APWH #5

Henry III

King of England who broke from Catholic Church and created the Church of England

Charles V

Powerful Holy Roman Emperor who ruled much of Europe and opposed the Protestant Reformation

Queen Elizabeth I

Protestant queen of England who strengthened the English power and defeated the Spanish Armada

Queen Isabella & Ferdinand

Monarchs of Spain who completed the Reconquista and sponsored naval power

Spanish Armada

Large Spanish fleet defeated by England in 1588, marking decline of Spanish naval power

Hapsburgs

Powerful European dynasty that ruled Austria, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire

Holy Roman Empire

Decentralized multi-ethnic empire in central Europe, fragmented by the Reformation

Louis XIV

“Sun King” of France, absolute monarch who built Versailles and centralized royal power

Edict of Nantes

1598 decree granting French Protestants(Huguenots) limited religious freedom

Thirty Years’ War

1618-1648 Religious conflict in Europe between Protestants and Catholics; devastated Germany

Divine Right

Belief that monarchs’ authority comes directly from God, justifying absolute rule

Palace of Versailles

Lavish place built by Louis XIV to display power and control nobility

Huguenots

French Protestants influenced by Calvinist teachings, often persecuted in Catholic France

Protestant Reformation

16th century movement against Catholic corruption, leading to new Christian denominations

Martin Luther

German monk who criticized the Catholic Church, sparking Protestant Reformation

95 Theses

Luther’s 1517 list of criticisms against Church abuses, especially indulgences

Indulgences

Payments to the Catholic Church to reduce punishment for sins, criticized by reformers

Erasmus

Dutch humanist who called for reform within the Church through education and piety.

John Calvin

Protestant reformer who emphasized predestination and strict moral discipline

Predestination

Calvinist belief that God has already determined who will be saved or damned

Puritans

English Protestants who sought to “purify” the Anglican Church of Catholic practices; many later migrated to North America.

Angelican Church

Church of England created by Henry VIII after breaking from the Catholic Church; blended Protestant theology with some Catholic traditions.

Counter-reformation(catholic reformation)

Catholic Church’s response to the Protestant Reformation; aimed to reform corruption, clarify doctrine, and revive spiritual authority.

Ignatius Loyola

Spanish founder of the Jesuits (Society of Jesus); emphasized education, missionary work, and strict discipline in service of the Catholic Church.

Spanish Inquisition

Catholic tribunal established in Spain to enforce religious uniformity; targeted Jews, Muslims, and Protestants through interrogation and persecution.

Jesuits

Catholic religious order founded during the Counter-Reformation; known for education, missionary activity, and loyalty to the Pope.

Johannes Gutenburg

Inventor of the movable-type printing press (mid-1400s), which revolutionized the spread of books and ideas in Europe.

Printing Press

Technology using movable type to mass-produce texts; spread literacy, humanist ideas, and Protestant Reformation writings.

Vernacular

Everyday spoken language of a region; used by writers like Dante and Luther to make ideas accessible beyond Latin-educated elites.

Protestantism

Branch of Christianity that broke away from the Catholic Church in the 1500s; emphasized scripture, faith, and rejection of papal authority.

Humanism

Renaissance intellectual movement focused on classical texts, secular subjects, and the value of individual human potential.

Council of Trent

Catholic council (1545–1563) that reasserted church doctrines, ended many abuses, and defined Catholic beliefs during the Counter-Reformation.

Absolutism

Political system in which monarchs claimed complete power, often justified by divine right (e.g., Louis XIV of France).

Little Ice Age

Period of global cooling (14th–19th centuries) that led to shorter growing seasons, famines, and social unrest.

Principalities

Small independent states in Europe, often ruled by princes, common in fragmented regions like Italy and the Holy Roman Empire.

Peter the Great

Russian tsar (1682–1725) who modernized and westernized Russia, built St. Petersburg, and expanded central power.

Eastern Orthodox Church

Christian branch that developed in the Byzantine Empire; rejected papal authority, emphasizing tradition and local leadership.

St. Basil’s Cathedral

Iconic Russian Orthodox church in Moscow, built by Ivan the Terrible; known for colorful onion-shaped domes.

St. Petersburg

Russian city founded by Peter the Great as a “window to the West”; became Russia’s capital and symbol of Westernization.

Winter Palace

Imperial residence of Russian tsars in St. Petersburg; later the site of political uprisings, including the 1917 Russian Revolution.

Golden Horde

Mongol khanate that ruled Russia from the 1200s–1400s, influencing Russian politics, tribute systems, and military practices.

Westernization

Process of adopting Western European technology, culture, and government practices, especially under Peter and Catherine the Great.

Slavophilism

Russian intellectual movement that rejected Westernization, emphasizing traditional Slavic culture, Orthodoxy, and autocracy.

Czar/Tsar

Title for Russian monarchs, derived from “Caesar,” symbolizing supreme and autocratic authority.

Ivan III(The great)

Moscow ruler (1462–1505) who ended Mongol tribute, centralized power, and began building the Kremlin.

Kremlin

Fortified complex in Moscow that became the seat of Russian rulers and the center of government and religion.

Ivan IV(The Terrible)

First Russian ruler crowned as “tsar”; expanded territory, reduced boyar power, and ruled with extreme brutality.

Siberia

Vast region east of the Urals; conquered by Russia for fur trade, resources, and expansion across Asia.

Cossacks

Semi-independent warrior groups on Russia’s frontier; helped expand Russian territory in exchange for privileges.

Time of Troubles

Period of political instability (1598–1613) after Ivan IV’s death; ended with the Romanov dynasty’s rise.

Romanov Dynasty

Ruling family of Russia (1613–1917); oversaw territorial expansion, Westernization, and serfdom’s intensification.

Catherine the Great

Enlightened empress (1762–1796) who expanded Russia, promoted Western culture, and strengthened autocracy.

Pugachev Rebellion

Massive peasant and Cossack uprising (1773–1775) against Catherine the Great; brutally suppressed, leading to tighter serfdom.

Boyars

Russian noble landowning class; often resisted central authority of the tsars.

Serfdom

System binding peasants to land and nobles; heavily entrenched in Russia until abolished in 1861.

Pogroms

Violent mob attacks on Jewish communities in Russia, often tolerated or encouraged by authorities.

Michael Romanov

First Romanov tsar (r. 1613–1645), chosen after the Time of Troubles; restored stability and centralized rule.

Partition of Poland

Series of divisions (1772–1795) in which Russia, Prussia, and Austria erased Poland from the map until 1918.