Honors World History Midterm

Three Estates

The social classes in France: Clergy, Nobility, and Commoners.

Clergy

High-ranking members of the church, held the most power but were few in number.

Nobility

Wealthy, land-owning class who were exempt from taxes.

Commoners

The largest group, including the poor in Paris and the middle class (bourgeoisie), who wanted less taxation.

Bourgeoisie

The wealthy middle class in the Third Estate, including merchants, artisans, and professionals.

Aristocracy/Nobility

The hereditary nobility, often holding high positions in government or the military.

Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen

A 1789 French document affirming individual freedoms and equality, influenced by Enlightenment ideals.

Constitution of 1791

Established a constitutional monarchy, limiting the king's power and creating a legislative assembly.

Estates General

A meeting of representatives from all three estates, called by King Louis XVI in 1789 to address France’s financial crisis.

Storming of the Bastille

The July 14, 1789, attack on the Bastille prison in Paris, symbolizing the start of the Revolution.

Tennis Court Oath

An oath taken by the Third Estate in 1789 to not separate until a new constitution was created after being locked out of the Estates General.

National Assembly

A body formed by the Third Estate to represent the people and create a new constitution.

Absolute Monarch

A ruler with complete control over the government, like King Louis XVI of France.

Robespierre

A radical leader during the Revolution, known for his role in the Reign of Terror.

Committee of Public Safety

A group set up to protect the Revolution, led by Robespierre, responsible for mass executions.

Reign of Terror

A period (1793-1794) during the Revolution where thousands were executed for suspected disloyalty.

Republic

A government system where power rests with elected officials rather than a monarch.

Jacobins

A radical political group in the Revolution advocating for a republic and responsible for the Reign of Terror.

Napoleon Bonaparte

A military leader who rose to power during the French Revolution and became Emperor of France.

Napoleonic Code

A legal code established by Napoleon that influenced modern legal systems worldwide.

Order of Events in the French Revolution

Estates General convenes, 2. Tennis Court Oath, 3. Storming of the Bastille, 4. National Assembly forms, 5. Declaration of Rights of Man, 6. Reign of Terror, 7. Napoleon rises to power.

Haitian Revolution

A slave revolt in Haiti (1791-1804) that led to the first independent black republic.

Toussaint L'Ouverture

Leader of the Haitian Revolution who helped establish independence from France.

Simón Bolívar

A South American leader who led revolutions in Venezuela, Colombia, and other countries to gain independence from Spain.

Latin American Creoles

The upper class of Spanish descent born in Latin America who pushed for independence from colonial powers.

Agricultural Revolution

Improvements in farming techniques that increased food production and supported population growth.

Energy sources during early Industrial Revolution

Water power and coal were key sources of energy in early factories.

Reasons for population growth

Better food supply, improved medicine, and sanitation led to population increases.

Where did population grow

Populations grew rapidly in cities due to industrialization.

Enclosure Movement

The process of consolidating small farms into larger ones, pushing workers to cities.

Putting-Out System/Cottage Industries

A system where merchants provided raw materials to rural workers who produced goods at home.

Karl Marx & his thoughts on capitalism

Marx argued that capitalism exploits workers and leads to class struggle.

Communism vs. Capitalism

Communism advocates for shared ownership of production; capitalism supports private ownership and profit.

Entrepreneur

A person who starts and runs a business, assuming financial risks.

Eli Whitney

Invented the cotton gin, revolutionizing cotton production.

Robert Owen

A social reformer who created ideal communities to improve workers' conditions.

Adam Smith

The economist who argued for free markets and limited government intervention in business.

Tenements

Overcrowded, poorly built apartments where factory workers lived.

Urbanization

The process of people moving to cities due to industrialization.

Catalysts for Industrial Revolution in Britain

Resources like coal and iron, political stability, and colonial markets helped spark industrialization.

Why is urbanization important?

It reflects the shift from rural farming economies to industrialized, urban ones.

