Unit 3 AP EURO: Absolutism and Constitutionalism in Europe

Absolutism

A form of government where monarchs hold all state power and are not restricted by laws or legislature.

Constitutionalism

A system of government in which the powers of the government are limited by law.

Centralization of state power

The process of consolidating authority and decision-making within a central government.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement in the 16th century that led to the establishment of Protestant churches and significant changes in the Catholic Church.

Wars of Religion

Conflicts in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries primarily driven by religious differences between Catholics and Protestants.

Louis XIV of France

Considered the poster boy of absolutism, he ruled France from 1643 to 1715.

Fronde

A noble rebellion in France that convinced many that a strong monarch like Louis XIV was necessary to maintain order.

Intendant System

A system where bureaucrats (intendants) enforced royal policies throughout France, reducing noble power.

Palace of Versailles

A grand palace built by Louis XIV to control and distract the nobility by bringing them to his court.

Edict of Nantes

A decree that granted religious tolerance to Protestants, revoked by Louis XIV, leading to Huguenot emigration.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert

The finance minister who helped Louis XIV consolidate power by implementing mercantilist policies.

Peter the Great

Czar of Russia who aimed to westernize and modernize Russia.

Table of Ranks

A political reform by Peter the Great that established a system of ranks for government officials.

Reorganized Orthodox Church

A religious reform by Peter the Great aimed at reducing the church's power in Russia.

Western dress and beard tax

A cultural reform by Peter the Great that mandated Western-style clothing and imposed a tax on beards.

English Civil War

A conflict caused by belief in divine right of kings, economic disputes, and religious conflicts between Anglicans and Puritans.

Oliver Cromwell

Leader of the Parliamentarian forces who achieved victory in the English Civil War.

The Protectorate

A government established after the English Civil War under Cromwell, characterized as a military dictatorship.

Glorious Revolution

The bloodless overthrow of James II and the ascension of William and Mary in 1689.

English Bill of Rights

A document that established the constitutional monarchy in England.

Key powers of Parliament

The right to levy taxes and the stipulation that laws could not be annulled by the monarch.

Dutch Revolt

A rebellion against Spanish control led by William of Orange due to harsh Catholic rule and suppression of Protestantism.

The Peace of Westphalia

The treaty that officially recognized the Dutch Republic and ended the Thirty Years' War and Eighty Years' War in 1648.

Oligarchy

The type of government established by the Dutch Republic after gaining independence, ruled by the urban gentry and wealthy landowners.

States General

A political body made up of elite members from each province in the Dutch Republic that made decisions on foreign and domestic policy.

Shift in European Warfare after 1648

Wars were fought to maintain the balance of power rather than over religion.

Partition of Poland

An event led by Russia's growing power and Austria and Prussia's desire to maintain balance of power, resulting in Poland being divided among them for 150 years.

Battle of Vienna (1683)

Significant because it marked the end of Ottoman expansion into Europe and preserved the balance of power.

War of Spanish Succession

A conflict aimed at preventing France and Spain from being united under one ruler, which would upset the balance of power.

Treaty of Utrecht (1713)

The outcome was that Philip V stayed on the Spanish throne, but France and Spain had to remain separate.

Gustavus Adolphus

Swedish king who created a large, professional standing army with a clear hierarchy and new technologies.

Agricultural Revolution

A period of agricultural innovation that began in Britain and the Netherlands, greatly increasing food production.

Crop Rotation Technique

Replaced the three-field system by alternating grain crops with nutrient-restoring crops like potatoes and clover.

Agricultural Innovations

Three innovations from this period include Jethro Tull's seed drill, the mechanical hoe, and the cast iron plow.

Putting-out System

A system where merchants paid workers in rural homes to produce goods from raw materials.

Richard Arkwright's Water Frame

An invention that allowed early textile factories to use water power.

Emerging Financial Practices

Included insurance, specialty banks, and venture capital during the rise of the market economy.

Mercantilism

A state-driven economic policy aimed at increasing national wealth through trade surpluses and colonies.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert

A key proponent of French mercantilism under Louis XIV.

African Slave Labor in the New World

Increased use due to the decline of native populations and the rising demand for crops like sugar and cotton.

Middle Passage

The brutal journey enslaved Africans endured across the Atlantic to the Americas.

Triangular Trade

A trade system between Europe, Africa, and the Americas involving slaves, raw materials, and manufactured goods.