AP European History Unit 3 Illustrative Examples

Absolutism and Constitutionalism

Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu

A monarch and noble in France that formed a complex partnership where the noble managed state affairs while the monarch maintained absolute authority. However relationship was often seen as “a noble controlling a weak monarch”.

The Fronde (1648-1653)

A series of civil wars in France occurring during the minority of Louis XIV (When King Louis XIV of France’s rule was controlled by his mother Anne of Austria). This period was marked by Nobles and Parliament attempting to check royal power.

The Catalan Revolts (1640-1659)

A major uprising against Spanish rule sparked by financial strain and the quartering of troops during the Thirty Years' War. (When troops were forcibly housed in local communities).

Eighty Years War (1568-1648)

Dutch resistance against Spanish rule in the Netherlands which began as a revolt against high taxation, political centralization, and religious persecution of Protestants by King Philip II of Spain.

James I of England

King of Scotland until he became King of England. His firm assertion of the Divine Right of Kings, decreeing that monarchs were accountable only to God and not to Parliament set the stage for the English Civil War.

Charles I

Second Son of James I of England. His inherited belief in the divine right of kings led to direct conflicts with Parliament over power, money, and religion, culminating in the English Civil War from 1642-1651.

Oliver Cromwell

Senior commander in the Parliamentarian army during the English Civil War. Became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth in 1653 after the end of the Civil War.

English Bill of Rights (1689)

Foundational constitutional statute that established parliamentary supremacy over the Crown, formally limiting monarchical power. Made during the period after the Glorious Revolution.

English Civil War (1642-1651)

A series of civil wars and political machinations between Royalists and Parliamentarians in the England.

Glorious Revolution (1688)

The deposition of King James II in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II and her Dutch husband, James's nephew William III of Orange. This was due to James II actions to centralize power and suspend various laws in order to benefit Catholicism in England.

Parliamentary sovereignty

Foundational principle of English constitutionalism, establishing Parliament as the supreme legal authority.

Bank of England

Founded in 1694 to act as the bank for the English Government, initially operating as a private institution. It was established during a period of war to raise funds and manage public debt.

Middle Passage

Brutal, forced maritime journey of millions of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.

Triangular Trade

A 16th to 19th-century transatlantic system connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas, primarily trading manufactured goods, enslaved people, and raw materials.

Dutch War (1672-1678)

A War initiated by King Louis XIV of France to dominate the Dutch Republic and expand French borders into the Spanish Netherlands.

Nine Years War (1688-1697)

A European great power conflict between King Louis XIV of France and the Grand Alliance (Holy Roman Empire, Dutch Republic, England, Spain and Savoy).

War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714)

A major European conflict triggered by the death of the childless Spanish King Charles II. The war broke out when Louis XIV of France attempted to place his grandson, Philip of Anjou, on the Spanish throne, threatening to unify the French and Spanish crowns and disrupt the European balance of power.

Sweden under Gustavus Adolphus

A state that was transformed from a militarily unstable, economically weak nation into a major European power. Through profound military innovations and strategic interventions in the Thirty Years' War, it was established as the leader of Protestantism and a dominant force in Northern Europe.

Peter the Great

The Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. Credited for the modernization and transformation of Russia into a major European power.

Philip II of Spain

King of Spain from 1556 and a prime example of an Absolutist Monarch in Europe during this period.

Russian Academy of Sciences

Established in 1724 by Peter the Great as a state institution to modernize Russia, the Academy initially operated under absolute rule, with presidents appointed directly by the crown.

Intendants

Powerful administrative officials appointed by monarchs in France, Spain, Portugal, and their colonies to manage justice, police, and finance during this period.