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absolute monarchy
a form of government in which a ruler has complete authority over the government and lives of the people he or she governs
divine right
idea that a ruler's authority came directly from God
Hapsburg empire
Central European empire that lasted from 1400s to the 1900s and at its height included the lands of the Holy Roman Empire and the Netherlands
Armada
fleet of ships
Huguenots
French Protestants of the 1500s and 1600s
Edict of Nantes
law issued by the French king Henry IV in 1598 giving more religious freedom to the French Protestants
Versailles
royal French residence and seat of government established by King Louis XIV
balance of power
distribution of military and economic power that prevents any one nation from becoming too strong
elector
one of the seven German princes who would choose the Holy Roman emperor
mercenary
soldiers serving in a foreign army for pay
depopulation
reduction in the number of people in an area
Peace of Westphalia
series of treaties that ended the Thirty Years' War
War of Austrian Succession
series of wars in which various European nations competed for power in Central Europe after the death of Hapsburg emperor Charles VI
westernization
adoption of western idea, technology, and culture
autocratic
having unlimited power
warm-water port
port that is free of ice year round
St. Petersburg
a port city in northwestern Russia founded in 1703 by Peter the Great
partition
a division in pieces
dissenter
Protestant whose views and opinions differed from those of the Church of England
puritan
member of an English Protestant group who wanted to 'purify' the Church of England by making it more simple and more morally strict
English Bill of Rights
series of acts passed in 1689 by the English Parliament that limited the rights of the monarchy and ensured the superiority of Parliament
limited monarchy
government in which a constitution or legislative body limits the monarch's powers
constitutional government
government whose power is defined and limited by law
cabinet
parliamentary advisors to the king who originally met in a small room, or cabinet
prime minister
the chief executive of a parliamentary government
oligarchy
member of an oligarchy; typically a wealthy person with political power
Charles V
(1500-1558) was the Holy Roman emperor during the time of Martin Luther's reformation efforts.
Philip II
(1527-1598) served as king of the Spaniards and strong supporter of the Roman Catholic Counter-reformation.
Henry IV
(1050-1106) was a German king who became Holy Roman emperor in 1084.
Louis XIV
(1638-1715) served as a king of France and is considered the symbol of absolute monarchy.
Fredrick William I
(1688-1740) was the second Prussian king who helped transform his country into a prosperous state.
Fredrick II
(1712-1786) succeeded his father to serve as king of Prussia.
Peter the Great
(1672-1725) tsar of Russia and one of Russia's greatest statesmen and reformers.
Catherine the Great
(1729-1796) was the German-born empress of Russia who led her country in becoming part of European political and cultural life.
James I
(1566-1625) was a king of Scotland who also became king of England and Ireland.
Charles I
(1600-1649) was the second Stuart king whose belief in divine right brought him into conflict with Parliament.
Oliver Cromwell
(1599-1658) was a soldier who led the forces against Charles I during the English Civil War.
Natural Law
unchanging principle that governs human conduct.
Social Contract
an agreement by which people gave up their freedom to a powerful government.
Natural Rights
rights that belong to all humans from birth, such as life, liberty, and property.
Laissez-faire
policy allowing business to operate with little or no government interference.
Free Market
market regulated by the natural laws of supply and demand.
Free enterprise system
an economic system, or capitalism, with little control by government.
Censorship
restriction on access to ideas and information.
Salon
Informal social gatherings where writers and others exchanged ideas.
Baroque
ornate style of art and architecture popular in the 1600s and 1700s.
Enlightened despot
Absolute ruler who used power to bring about political and social change.
Stamp Act
law passed in 1765 by the British Parliament that imposed taxes on items in the American colonies.
Popular Sovereignty
people control all political power.
Treaty of Paris
treaty of 1763 that ended the Seven Years' War.
Federal Republic
government in which power is divided between the national government and the states.
Checks and Balances
each branch of government can limit actions of other branches.
Estates
social classes.
Bourgeoisie
the middle class.
Estates-General
legislative body made up of representatives of the three estates in pre-revolutionary France.
Tennis Court Oath
famous oath made by the Third Estate in pre-revolutionary France.
Bastille
fortress in Paris used as a prison; French Revolution began when Parisians stormed it.
faction
a group within a larger group that has different ideas.
Suffrage
right to vote.
Reign of Terror
time period during the French Revolution when many were executed.
Guillotine
device used during the Reign of Terror to execute thousands.
Nationalism
takeover of property or resources by the government.
Plebiscite
a ballot in which voters have a direct say on an issue.
Napoleonic Code
body of French civil laws introduced in 1804.
Napoleonic Wars
a series of wars from 1804 to 1805 involving Napoleon.
Annex
add a territory to an existing state or country.
Continental System
blockade designed by Napoleon to hurt Britain economically.
Guerilla Warfare
fighting carried on through hit-and-run raids.
Abdicate
give up or step down from power.
Congress of Vienna
assembly of European leaders that met after the Napoleonic era.
Legitimacy
principle by which ousted monarchies were restored.
Concert of Europe
loose peacekeeping organization to preserve agreements set up by the Congress of Vienna.
Thomas Hobbes
an influential English political philosopher known for his work Leviathan.
John Locke
a political philosopher whose works influenced the U.S. Constitution.
Montesquieu
French philosopher who advanced the idea of separation of powers.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
a Swiss-born philosopher whose works inspired leaders of the French Revolution.
Adam Smith
Scottish economist known for his work on free markets.
Joseph II
Holy Roman Emperor in Austria and the most radical of the enlightened despots.
George III
the longest reigning monarch in British history.
George Washington
commander of American forces during the Revolutionary War and first president of the United States.
Benjamin Franklin
author, inventor, and statesman who helped persuade France to enter the Revolutionary War.
Thomas Jefferson
primary author of the Declaration of Independence.
James Madison
renowned U.S. statesman and fourth president, known as the 'father of the Constitution'.
Marquis de Lafayette
French noble who fought alongside the Americans in the Revolutionary War.
Louis XVI
king of France during the French Revolution, symbol of absolute monarchy.
Olympe de Gouges
author of the Declaration of the Rights of Women.
Maria Antoinette
queen whose frivolous ways discredited the monarchy.
Maximilien Robespierre
important member of the Jacobin club and initiator of the Reign of Terror.
Napoleon Bonaparte
military genius who became France's emperor and influenced French society.
