AP Euro: Unit 3

witches

Individuals accused of using dark magic. Sparked deadly European hysteria reflecting deep social and religious tensions.

Thirty Years War

A massive religious and political conflict in Central Europe (1618-1648). Devastated Germany and ended large-scale religious wars in Europe.

Gustavus Adolphus

King of Sweden and brilliant military commander. Revolutionized military tactics and led Protestant forces to crucial victories.

Peace of Westphalia

The 1648 treaty ending the Thirty Years War. Established the modern concept of state sovereignty and weakened the Holy Roman Empire.

conscript standing armies

Permanent, professional military forces raised through mandatory service. Centralized state power and allowed monarchs to wage sustained wars.

absolutism

A political system where a monarch holds supreme, unchecked authority. Became the dominant government form in 17th-century Europe.

Bishop Jacques Bossuet

French theologian and court preacher. Provided the primary religious justification for the divine right of kings.

"divine right"

The belief that a monarch's authority comes directly from God. Used to legitimize absolute rule and silence political opposition.

Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin

Chief ministers who effectively ruled France for young kings. Stripped power from the nobility and built the foundations of French absolutism.

the Fronde

A series of noble rebellions against the French monarchy. Traumatized a young Louis XIV, driving his lifelong obsession with controlling the nobility.

Louis XIV

The absolute "Sun King" of France (1643-1715). Centralized power, built Versailles, and aggressively expanded French borders.

Edict of Fontainebleau

Louis XIV's 1685 decree outlawing Protestantism in France. Caused massive economic damage as hundreds of thousands of skilled Huguenots fled.

Versailles

Louis XIV's massive palace complex outside Paris. Served as the seat of government and a gilded cage to control the French nobility.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Louis XIV's finance minister. Implemented mercantilist policies that heavily stimulated French economic growth.

Louis XIV's wars

Four major conflicts fought to expand French territory. Plunged France into massive debt and united Europe against French aggression.

Peace of Utrecht

The 1713 treaty ending the War of the Spanish Succession. Maintained the European balance of power by preventing the union of France and Spain.

Brandenburg-Prussia

The combined territories ruled by the Hohenzollern dynasty. Rose from a fragmented state into a dominant Central European military power.

Frederick William the Great Elector

The Elector of Brandenburg (1640-1688) who centralized administration. Laid the political and military framework for the Kingdom of Prussia.

the Hohenzollerns

The ruling dynasty of Brandenburg-Prussia. United fragmented German territories into a major European military power.

Treaty of Karlowitz

A 1699 treaty transferring Ottoman territory to Austria. Established the Austrian Habsburgs as the dominant regional power in Central Europe.

the Romanovs

The imperial dynasty that ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917. Centralized authority and transformed Russia into a major European empire.

Russian serfdom

A system legally binding Russian peasants to the land and their landowners. Underpinned the agricultural economy but stifled the country's modernization.

the Orthodox Church

The dominant Eastern Christian church in Russia. Served as a unifying cultural force and supported the absolute power of the tsars.

Peter the Great

Russian Tsar (1682-1725) who implemented sweeping reforms. Aggressively westernized Russian society and modernized its military.

Saint Petersburg

A new capital city founded by Peter the Great. Served as Russia's "window to the West" and a symbol of naval expansion.

Great Northern War

A conflict (1700-1721) between Russia and the Swedish Empire. Broke Swedish supremacy and established Russia as the dominant Northern European power.

Vienna and the Ottoman Empire

The 1683 siege where Ottoman forces failed to capture the Austrian capital. Permanently halted Ottoman expansion into Europe.

Poland's Sejm

The Polish parliamentary body requiring a unanimous vote to pass laws. Its structural weakness crippled the government and led to Poland's eventual partition.

the house of Orange

The noble family providing stadtholders for the Dutch Republic. Led the Dutch struggle for independence and provided military leadership.

Amsterdam

The chief city and financial center of the Dutch Republic. Served as the preeminent commercial and banking hub of 17th-century Europe.

the Stuarts

The royal dynasty ruling Scotland and England. Their clashes with Parliament over absolute rule sparked the English Civil War.

Puritans

English Protestants seeking to rid the Church of England of Catholic practices. Formed the backbone of the Parliamentary forces during the Civil War.

English Civil War

A conflict (1642-1651) between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Resulted in the execution of King Charles I and the temporary abolition of the monarchy.

Oliver Cromwell

The Puritan general who led Parliamentary forces to victory. Ruled England as a military dictator during the short-lived republic.

Levellers

A radical political movement during the English Civil War. Advocated for unprecedented democratic reforms and expanded male suffrage.

the Restoration

The 1660 return of the Stuart monarchy under Charles II. Re-established the monarchy while forcing it to recognize Parliament's power.

Test Act

A 1673 English law requiring officials to take Anglican communion. Systematically excluded Catholics and dissenters from public office.

James II

The Catholic King of England who bypassed Parliament. His absolutist actions directly triggered the Glorious Revolution.

Glorious Revolution

The largely bloodless 1688 overthrow of James II. Permanently established parliamentary sovereignty and constitutional monarchy in England.

Thomas Hobbes

English political philosopher and author of Leviathan. Argued that an absolute monarchy is necessary to maintain order and prevent societal chaos.

John Locke

English philosopher who authored Two Treatises of Government. Developed the democratic concepts of natural rights and government by consent.

Bill of Rights

A 1689 English document limiting royal power. Formalized the English constitutional monarchy and established civil liberties.

Mannerism and El Greco

An art movement emphasizing distorted proportions; El Greco was its famous painter. Reflected the spiritual anxiety following the High Renaissance.

Bernini and Gentileschi

Leading figures of the Baroque period in sculpture and painting. Helped create the dramatic style of art that bolstered the Catholic Counter-Reformation.

Baroque

A 17th-century art style characterized by intense drama and grand scale. Used by monarchs and the Church to display power and inspire awe.

French Classicism

A cultural movement prioritizing balance, order, and clarity. Artistically mirrored the structured, centralized order of Louis XIV's state.

Rembrandt van Rijn

The preeminent painter of the Dutch Golden Age. Mastered light and shadow to capture the wealth and Protestant values of Dutch society.

William Shakespeare

Renowned English playwright and poet. Revolutionized English literature with unparalleled character psychology.

Lope de Vega

A prolific playwright of the Spanish Golden Age. Set the standard for Spanish theater with action-packed, culturally resonant plays.

Racine and Moliere

The leading French playwrights of the 17th century in tragedy and comedy. Defined French classical theater by satirizing and celebrating Louis XIV's court.