, this was a result of the policies of their rulers, who undertook a series of far-reaching reforms, inspired by the new ideas of the Age of Enlightenment. Although forward-thinking in many ways, these rulers remained absolute monarchs. This has led to the 18th century being termed the period of "enlightened despotism".
