AP European History Flashcards

Key vocabulary and people from the course

Renaissance

A movement in which classical art and literature was revived, characterized by the development of humanism.

Humanists

People who placed more interest on human affairs rather than religious ones.

Secularism

The separation of the government and state institutions from religious ones.

Individualism

The idea that individuals have abilities and that humankind has unlimited potential.

Civic Humanism

A philosophy in that the government and city provide a place for human fulfillment, the government itself is business for humans.

Printing Press

An invention that allowed for the easier printing of written works, helping to spread new ideas and making access to literature and information more common.

Secular

Having to do with the separation of the state from religious institutions.

Vernacular Language

A common language spoken by a population of people in the same region.

Patronage of the Arts

A system in which wealthy people or families would pay patronage to artists in order to fund their works.

Centralization

The way by which power is consolidated into a centralized form of government, rather than being widely distributed.

New Monarchies

Stronger and centralized states, in which monarchs consolidated their power.

Holy Roman Empire

A decentralized state, composed of a great deal of independent states, divided and diverse; failed to centralize its power.

The Prince (Machiavelli)

A book detailing Machiavelli’s ideas of how one can be a good prince, containing a bleaker and harsher idea of how one should effectively rule.

Balance of Power

The idea that military power should be distributed in a way such that no one power is strong enough to dominate the others.

Age of Exploration

An age during which overseas exploration became more popular in Europe.

New World

A term for the Americas coined by the explorers from Europe who had found them.

Gold, God, Glory

The main motivations for explorers of the New World, who sought to spread religion, attain wealth, or bring themselves personal fame.

Mercantilism

The idea that, because wealth is limited, it is important to hoard as much of it as possible and create a self-sufficient economy.

Missionaries

People sent to promote religion, especially Christianity in foreign countries.

Cartography

The science of mapmaking.

Navigational Advances

New technologies such as the traverse board, the magnetic compass, and the cross-staff which helped people with navigation.

Columbian Exchange

The movement of plants, animals, and diseases between the old and new worlds.

African Slave Trade

The trade of enslaved peoples taken from Africa, who were brought to the Americas in exchange for goods.

Price Revolution

A revolution in which the prices of goods skyrocketed due to increased demand from the increasing population.

Christian Humanism

Regards necessity of freedom, dignity, and happiness for religious teachings, involves application of Humanism to Christianity

Protestant Reformation

Movement in which reformers broke from the Catholic Church, creating their own Protestant religions

Erasmus

“Laid the egg that Luther hatched” (in reality disliked Luther), created translations of the Bible and many other works

Martin Luther

Began the Protestant Reformation of the church, created a branch of Protestantism known as Lutheranism

95 Theses

Luther’s list of grievances against the Catholic Church

John Calvin

Protestant reformer, responsible for Calvinism; influenced by Martin Luther’s teachings

Marburg Colloquy

A meeting aiming to solve disputes between Luther and Zwingli over the correct interpretation/use of the Eucharist

Ulrich Zwingli

Reformer, abolished consubstantiation, Catholic mass and visual idols, promoted preaching and education, disagreed on consubstantiation with Luther

Catholic/Counter Reformation

The Catholic Church’s attempt at internal reform, as well as working toward crushing the new Protestants

Anabaptists

A more radical movement during the Reformation, calling for radical social change and new interpretations of the Bible.

Jesuits

Society of Jesus, a religious order of the Catholic Church

Council of Trent

Council that convened to respond to the reforms of Protestantism

Henry VIII (England)

Protestant reformer who created the Church of England

Elizabeth I (England)

A queen of England, created propaganda about herself and her country

French Wars of Religion

War between Huguenots and Catholics in France

Edict of Nantes

Edict from Henry IV giving rights to the Huguenots

Henry IV (France)

Formerly Henry of Navarre, made Edict of Nantes, crowned after the French Wars of Religion, formerly leader of French Protestants

St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre

Catholics attacked and killed Huguenots at a wedding

Phillip II (Spain)

Inherited land from his father, wanted to consolidate power by expanding Catholicism, struggled with the Spanish Netherlands

Spanish Armada

Defeated by England, though possibly not as powerful as mythology states

Religious Pluralism

Many religions at the same time

Defenestration of Prague

Catholic representatives are sent by Ferdiand and thrown out a window. Propaganda spread on both Catholic and Protestant sides.

