European History Exam Review: 1600-1900

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key people, terms, and objectives of European history from 1600 to 1900, including the Enlightenment, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, and Imperialism.

19th Century Conservatism

A political ideology favoring tradition, social stability, and established institutions like the monarchy and the Church.

19th Century Liberalism

A political philosophy emphasizing individual liberty, equality before the law, and limited government intervention in the economy.

19th Century Nationalism

The belief that people with a shared culture, history, and language should form an independent sovereign state.

19th Century Socialism

A system advocating for social equality and collective or government ownership of the means of production.

German Unification

The process of consolidating German states into a single nation-state, achieved in 1871 under Prussian leadership.

Italian Unification

Also known as the Risorgimento, the 19th-century political and social movement that unified the Italian peninsula.

Reforms in Britain (1815-1848)

Sociopolitical changes aimed at addressing industrial growth and labor conditions, including the expansion of voting rights and factory laws.

Revolutions of 1848

A series of political upheavals across France and Central Europe seeking liberal reforms and national independence.

Old Imperialism

A period of colonial expansion from the 16th to 18th centuries focused on trade posts and mercantilism in the Americas and Asia.

New Imperialism

Late 19th and early 20th-century colonial expansion characterized by direct territorial control and the 'Scramble for Africa.'

Long-term Causes of WWI

The build-up of Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism (MAIN) in Europe.

Immediate Cause of WWI

The June 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo.

Human Costs of WWI

The massive loss of life and casualties, including millions of soldiers and civilians killed or wounded.

Geographic Effects of WWI

The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian Empires and the creation of new nations in Europe and the Middle East.

John Locke

Enlightenment philosopher who argued for natural rights to life, liberty, and property and the social contract theory.

William of Orange

Protestant Dutch leader who took the English throne in 1688 during the Glorious Revolution.

Rousseau

Philosopher known for 'The Social Contract' and the concept of the 'general will' of the people.

Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker who advocated for the separation of powers within government into three branches.

Voltaire

Enlightenment writer and philosopher who championed civil liberties, including freedom of speech and religion.

Diderot

Philosopher and co-founder/editor of the 'Encyclopédie,' a central work of the Enlightenment.

Zollverein

A 1834 German customs union that abolished internal tariffs and promoted economic integration.

Protective tariff

Taxes on imported goods designed to shield domestic industries from foreign competition.

Factory Act

Series of British laws regulating industrial work, specifically improving conditions and limiting hours for children and women.

Chartism

A 19th-century British working-class movement that called for universal male suffrage and parliamentary reform.

Continental System

Napoleon Bonaparte's economic blockade intended to destroy Great Britain's economy by prohibiting trade with Europe.

Concordat of 1801

An agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII that reconciled the French state with the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Richelieu

Chief Minister to Louis XIII who worked to centralize royal power and strengthen France through the absolute monarchy.

Louis XIV

Known as the Sun King, he was the absolute monarch of France who famously stated 'L'état, c'est moi.'

Versailles

The magnificent royal palace built by Louis XIV that served as the center of French political power.

Glorious Revolution

The 1688 bloodless transition of power in England that saw William and Mary replace James II.

open-field system

The traditional medieval system of farming in which peasants shared large communal fields.

agricultural revolution

Technological and methodological advancements in farming that increased food production beginning in the 17th century.

enclosure acts

British laws that privatized common lands, forcing many peasants into factory labor.

cottage industry

A pre-industrial system where goods like textiles were manufactured by hand in people's homes.

Estates General

The French representative assembly summoned by Louis XVI in 1789 for the first time since 1614.

Tennis Court Oath

The pledge taken by the Third Estate in 1789 to continue meeting until they had drafted a constitution for France.

Copernicus

The Renaissance astronomer who formulated the heliocentric theory, placing the Sun at the center of the universe.

Brahe

A Danish astronomer known for his detailed and accurate astronomical and planetary observations.

Kepler

German astronomer and mathematician who established the three laws of planetary motion.

Galileo

Scientist who improved the telescope to observe the heavens and was tried by the Church for supporting heliocentrism.

Newton

Scientist who formulated the laws of universal gravitation and the three laws of motion.

Seven Years' War

A global conflict (1756-1763) involving major powers that significantly changed the balance of power in North America and India.

Edward Jenner

The English physician who developed the first successful vaccine, which targeted smallpox.

John Wesley

An English cleric and theologian who founded the Methodist movement within the Church of England.

James Watt

The Scottish inventor whose improvements to the steam engine powered the Industrial Revolution.

Robespierre

A radical Jacobin leader during the French Revolution who headed the Committee of Public Safety.

Congress of Vienna

A 1814-1815 meeting of European leaders to redraw the map of Europe and restore the balance of power after Napoleon.

Metternich

Austrian statesman who served as the architect of the Congress of Vienna and the conservative order in Europe.

Louis XVI

The King of France whose reign ended when he was executed during the French Revolution.

Reign of Terror

A radical phase of the French Revolution characterized by mass executions of those deemed enemies of the republic.

Thermidorian Reaction

The 1794 internal coup against the Committee of Public Safety that ended the Reign of Terror and led to Robespierre's execution.

Napoleon

The French general who rose to power as Emperor and conquered large swathes of Europe in the early 19th century.

Committee of Public Safety

The governing body created by the National Convention during the French Revolution to manage the war and internal crises.

Trafalgar

The 1805 naval battle where the British Royal Navy decisively defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets.

Marie Antoinette

The Queen of France and wife of Louis XVI who was executed during the French Revolution.

Renaissance

The cultural and artistic movement characterized by a rebirth of classical learning and humanism.

Baroque

An artistic style of the 17th century known for its dramatic lighting, grandeur, and emotional intensity.

Romanticism

A movement in the arts and literature that emphasized intuition, emotion, and the sublimity of nature.

Realism

An artistic movement focused on the accurate and unidealized depiction of everyday life and contemporary society.

Impressionism

A late 19th-century art style focused on the effects of light and color through visible brushstrokes.