AP Euro Unit 3 Vocab

82 terms

secular

anything that is not religious in its character or purpose

politiques

Term for those nobles and royal figures who supported religious toleration as a means of restoring domestic peace and strengthening the nation.

sovereignty

the power of a state to govern itself; supreme power or authority

absolutism

a system of government where all power is in the hands of the ruler

divine-right

a power or authority that is bestowed by God

Bourbons

the family that held the throne of France from 1589 until the French Revolution

Edict of Nantes

1598 royal decree issued by King Henry IV of France that granted religious toleration and control of 200 walled fortified cities to that nation’s Protestant minority.

reign

period of time during which a monarch rules

duel

formal combat with weapons between two people in front of witnesses

Intendants

French royal governmental officials who took over roles once held by the French nobility.

bureaucracy

Non-elected governmental officials who keep the machinery of the state functioning.

Huguenots

French Protestants who followed the teachings of John Calvin

Treaty of Westphalia

1648 international agreement that ended the Thirty Years’ War. The treaty marked a major defeat of the Habsburg dynasty and the rise of the Bourbon dynasty. It destroyed the Holy Roman Empire.

standing army

a full-time, professional military force composed of career soldiers and conscripts

regency

A period of government when an appointed figure rules in the name of the monarch due the monarch’s youth, illness, or incapacity.

Fronde

An uprising, led by French nobles, against the growth of absolutism in that nation. It was crushed by the government of Louis XIV.

L’etat c’est moi

Famous declaration by Louis XIV that sums up the role of the absolute monarch. It translates as “I am the state.”

levy

a tax (n) or the authority to collect a tax (v)

aristocratic

of or pertaining to the nobility

Edict of Fontainebleau

1685 royal proclamation that ended religious freedoms for French Huguenots and led to the emigration of over 200,000 Protestants.

mercantilism

The dominant economic policy of the 1500s – 1750s, it was based on the formation of self-sufficient national economies. This was achieved by limiting imports through high tariffs, the development of national industries, and the acquisition of colonies. It emphasized the amassing of bullion.

tariff

A tax placed on imported goods to keep out foreign competition.

League of Augsburg

An alliance of nations who feared the growing power of Louis XIV’s France. It was principally led by William of Orange (Netherlands) who went on to become William III (England).

legitimate

Something that is legally based; a child born to a married couple.

Treaty of Utrecht

1713 agreement that ended the War of Spanish Succession. The Bourbon King Phillip V was allowed to remain King of Spain but the treaty was a major defeat for France and Spain.

Gibraltar

Strategic region attached to the bottom of the Iberian Peninsula; it controls the passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

bullion

precious metals (gold and silver) in bulk form, valued by weight

Hohenzollern

The dynasty that ruled the German state of Prussia and later ruled the German Empire.

militaristic

An aggressive posture that glorifies the military.

Kaiser

Title held by the ruling monarch of Prussia and later Germany.

General War Commissariat

The Prussian political organization created to direct the affairs of the nation and supervise the bureaucracy.

Junkers

Term that historically refers to the nobility of Prussia.

Sultan

Title held by the ruling monarch of the Ottoman Empire.

Battle of Lepanto

Epic 1571 naval battle between the Ottoman Empire and Christian forces led by Spain that changed the balance of power in the Mediterranean Sea and began the gradual decline of the Ottomans.

Janissaries

Elite Ottoman military force, at first composed of Christian-born captives; it was the first standing army in the history of Europe.

“sick man of Euroe”

Nickname of the Ottoman Empire in the 1800’s and early 1900’s as it slowly declined as an European power.

Mongol Yoke

Term for the brutal 300 year period (1200’s – 1400’s) of Mongol feudal rule over Russia. It left strong Asian influences on Russian culture.

Tsar

Title held by the ruling monarch of Russia.

autocracy

A state governed by a single absolute monarch who holds all power; it is usually associated with Russia.

Boyar

term that historically refers to the nobility of Russia

serfs

One of the lower classes, they are rural, agricultural labor who are bound to the land.

Romanov

the dynasty that ruled the state of Russia

Kremlin

Massive fortress / palace complex in the heart of Moscow that is the traditional center of the Russian government.

St. Petersburg

The city built in the early 1700’s on the Baltic coast by Peter the Great as a new capital city of Russia. It was the capital until the Russian Revolution.

Sejm

The historic parliament of Poland. In the medieval period the Sejm held the veto power over actions of the government. It led to national paralysis.

constitutional monarchy

a form of government in which the monarch’s powers are limited by law (aka limited monarchy)

republic (an)

Any government that does not have a crowned monarch as head of state.

stateholder

Title held by the ruling official of a Dutch province, similar to a governor.

East Indies

Geographic region of Southeast Asia that includes Indonesia.

stock market

A business enterprise in which the stocks of different companies are bought, sold, and traded.

merchant marine