Napoleon Bonaparte
French general who became emperor of the French (1769-1821)
Napoleonic Wars
French wars against England, Prussia, Russia, and Austria led by Napoleon
Enlightenment ideas
Napoleon's soldiers spread these ideas across Europe - All human beings are born free and equal with a right to life liberty and property. It is the duty of the government to protect the natural rights of its citizens. Enlightenment thinkers were primarily interested in changing the relationship between the people and their government.
Continental System
One of Napoleon's mistakes - Napoleon's policy of preventing trade between Great Britain and continental Europe, intended to destroy Great Britain's economy. Hard to enforce and did not work.
The Peninsular War
One of Napoleon's mistakes - War that Napoleon fought in Spain and Portugal on the Iberian Peninsula. Great Britain supported Spain and Protugal.
The invasion of Russia
One of Napoleon's mistakes - Napoleon's most disastrous military campaign. Russian winter forced Napoleon to retreat, lead to his downfall
Hundred Days
The brief period during 1815 when Napoleon made his last bid for power, deposing the French King and again becoming Emperor of France. It only lasted 100 days.
Congress of Vienna
Meeting of representatives of European monarchs called to reestablish the old order after the defeat of Napoleon
Charles X
attempted to re-establish an absolute monarchy in France.
Louis-Philippe
King of France following Charles X. Was forced out as king in favor of a republic.
Louis-Napoleon
Winner of the French presidential election in France in 1848; later became emperor
Nationalism
identification with one's own nation and support for its interests including a shared culture & aspects of common history, common language, common religion, and common nationality, rather than to a leader or border.
Conservatives
Like to stick to the traditional ways of government and tend to oppose change
Liberals
people who generally favor government action and view change as progress
Radicals
People who wanted to make extreme changes
separation
when states break away off from their current government to form a new nation based on a more shared nationalism.
Balkans
the region of southeastern Europe now occupied by Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, the European part of Turkey, and the former republics of Yugoslavia
Ottoman Empire
Major Islamic state centered on the Asia Minor peninsula (Anatolia) that came to include the Balkans, the Near East, and much of North Africa.
Greek Independence
Greece, using nationalism, won independence from the Ottoman Empire with help from Great Britain, France and Russia
Unification
When people who are in separate states but share "Nationalism", such as kingdoms, join together into one nation.
Germany
The spread of nationalism led to the unification of this central European nation, following the Franco-Prussian War in 1871
Wilhelm I
First king of united Germany
Otto von Bismarck
German prime minister under whose leadership Germany was united (1815-1898)
Realpolitik
realistic politics based on the needs of the state
Blood and Iron
policy of German unification put forth by Bismarck; belief that industry & war would unify Germany
Seven Weeks War
Prussia defeats Austria to gain control of northern Germany
Italy
The spread of nationalism led to the creation of this European nation thanks to figures like Count Cavour and Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Count Camillo di Cavour
architect of Italian unification in 1858; created a constitutional Italian monarchy under the King of Piedmont.
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Italian patriot whose conquest of Sicily and Naples led to the formation of the Italian state (1807-1882).
French Revolution (1789)
Reacting to the oppressive aristocracy, the French middle and lower classes overthrew the king and asserted power for themselves in a violent and bloody revolution. This uprising was inspired by America's independence from England and the Enlightenment ideas.
The revolution completely changed the social and political structure of France. It took political power away from the monarch and the Catholic Church, and it ended feudalism.
Three Estates of France
a social and political system
1st Estate = Roman Catholic Clergy, 1 vote
2nd Estate = Monarchy and nobility 1 vote
3rd Estate = middle class & peasants (98% of population) 1 vote
King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
French monarchs executed during the French Rev.
National Assembly
French Revolutionary assembly (1789-1791). Called first as the Estates General, the three estates came together and demanded radical change. It passed the Declaration of the Rights of Man in 1789.
The tennis court oath
A pledge made by the members of France's National Assembly in 1789, in which they vowed to continue meeting until they had drawn up a new constitution
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
Adopted August 26, 1789, created by the National Assembly to give rights to all (except women).
Storming of the Bastille
Paris-July 14, 1789
Medieval fortress that was converted to a prison stormed by peasants for ammunition during the early stages of the French Revolution. Symbol of the start of the revolution.
Constitutional Monarchy
A King or Queen is the official head of state but power is limited by a constitution. Monarchy more like a figurehead
National Convention of 1792
declares France a republic and abolishes the monarchy! France also gets a new calendar, new holidays, and a new way of speaking to 'citizens' and 'citizenesses'.
Maximilien Robespierre
Revolutionary leader who lead the reign of terror
Reign of Terror
This was the period in France where Robespierre ruled and used revolutionary terror. He tried "suspected rebels" and they were all judged severely and most were executed.