European Absolutism, Conflicts, and Enlightenment Key Concepts

Absolute monarch

A ruler who has complete, unrestricted power over a government and its people.

Divine right

The belief that a monarch's authority comes directly from God.

Charles V

Ruler of a vast empire including Spain and the Holy Roman Empire; struggled to manage its size.

Philip II

Son of Charles V; strengthened Spanish power but led costly wars.

Elizabeth I

Protestant queen who brought stability and defeated Spain.

Spanish Armada

Spain's failed attempt to invade England.

Huguenots

French Protestants influenced by Calvinism.

Edict of Nantes

Granted limited religious freedom to Huguenots.

Louis XIV

"Sun King" who ruled as an absolute monarch and centralized power.

Intendants

Royal officials sent by Louis XIV to enforce his policies across France.

Versailles

Lavish palace symbolizing Louis XIV's power.

Defenestration of Prague

Protestants threw Catholic officials out a window, sparking the Thirty Years' War.

Mercenaries

Soldiers who fight for pay rather than loyalty to a country.

Peace of Westphalia

Ended the Thirty Years' War and reshaped European borders.

Habsburgs

Powerful ruling family in Austria and Spain.

Maria Theresa

Female ruler who defended her lands in major wars.

Prussia

Militaristic kingdom that became a European power.

War of the Austrian Succession

War over Maria Theresa's right to rule.

Peter the Great

Modernized Russia and expanded its power.

Autocrat

A ruler with absolute authority.

Westernization

Adoption of Western European culture and technology.

St. Petersburg

Capital built by Peter the Great to reflect Western influence.

Tudors: Henry VIII and Elizabeth I

Monarchs who strengthened royal power and shaped religion.

Parliament

England's lawmaking body.

Petition of Right

Limited the king's ability to tax and imprison without cause.

Stuarts: James I and Charles I

Believed in divine right; clashed with Parliament.

Oliver Cromwell

Led Parliament's forces and ruled after the king's execution.

Puritan rule of saints

Strict religious government under Cromwell.

Restoration

Return of the monarchy in 1660.

Glorious Revolution

Peaceful overthrow of King James II.

Bill of Rights

Limited the monarch and protected rights of Parliament.

Limited monarchy

A system where the monarch's power is restricted by law.

Constitutional government

Government based on a constitution that limits power.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement emphasizing reason, science, and individual rights.

John Locke

Argued people have natural rights (life, liberty, property).

Montesquieu

Proposed separation of powers in government.

Voltaire

Advocated freedom of speech and religion.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Believed in popular sovereignty and the 'social contract.'

Laissez-faire economics

Idea that government should not interfere in the economy.

Free market / enterprise

Economic system where supply and demand determine prices.

Satire

Use of humor or irony to criticize society or government.

Salons

Social gatherings where intellectuals discussed ideas.

Enlightened despots

Absolute rulers who used Enlightenment ideas to reform society.

Frederick the Great

Promoted reforms but kept strong control.

Catherine the Great

Supported arts and education but maintained power.

Joseph II

Tried to modernize Austria with reforms.