Modern World History Honors: Final Exam Study Guide

Define: Old Regime

The social and political system in use in France in the 1770s.

Define: Estate

One of three social classes in France in the late 1700s.

Define: Louis XVI

King of France during the 1770s and 1780s, known for his extravagant spending.

Define: Marie Antoinette

The queen of France that spent so much money that she was called “Madame Deficit”.

Define: Estates General

An assembly of representatives from all three social classes in France.

Define: National Assembly

The first deliberate act of the revolution by France’s Third Estate was to vote to establish a law-making body called this.

Define: Tennis Court Oath

The pledge by the Third Estate delegates to meet until they created a new constitution.

Define: Great Fear

Rumors that circulated that the nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize the peasants, caused this to roll across France.

Define: Legislative Assembly

This is the name of the government body that replaced the National Assembly.

Define: Emrige

This refers to the nobles who fled France but still hoped to restore the monarchy.

Define: Sans-Coulotte

This was a radical group, named for the style of breeches its members wore.

Define: Jacobin

The term for the radical political organization that pushed for governmental changes in September of 1972.

Define: Guillotine

This was invented to further humane goals, though often used in contradiction to such goals.

Define: Maximillien Robespierre

This Jacobin leader ruled over the Reign of Terror.

Define: Reign of Terror

Mid-1793 to mid-1794, when Maximillien Robespierre ruled France nearly as a dictator and thousands of political figures and ordinary citizens were executed.

Define: Napoleon Bonaparte

This French military dictator planned and carried out a military coup, went on to rule France and claim the title of Holy Roman Emperor.

Define: Coup D’etat

A sudden seizure of political power in a country.

Define: Plebiscite

A direct vote in which a country’s people have the opportunity to approve or reject a proposal.

Define: Lycée

A government-run public school in France, designed to produce strong government officials.

Define: Concordat of 1804

A formal agreement drawn up by Napoleon and the Pope to repair the relationship and affairs between the Church and State in France.

Define: Napoleonic Code

A comprehensive and uniform system of laws established for France by their Emperor.

Define: Battle of Trafalgar

An 1805 naval battle in which Napoleon’s forces were defeated by a British fleet under the command of Horatio Nelson.

Define: Blockade

A forcible closing of ports-to prevent all trade and communication between Britain and other European nations.

Define: Continental System

Napoleon’s policy of preventing trade between Great Britain and continental Europe, intended to destroy Great Britain’s economy.

Define: Guerrilla

A member of a loosely organized fighting force that makes surprise attacks on enemy troops occupying his or her country.

Define: Peninsular War

Battles fought in the Iberian Peninsula. Involved Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom fighting against France.

Define: Scorched-Earth Policy

A military strategy that involves deliberately destroying anything that might be useful to an enemy. Mainly used by Russia.

Define: Waterloo

The battle marked the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, ending his rule as Emperor of France and concluding the Napoleonic Wars.

Define: Hundred Days

The period between Napoleon’s return from exile on Elba and his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

Define: Congress of Vienna

A series of meetings of representatives. Goal was to obtain absolute security and stability for the whole continent of Europe.

Define: Klemens von Metternich

The most influential of the representatives. Foreign minister of Austria.

Define: Balance of Power

The idea that Metternich supported that limited the power of a country so no country could be a threat to others.

Define: Legitimacy

Agreeing that as many as possible of the rulers who Napoleon had driven from their thrones be restored to power.

Define: Holy Alliance

An agreement signed by Czar Alexander I, Emperor Francis I of Austria, and King Frederick William III of Prussia. Pledged to base their relations with other nations on Christian principles in order to control the faces of the revolution.

Define: Concert of Europe

A series of alliances devised by Metternich.

Who was Adam Smith?

A Scottish Philosopher

What book did Adam Smith publish in 1776?

An Inquiry into the Nature and Cause of the Wealth of Nations

According to Adam Smith, what does every individual want?

To better their condition.

According to Adam Smith, why shouldn’t the government intervene in the market?

Markets ultimately fix themselves.

What is Laissez-Faire?

The idea of the government not interfering in a market.

What did capitalists want?

To increase production and efficiency to maximize profits.

How did the goals of capitalists lead to the mistreatment of workers?

The entrepreneurs wanting so much profit that they forced workers to work long hours with low wages in dangerous environments.

What did the children want in the mills?

Time for more rest, a little play, and to learn to read and write.

What did the children experience in the mills?

Long work days for six days a week without pay, and suffering to make others rich.

Describe the treatment of the mill’s child laborers.

They were beaten if they messed up, or given the strap if they fell asleep.

How did Napoleon become a powerful figure in world history?

He was the best military leader of all time.

How did Napoleon help the Revolution?

He made France the most powerful nation in Europe.

Why was Napoleon a national hero?

He crushed the Austrian and Sardinian armies in Italy.

Why did Napoleon return to Paris?

To replace the Directory

What did Napoleon become?

The First French Emperor.

Describe France’s absolute monarchy.

