AP European History Course Framework Essentials from College board review

These vocabulary flashcards cover key historical concepts, movements, and political structures defined in the AP European History course description.

Humanism

An intellectual movement during the Renaissance based on the study of Greek and Roman classical texts, focusing on human potential, individualism, and secular values.

Mercantilism

An economic policy where states sought direct access to gold, spices, and luxury goods while using colonies and monopolies to increase national wealth.

New Monarchies

Rulers like Henry VII and Ferdinand/Isabella who laid the foundation for modern states by establishing monopolies on tax collection and military force.

Christian Humanism

A Northern Renaissance movement, embodied by Erasmus, that used classical learning to promote religious reform and naturalism in art.

The Printing Press

A 1450s invention that promoted the spread of Renaissance ideas, vernacular literature, and Protestant Reformation theology beyond Italy.

Columbian Exchange

The global exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the Americas and Europe that created new economic opportunities and shifted power to Atlantic states.

Commercial Revolution

A period of economic expansion involving innovations in banking (like the Bank of Amsterdam) and the transition to a money economy.

Absolute Monarchy

A political system where the ruler holds total power, exemplified by Louis XIV and Peter the Great, often limiting the nobility's participation in government.

Scientific Revolution

A period of new ideas in science based on observation, experimentation, and mathematics, challenging classical views of the cosmos.

Enlightenment

An 18th-century intellectual movement that applied scientific principles to society, promoting reason, natural rights, and the social contract.

Fascism

A nationalistic and totalitarian political ideology that emerged after WWI, rejecting democratic institutions and promoting charismatic, authoritarian leaders.

Cold War

A nearly 50-year period of geopolitical tension and ideological battle between the liberal democratic West and the communist East.

Humanism

An intellectual movement during the Renaissance based on the study of Greek and Roman classical texts, focusing on human potential, individualism, and secular values.

Mercantilism

An economic policy where states sought direct access to gold, spices, and luxury goods while using colonies and monopolies to increase national wealth.

New Monarchies

Rulers like Henry VII and Ferdinand/Isabella who laid the foundation for modern states by establishing monopolies on tax collection and military force.

Christian Humanism

A Northern Renaissance movement, embodied by Erasmus, that used classical learning to promote religious reform and naturalism in art.

The Printing Press

A 1450s invention that promoted the spread of Renaissance ideas, vernacular literature, and Protestant Reformation theology beyond Italy.

Columbian Exchange

The global exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the Americas and Europe that created new economic opportunities and shifted power to Atlantic states.

Commercial Revolution

A period of economic expansion involving innovations in banking (like the Bank of Amsterdam) and the transition to a money economy.

Absolute Monarchy

A political system where the ruler holds total power, exemplified by Louis XIV and Peter the Great, often limiting the nobility's participation in government.

Scientific Revolution

A period of new ideas in science based on observation, experimentation, and mathematics, challenging classical views of the cosmos.

Enlightenment

An 18th-century intellectual movement that applied scientific principles to society, promoting reason, natural rights, and the social contract.

Fascism

A nationalistic and totalitarian political ideology that emerged after WWI, rejecting democratic institutions and promoting charismatic, authoritarian leaders.

Cold War

A nearly 50-year period of geopolitical tension and ideological battle between the liberal democratic West and the communist East.

Civic Humanism

A branch of humanism that emphasized the application of classical knowledge to the improvement of government and public service, particularly in the Italian city-states.

Peace of Augsburg (1555)

A settlement that ended religious conflict in the Holy Roman Empire, establishing the principle cuius regio, eius religio (whose realm, his religion), allowing princes to choose between Catholicism and Lutheranism.

Catholic Counter-Reformation

The Catholic Church's response to the Protestant Reformation, characterized by the Council of Trent, which reaffirmed traditional doctrines but sought to reform church corruption.

Peace of Westphalia (1648)

The multi-lateral peace treaty that ended the Thirty Years' War, effectively establishing the modern international system of sovereign states and acknowledging religious pluralism.

Constitutionalism

A political system in which power is limited by law and balanced between the authority of the government and the rights of the citizens, as seen in the English Bill of Rights (1689).

Enlightened Absolutism

A form of monarchical government in which rulers (e.g., Joseph II, Catherine the Great) incorporated Enlightenment principles, such as religious toleration and legal reform, while maintaining absolute power.

French Revolution (1789)

A transformative political upheaval that replaced absolute monarchy and the feudal system with a republic based on the principles of popular sovereignty and individual rights.

Industrial Revolution

The transition from human-driven labor to machine-based manufacturing, beginning in Great Britain around 1750, which fundamentally altered social structures and global trade.

Nationalism

A modern ideology that emphasizes loyalty and devotion to a nation based on shared cultural traits like language, history, and ethnicity, fueling both unification and independence movements.

New Imperialism

A late 19th-century wave of expansion where European powers partitioned Africa and parts of Asia to secure raw materials, new markets, and strategic military positions.

Total War

A type of conflict, such as World War I, where a nation's entire population and economic resources are mobilized, and the distinction between combatants and civilians is blurred.

Russian Revolution (1917)

The collapse of the Tsarist autocracy and the subsequent rise of the Bolshevik Party under Lenin, leading to the creation of the world