What Opposition Did Joseph II Encounter To His Reforms?

By 1788, there were a number of factors which led to the increase in opposition to Joseph II's reforms. Firstly, the Turkish War led to an anti-war demonstration. There was a lack of army numbers to use against the rebels as they were all at war. Linked with this, people were up in arms about conscription and extra taxes to fund the war.

Secondly, the Hungarian and Dutch revolts see increased opposition of Joseph's inconsiderate reforms in the provinces. Also, the French revolution led to greater expectations from the lower classes and resulted in Joseph having to re-impose censorship thus further angering the lower classes. There were bread riots breaking out as a result of bad harvests and economic depression which also meant the nobles were putting pressure on the Emperor to resolve the situation. These factors prove that Joseph faced opposition from all sections of society during his reign.

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