Working conditions in factories

Harsh conditions including long hours, low wages, and dangerous environments.

Industrial Working Class

Workers employed in factories, often under poor conditions.

Industrial Middle Class

The class of factory owners and professionals who benefited from industrialization.

Assembly Line

A production method where workers perform repetitive tasks to speed up manufacturing.

Labor Unions

Groups formed by workers to advocate for better wages and working conditions.

Growth of Cities

The rapid expansion of cities due to industrialization and migration from rural areas.

Energy sources during the Second Industrial Revolution

Electricity, oil, and gas powered factories and transportation.

Long-term effects of the Industrial Revolution

Increased production, technological advancements, urbanization, and social changes.

Child labor laws

Laws enacted to limit or eliminate child labor in factories and mines.

Middle Class Life

The middle class enjoyed better living standards and access to education.

Living conditions up or bad

Middle and upper classes had better living conditions, while the working class often lived in overcrowded areas.

Which class got a better life

The middle and upper classes generally had better living standards and opportunities than the working class.

How did industrialization cause imperialism

Industrialization created demand for raw materials and markets, leading to the expansion of empires.

Main reasons for imperialism

Economic, political, and social factors, including the need for raw materials, national pride, and the belief in "civilizing" missions.

Social Darwinism

The belief that stronger nations had the right to dominate weaker ones, often used to justify imperialism.

Euro views of natives

Europeans often viewed native peoples as inferior and in need of European civilization.

Main nations imperializing

Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, and other European powers.

Berlin Conference

A 1884 meeting where European powers divided Africa into colonies without consulting African leaders.

Direct Rule

Imperial powers directly control colonies, with their own officials governing.

Indirect Rule

Imperial powers use local rulers to govern on their behalf.

King Leopold II effects in Congo

Leopold’s exploitation of the Congo for rubber caused widespread suffering and deaths among the Congolese.

Revolts of colonized people

Many colonized people resisted imperial rule through revolts, though most were unsuccessful.

Opium Wars in China

Wars between Britain and China over the opium trade, resulting in China’s forced concessions to Western powers.

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, military force, or other means, often leading to the domination of one nation over another.

Nationalism

Love and loyalty for one’s nation

What did Mazzini, Cavour, and Garibaldi have in common

They were key leaders in the unification of Italy, with Mazzini advocating for republicanism, Cavour using diplomacy, and Garibaldi leading military efforts.

Militarism

The belief in maintaining strong military forces, contributing to pre-WWI tensions.

Alliances

Agreements between nations to support each other in times of war, which expanded the scope of WWI.

Imperialism (as a cause of WWI)

Competition for colonies and resources heightened tensions between European powers.

Nationalism (as a cause of WWI)

National pride and ethnic tensions, particularly in the Balkans, contributed to the war.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The event in 1914 that triggered WWI, with Serbia-backed nationalists killing the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.

Central Powers - Triple Alliance

The alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy (though Italy switched sides).

Allies - Triple Entente

The alliance between France, Russia, and Great Britain.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany’s strategy to quickly defeat France and then focus on Russia, which failed.

Trench Warfare

A type of warfare in WWI, with soldiers fighting from entrenched positions.

Stalemate

A situation where neither side can make significant progress, common in WWI.

Why was WWI so destructive

Modern weapons, trench warfare, and large-scale battles led to high casualties.

Weapons of WWI

Includes machine guns, tanks, poison gas, and airplanes.

Zimmerman Telegram/Note

A secret German proposal to Mexico to join the war against the U.S., intercepted by the British.

American Entrance into WWI

The U.S. joined the war in 1917, influenced by unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman Telegram.

Paris Peace Conference

The 1919 conference where Allied leaders decided the terms of peace, aiming to punish Germany.

Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points

U.S. President Wilson’s vision for a just and lasting peace, including the creation of the League of Nations.

Self-Determination

The right of nations and peoples to decide their own political future.

Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 treaty that ended WWI, severely punishing Germany and redrawing European borders.