AP European History Units 2.4-2.6 Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering major political figures, religious organizations, treaties, conflicts, and social structures from Units 2.4-2.6.

German Peasants Revolt

An uprising where peasants became frustrated with Protestantism and viewed Lutheranism as an upheaval against authority; indirectly led to the Schmalkaldic War.

Schmalkaldic League

An alliance that sought to protect the interests of Protestant territories that had embraced Lutheranism; its conflict led to the Peace of Augsburg.

Peace of Augsburg

An agreement that ended the Schmalkaldic War stalemate by granting religious freedom to nobility and allowing princes to choose the religion of their kingdom.

Huguenot

French Calvinists who supported the beliefs of John Calvin; their conflict with French Catholics led to decades of the French Wars of Religion.

Catherine de’Medici

Queen regent who kept Catholics in power in France, opposed Protestants, and declared the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.

House of Hapsburg

A powerful Catholic dynasty ruling Spain and much of the Holy Roman Empire that defended imperial authority and Catholicism against Lutheranism.

House of Valois

The French ruling dynasty during much of the French Wars of Religion that viewed Protestantism as an opponent and struggled to maintain royal authority.

House of Bourbon

French dynasty associated with Henry of Navarre that helped bring the French Wars of Religion to an end with the Edict of Nantes.

St. Bartholomew Day Massacre

A mass killing of Huguenots/Protestants declared as justified by Queen Catherine de'Medici; served as a main trigger for the French Wars of Religion.

Henry of Navarre

Protestant next in line for the French throne who married Marguerite de Valois, prompting Catherine de'Medici to initiate the St. Bartholomew Day Massacre.

Edict of Nantes

A decree entitling French Protestants to full rights and recognition as French citizens, demonstrating that political unity took precedence over religious unity.

Council of Trent

A Catholic council that defined church doctrine, addressed corruption, and led to the evolution of the Jesuits.

Jesuit

Members of the Society of Jesus, founded by Ignatius of Loyola, who held Catholicism in high regard, opposed Protestant expansion, and increased missionary work.

Bohemia Jesuits

Members of the Society of Jesus who attempted to suppress Protestantism and convert Bohemia into a strict Catholic state.

Ignatius of Loyola

Founder of the Society of Jesus who established the order in response to Protestant intellectual attacks, promoted education, and became a key figure in the Counter-Reformation.

Magisterium

The official teaching authority of the Catholic Church, held by Jesuits as the primary authority to interpret the Bible.

Defenestration of Prague

An event where Protestants threw Jesuits out of a window in anger, escalating religious tensions and triggering the Thirty Years' War.

Bohemian Phase

The first phase of the Thirty Years' War, which served to begin unifying previously unorganized Protestant forces.

Danish Phase

The second phase of the Thirty Years' War, during which empires were crushed and the conflict broadened into an international war.

Edict of Restitution

A decree during the Thirty Years' War that enforced the return of confiscated Catholic property, increasing ongoing war tensions.

Swedish Phase

A phase of the Thirty Years' War where Swedish forces won victories for the Protestants utilizing military innovations and new tactics.

Gustavus Adolphus II

King of Sweden and Protestant military innovator who utilized lightweight cannons, guns, and swords to alter gunpowder warfare tactics.

French Phase

The final phase of the Thirty Years' War where France intervened on the Protestant side under Machiavellian leadership, establishing France as a dominant national power.

Cardinal Richelieu

Machiavellian French leader who entered France into the Thirty Years' War on the side of the Protestants to secure French dominance.

Treaty of Westphalia

Peace agreement written in French that ended European religious wars and the Edict of Restitution while reaffirming the Peace of Augsburg.

Bourgeoisie

Class of wealthy merchants and professionals who challenged the traditional dominance of landed nobles in Europe.

Guilds

Official associations of craftsmen and merchants in European towns that created urban social hierarchies and provided political influence to upper urban classes.

Queen Elizabeth I

Protestant Queen of England who demonstrated that a woman could exercise significant monarchical authority contrary to traditional gender norms.

Katharina von Bora

Former nun who married Martin Luther, creating a household model for Protestant marriage and family life that rejected mandatory clerical celibacy.

Public Morality

Community standards governing acceptable religious and social behavior, enforced through regulation and public humiliation by authorities.

Witch Hunts

Persecutions stemming from Reformation religious turmoil, reflecting efforts to protect Christian values and restore social control.

Carnival

A religious celebration featuring feasting, dancing, and performances that connected early modern leisure to the Christian calendar and community life.

Agricultural Calendar

The seasonal rhythm of rural life and farming labor used by states to establish social order and control.

Pillory

A public punishment device used for exposing minor offenders to community ridicule and maintaining moral order.

Cucking Stool

A chair used to strap in and dunk an accused person into water, serving as a public humiliation tool to reinforce patriarchal control, primarily over women.