AP Euro Unit 7

Belle Epoch

French term meaning 'Beautiful Age;' refers to the decades leading up to World War I when Europe was at its peak of power.

balance-of-power

The European diplomatic goal of preventing any single nation from dominating the entire continent.

Crimean War

The first major war fought between European nations since the Napoleonic Wars, where Russia faced an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, Britain, and France.

Balkan Peninsula

A large geographic region of southeastern Europe including Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, and Bosnia.

'the sick man of Europe'

Nickname of the Ottoman Empire in the 1800’s and early 1900’s due to its decline as a European power.

Bosporus and Dardanelles

Two strategic straits that connect the Mediterranean and Black Seas, controlled by Turkey.

Florence Nightingale

A British nurse who professionalized nursing and led a campaign for female nurses during the Crimean War.

nationalism

An emotional political philosophy that glorifies the nation as the fundamental bond uniting its people.

'The sun never sets on the British Empire'

A description of the British Empire in the late 19th century, indicating its vast global reach.

Splendid Isolation

The term for Britain's foreign policy after the Crimean War, focusing on strengthening its Empire.

Great Reform Bill of 1867

A law that extended voting rights to urban working-class men in Britain.

Franchise Act of 1884

A law extending voting rights to rural laborers in Britain, enfranchising the adult male population.

universal manhood suffrage

The political term meaning that all adult men have the right to vote.

Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU)

Organization that led the fight for voting rights for British women.

Emmaline Pankhurst

Leading figure in the struggle for voting rights for British women and founder of the WSPU.

Second French Empire

Government of Emperor Napoleon III of France, dynamic period ending in 1870 with the Franco-Prussian War.

plebiscite

A direct vote by the common people on significant issues with a choice of 'yes' or 'no.'

Emperor Napoleon III

Nephew of Napoleon who ruled France first as President and later as Emperor.

Suez Canal

A major engineering feat linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas, built in the 1860’s.

Piedmont – Sardinia

The most important Italian state in the 19th century, leading the struggle for Italian unification.

Franco-Prussian War

Conflict that led to the unification of Germany, orchestrated by Chancellor Bismarck.

Third French Republic

Set up after the Franco-Prussian War, lasting until World War II, known for dynamic culture and divided politics.

Paris Commune

Radical group that seized control of Paris during the siege in the Franco-Prussian War.

Dreyfus Affair

Political crisis of the Third Republic involving a Jewish Army officer accused of spying.

anti-Semitism

Hatred of the Jewish religion and people.

Theodor Herzl

Austrian Jewish journalist who advocated for the creation of an independent Jewish nation.

zionism

Political and cultural movement pushing for the creation of the state of Israel.

Emancipation Edict of 1861

Proclamation by Tsar Alexander II ending serfdom in Russia.

anarchy

Radical political movement advocating the destruction of all forms of government.

Trans-Siberian Railroad

Major engineering accomplishment stretching 7,000 miles across Siberia to the Pacific coast.

Austria-Hungary (Dual Monarchy)

A central European state formed by granting equal rights to Hungarians in the old Austrian Empire.

Ausgleich

German term for the 1867 decision elevating Hungarians to equal status within the Austrian Empire.

Count Cavour

Prime Minister of Piedmont-Sardinia who led the unification of Italy.

defensive alliance

A military alliance where partners pledge to defend each other if attacked.

Giuseppe Garibaldi

Italian nationalist leader who fought to unify Italy and led the 'Red Shirts' in southern Italy.

Red Shirts

Italian nationalist group led by Garibaldi that captured Sicily and southern Italy.

Chancellor Otto von Bismarck

Political leader of Prussia who planned the unification of Germany.

Ems Dispatch

Telegram from Kaiser Wilhelm I to Bismarck that Bismarck altered to provoke France.

Alsace – Lorraine

Region contested between France and Germany with an ethnically German population.

reparations

Money paid by the defeated to victors after a war.

Kulturkampf

Bismarck's campaign to undermine the influence of the Catholic Church in Germany.

social welfare

Government programs aimed at helping the vulnerable and poor.

pensions

Financial support given to retired workers.

Three Emperors League

Military alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary created by Bismarck.

Reinsurance Treaty

Alliance between Germany and Russia created by Bismarck, later allowed to lapse.

Triple Alliance

Defensive military alliance between Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary forged by Bismarck.

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Emotional ruler of Germany from 1888 – 1918, whose decisions contributed to World War I.

Impressionism

European art movement focusing on light and color rather than realistic detail.

Post-Impressionism

European art movement evolving from Impressionism, characterized by primitive forms and colors.

Sigmund Freud

Austrian neurologist who developed psychoanalysis and explored conscious and unconscious minds.

psychoanalysis

Therapy in psychology focusing on the unconscious mind and its role in behavior.

Albert Einstein

German physicist known for the Theory of Relativity, challenging Newton’s theories.

Theory of Relativity

Einstein’s radical idea about time and space, represented by the equation E=mc².

Charles Darwin

British naturalist who proposed that all organic life evolved from a simple source.

natural selection

The process through which better-adapted organisms survive and reproduce.

'survival of the fittest'

Darwin’s argument that the strongest species dominate and the weak are eliminated.

Social Darwinism

Movement applying Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest to nations and races.

Scramble for Africa

The rush of European nations to claim colonies in Africa in the late 19th century.

Berlin Conference

International conference that resolved colonial claims in Africa, hosted by Bismarck.

Fashoda Crisis

Confrontation between France and Britain over control of a strategically important oasis.

Triple Entente

Military alliance formed by France, Russia, and Britain to counterbalance the Triple Alliance.

Nobel Peace Prize

Annual prize created by Alfred Nobel to honor peace efforts.

Bertha von Suttner

Austrian pacifist awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905.

Geneva Convention

Series of international agreements establishing rules for warfare and treatment of soldiers.

Modern Olympic Games

International sports competition revived to promote peaceful interactions between nations.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin

French aristocrat who helped establish the modern Olympic Games.