Thirty Years War

A war fought by the Holy Roman Empire against various powers

Peace of Westphalia

The result of the Thirty Years War, represents a decrease in religious power, allowing Calvinism alongside Lutheranism and Catholicism

Military Revolution

Changes in war caused by the Thirty Years War, armies are more modern, trained and paid

Social dislocation

(After the Thirty Years War) 20% of the Holy Roman Empire’s population was killed economically devastated

Little Ice Age

A period of regional cooling

Witchcraft

Practices people were accused of, said to be demonic and in collusion with the devil, including curses or rituals

Bureaucracy

State officials make all the important decisions, not elected representatives

English Civil War

Charles I’s supporters (cavaliers) fought Parliament’s supporters (roundheads) to decide who should have the power

Roundheads

Parliament’s supporters, got their nickname for the Protestant tradition of wearing their hair short + round helmets

Cavaliers

Nickname from the Spanish word of “armed horseman”, thought to have loose morals and a tendency towards violence, hallmarks of tyrannical rulers.

Parliament

Consists of the House of Lords/Commons, governing body in England

Absolute Monarchy

New Monarchy deluxe edition (consolidate power, nerf nobility, expand economy, new army)

Divine Right

Kings have the right to rule because god said so, therefore they don't have to listen to anyone but the big guy

Louis XIV

“Sun King”, absolute monarch in France, waged many, many wars while strengthening France to become the center of Europe during his time

Jean Baptiste Colbert

louis xiv bff who liked mercantilism a lil too much, promoted many mercantilist policies in France (tariffs, colonies, manufacturing)

Peter the Great

Russian “absolute monarch”, modernized the country and hated beards. Forced boyars to cut beards, modernized/westernized the country.

Glorious Revolution

James II was replaced by William and Mary because of his Catholic ideals, (mostly) peaceful transfer of power as no one of importance really died

Dutch Republic

United Provinces of the Netherlands, etc; formed from a previously Spanish territory after a rebellion

Merchant Oligarchy

Governed by a wealthy ruling class

Amsterdam

Capital of the Netherlands, center for economic stuff before the Netherlands’ downfall

English Bill of Rights

Laid out Parliament’s rights for future monarchs

War of the Spanish Succession

When Louis XIV’s son was about to be king of Spain too but the other countries weren’t gonna let that slide

Baroque

Art Style characterized by action, Chiaroscuro (contrasted light), and movement, basically Catholic/absolute monarch propaganda

Treaty of Utrecht

Ended the War of Spanish Succession; Philip (Louis’s son) could stay king, but thrones of Spain and France had to be separate

Frederick William the Great Elector

HRE elector, later became a Prussian absolute ruler Stronger and centralized states called ‘New Monarchies’ emerged

Scientific Revolution

Movement involving increased interest and progress in science

Copernicus

heliocentrism guy

Galileo

telescope guy, objects accelerate as they fall

Newton

discovered the force of gravity

William Harvey

Discovered the circulation of the blood

Galen

Researched anatomy, physiology, and treatment of disease; dissected humans

Francis Bacon

Encouraged people to do their own experiments and research (inductive reasoning)

Rene Descartes

Purpose of reasoning is to verify, quantify movement with x and y coordinates

Alchemy

Practice involving search for recipes and formulas to create the “Philosopher’s Stone”, which can change things to gold

Astrology

study of movements of celestial bodies

Empiricism

all knowledge comes from the senses, Locke and Hume helped with this one

Enlightenment

Movement in which people began to focus on more down to Earth things like the economy, the government, and human interactions

Voltaire

Believed in constitutional monarchies and personal freedom

Diderot

Wrote Encyclopedia, supported rights for women and natural rights

Locke

Contributed to issues of education, religious diversity, who should rule (see 3.11)

Rousseau

Natural rights, democracy, wrote “The Social Contract”, “Emile”

Natural rights

life, liberty, property

Salons

Enlightenment areas of gathering, women and men of the intellectual/enlightened class would gather and discuss modern events

Adam Smith

Disliked Mercantilism, preferred Capitalism, founder of the Laissez-Faire economic policy

Free Trade

Freedom to buy and sell goods

Free Market

Free buying and selling of goods

Deism

Belief that god exists, but doesn’t interact with the world on the direct and personal level people believed he did

Skepticism

doubting things for learning/knowledge

Atheism

The belief that there is no God

Religious toleration

The acceptance in a multitude of religions

Balance of Power

Involves the balancing of the five major 18th century powers

Reason of State

Justification for actions which would theoretically benefit the state, not just the dynasty

Diplomatic Revolution

Austria, France, and Russia allied against Prussia and Great Britain

Prussia

One of the five major 18th century powers