Ruled by Louis XVI. He had all of the power, he made laws, and there were no elections. It was very weak and France was crumbling financially.

How did the French Revolution change France’s government?

Led to no single ruler, a National Assembly was elected by all men and new laws were introduced.

How did Napoleon change the government?

He became the first French Emperor holding all of the power, and he created two National Assemblies.

What rights ended the old privileges of feudal France?

The rights that declared all people were equal before law and there were no longer any special privileges for Nobles, Churchmen, or rich people.

What rights were clearly inspired by the Enlightenment?

All people were declared equal before the law and religious freedom was guaranteed.

What individuals in society still suffered great inequality?

Women and Children

What rules clearly limited the power of women?

Wives weren’t allowed to sell or give away property, and they could only own property with husbands consent in writing.

Did the law treat children fairly?

Children were allowed to be put in prison by their father. This could be done for no reason at all.

Which rules or rights from the Napoleonic Code are similar to the United States Constitution?

All people were declared equal before law, religious freedom was guaranteed, trial by jury was guaranteed, and parents were given power over their children.

What lands were indirectly controlled by Napoleon?

Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Warsaw, Naples, and the Rhine.

What lands were allied with Napoleon?

Norway, Austria, Denmark, and Prussia.

Was Great Britain conquered by or allied with Napoleon?

Neither, the two sides were just rivals.

Was Russia conquered by or allied with Napoleon?

Allied

What happened to Spain’s colonies in the “New World” during the reign of Napoleon?

Napoleon controlled the colonies.

Did Napoleon have an empire?

Yes, it controlled most of Europe.

Why did Napoleon attack his ally, Russia?

He wanted to bring the Russians back into line.

Why did the Russians avoid a major battle?

To gain time to prepare for a counter-offensive.

What factors harmed the French?

The fire in Moscow and the cold weather.

How did Napoleon’s losses encourage his enemies?

Them seeing Napoleon as greatly weakened.

Why was Napoleon sent to Elba?

He lost and he was exiled to keep him away from power.

What did Napoleon do after his escape from Elba?

He returned to Paris and used his loyal army and tried to beat his enemies again.

What happened to Napoleon at Waterloo?

He met an allied army under the command of Wellington. Napoleon was defeated for the last time.

How did Napoleon spend his final years?

On St. Helena in the South Atlantic being fat and powerless until 1821.

Define: Peninsular

People who had been born in Spain, which is on the Iberian peninsula.

Define: Creole

Spaniards born in Latin America

Define: Mulatto

Persons of mixed European and African ancestry, and enslaved Africans.

Define: Simon Bolivar

A wealthy Venezuelan creole who liberated South America.

Define: Jose de San Martin

A Argentinian creole who liberated South America.

Define: Miguel Hidalgo

A priest from the small village of Dolores, who took the first step towards independence in Mexico.

Define: Jose Maria Morelos

The leader of the Spanish rebel army in Mexico, helped defeat Hidalgo.

Define: Conservative

People who argued for protecting traditional monarchies of Europe, which caused the revolts of nationalists to be unsuccessful.

Define: Liberal

People who believed in nationalism and hated to establish self rule in parliaments.

Define: Radical

People who believed in nationalism and anarchism. They also participated in later revolts.

Define: Anarchism

Believed by radicals, which let the idea of abolishing the government spread amongst nationalists.

Define: Nationalism

A belief that spread amongst radicals and liberals, which led to many revolts over power.

Define: Nation-State

A group led by the people in it, which was desired by many cultures. This led to revolts.

Define: Balkans

The region controlled by the Ottoman Turks, which was overturned by the Greeks.

Define: Louis-Napoleon

The Emperor Napoleon III who built railroads, encouraged industrialization, and promoted public works.

Define: Alexander II

He moved Russia towards modernization and social change. He wanted Russia to compete with Western Europe for world power.

Define: Russification

The policy that forced Russian culture on all the ethnic groups in the empire.

Define: Camillo di Cavour

Victor Emmanuel IIs prime minister. A cunning statesman who worked tirelessly to expand Piedmont-Sardinia’s power.

Define: Giuseppe Garibaldi

A visionary soldier that led the small Italian nationalistic army to capture Sicily.

Define: Junker

Strongly conservative members of Prussia’s wealthy landowning class.

Define: Otto von Bismarck

A Junker who was selected as prime minister. was the master of realpolitik.

Define: Realpolitik

“The politics of reality”. Used to describe tough power politics with no room for idealism.

Define: Kaiser

What the emperor of Prussia was identified as.

Define: Romanticism

A movement that reflected deep interest in both nature and in the thoughts and feelings of the individual.

Define: Realism

Tried to show life as it was, not as it should be. A style used in the arts just prior to the Industrial Revolution.

Define: Deism

A belief that everyone was born with religious, ethical, and moral impulses. Often rejected the teachings of any one church.

Define: Impressionism

The art style used by a group of painters in Paris. They tried to show their impression of a subject or a moment in time.