History Final Exam Review

Flashcards for History Final Exam

What factors contributed to the Spanish defeat of the Aztec and Inca Empires?

Political instability, disease, Spanish violence, and alliances with tribute states

How did the Columbian Exchange change global politics, cultures, and economies?

New foods, diseases, Christianity, labor systems, and shifts in land use.

How were the Protestant and Catholic Reformations relevant to European colonization?

The Catholic Reformation sent Jesuit missionaries abroad, treaty of Tordesillas rejected by Protestants fueling colonial rivalries and Protestantism shaped colonial goals.

Why was there a proliferation of political advice literature globally during the Early Modern period?

States learning how to govern better, rulers needing practical guidance on power, war, and justice and shift from ruling with abstract ideals to real-world strategies

What did Martin Luther’s survival and success reveal about European politics in the Early Modern period?

Fragmentation of power in Europe, ideas aligned with princes' goals, printing press spread message, religious tensions tied to political alliances

Why did the HRE fragment in the 16th century?

Too large and diverse to manage, religious divisions, wars shifted focus from religion to state interests, and local rulers gained power

How and why did the Qing Dynasty replace the Ming Dynasty?

Ming faced corruption, Manchu invited by Han Chinese to restore order, used Confucian ideas to legitimize rule.

What are the essential principles of mercantilism?

Wealth is finite, states should hoard gold/silver, positive trade balance is key, governments should intervene and guilds should support national goals

How does 'Tulipmania' reveal some of the new realities of trade and global economies in the early modern period?

First speculative bubble, development of futures markets, overvaluation of tulips, reveals volatility and risk

What policies and methods were employed by France, Russia, and the Qing Dynasty that exhibited absolutism?

France: Louis XIV’s use of Versailles centralized power; Russia: Tsar Alexander II's Great Reforms; Qing: Used Confucian principles, promoted stability; All used state ideology + bureaucracy + spectacle

Why was 'stateness' a disadvantage for many Africans when it came to the slave trade?

Stateless regions made it easier for Europeans to exploit power vacuums

Why does the textbook use the term 'World War Zero'? What were the global consequences of the Seven Years’ War?

Seven Years' War was truly global, redrew colonial boundaries, major global shift in power to Britain, created debt crises

What are the essential features of the Enlightenment?

Individual reason is key, scientific method applied to society, belief in progress and reform, emphasis on liberty and challenged traditional authorities

How do the Revolutions in Haiti, France, and the U.S. compare and contrast?

All influenced by Enlightenment ideals; U.S. focused on representation; French Revolution questioned social class; Haitian Revolution emphasized race and slavery

Why are many contemporary historians arguing that the Haitian Revolution has profound global consequences?

Challenged racial hierarchies, inspired abolition, undermined plantation economies, forced colonial powers to reconsider slaveholding.

What are the 'two stories' of why the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain?

Agricultural revolution, population growth, demand and invention. Britain's unique coal location, access to colonies

How did Andrew Ure defend the philosophy of the manufacturers?

Factories relieved physical strain, mechanization created better workplaces, workers had more leisure, division of labor = progress

What was the Meiji Restoration? In what sense was it a modernizing movement?

Rejection of Shogun, embraced Western ideas, shifted Japan toward industrialization, modern military, centralized governance

How did F.D. Lugard reflect the goals and methods of New Imperialism?

Colonization as national duty, building railroads and markets, missionaries were civilizers, educating children in European systems

What were the causes of the collapse of the Qing dynasty?

Repeated defeats, internal rebellions, failed reform efforts, foreign domination

What were the causes of the outbreak of WWI?

Nationalism, alliance system, militarism, imperial competition, assassination

In what sense was WWI a truly global war?

Multiple continents involved, colonial involvement, naval warfare disrupted trade, global agreements had long-term political consequences

What are the essential features of communism? What are the essential features of fascism?

Communism: class struggle, eliminate private property; Fascism: ultra-nationalist, rejects democracy

What are some examples of fascist regimes outside of Italy and Germany?

Spain (Franco), Portugal (Salazar), Japan (militarist rule)

In what sense did the conditions and circumstances at the end of WWI cause the outbreak of WWII?

Treaty of Versailles created humiliation, economic instability, failure of League of Nations, rise of fascism, appeasement

What was the essence of the Cold War? How did the Cold War play out globally?

Ideological struggle between U.S. and Soviet Union, proxy wars, arms race, espionage and propaganda.

Explain the process that caused the partition of India.

British rule, religious division, Mountbatten Plan, partition of India and Pakistan, mass violence

Explain the process by which Taiwan did not become part of communist China.

Chinese Civil War, Mao Zedong’s Victory, Nationalist Retreat, U.S. Support