European Political and Military History: Nobility, Absolutism, and Parliament

noblesse d'epee (sword nobles)

the traditional French nobility whose status was inherited from a military, knightly lineage

noblesse de robe (robe nobles)

to a social class of French aristocrats who achieved noble status and privilege through the purchase, inheritance, or holding of judicial or administrative offices

Louis XIII

the King of France from 1610 to 1643, the son of Henry IV. His reign saw the consolidation of royal authority with the help of his chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu, strengthening the foundation of French absolutism and making France a dominant European power. Key events included his involvement in the Thirty Years' War and his lasting influence on fashion, particularly the popularization of men's wigs

intendants

French government agents who collected taxes and administered justice

Louis XIV

(1638-1715) Known as the Sun King, he was an absolute monarch that completely controlled France. One of his greatest accomplishments was the building of the palace at Versailles.

Cardinal Mazarin

(1602-1661), Successor of Cardinal Richelieu and his bad attempts to increase royal revenue and the state lead to the Fronde; ran the government while Louis VIII was still a child

Fronde

a french rebellion that was caused by Mazarin's attempt to increase royal revenue and expand state bureaucracy, caused Louis XIV to distrust the state and turn to absolutism

Bishop Jacques Bossuet

principle advocate of divine right of kings during reign of Louis XIV-believed divine right meant that king was placed on throne by God, and therefore owed his authority to no man or group

L' état c'est moi

"I am the State" -Louis XIV

Jean-Baptiste Colbert

An economic advisor to Louis XIV; he supported mercantilism and tried to make France economically self-sufficient. Brought prosperity to France.

Marquis of Louvois

the French Secretary of State for War for a significant part of the reign of Louis XIV

War of the Spanish Succession

a conflict, lasting from 1701 to 1713, in which a number of European states fought to prevent the Bourbon family from controlling Spain as well as France. This was the war between France and Spain in order to unite the two states under one ruler, Phillip V

Treaties of Utrecht

a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713. ended War of the SPANISH SUCCESSION, Philip retained Spain and Spanish America but lost other Spanish territories in Europe.

Cardinal Fleury

Louis XIV's minister that caused France to pull back from foreign adventures while commerce and trade expanded and the government promoted the growth of industry.

Hohenzollerns

Prussia's ruling family

Frederick William, the Great Elector

This was the man who starting absolutism in Prussia by uniting the three provinces of Prussia under one ruler.

Junkers

Members of the Prussian landed aristocracy, a class formerly associated with political reaction and militarism. strongly conservative members of Prussia's wealthy landowning class

Maria Theresa

Austrian empress who unified her nation after her father's death

Pragmatic Sanction

This was the act passed by Charles VI that stated that Hapsburg possessions were never to be divided, in order to allow his daughter to be ruler. Property shouldn't be passed down matrimonial line and this ruling basically making it okay for his daughter to receive his lands.

Muscovy

Russian principality that emerged gradually during the era of Mongol domination. The Muscovite dynasty ruled without interruption from 1276 to 1598.

Ivan IV "The Terrible"

Ruled from 1533-1584; Was responsible for the death of thousands, including his own son; Created the Oprichnina in order to destroy the Boyars; Believed in a Strong Centralized Government; expanded mostly south.

boyars

Russian landholding aristocrats; possessed less political power than their western European counterparts; nobles

Romanovs

Ruling family of Russia

Duma

Russian Parliament

Peter the Great

This was the tsar of Russia that Westernized Russia and built up a massive Russian army.

"Window to the West"

St. Petersburg on newly acquired lands on the Baltic Sea

St. Petersburg

Built by Peter the Great of Russia to attract europeans and to get warm water ports. capital city and major port that Peter the Great established in 1703

Battle of Poltava

After a decisive Russian victory at Poltava in 1709, greatly reduced the threat of the Swedish armies, Peter moved in high gear and wanted to build a city like no other in the world, the St. Petersburg. (587)

James I

(1603-1625) Stuart monarch who ignored constitutional principles and asserted the divine right of kings.

Charles I

King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1625-1649). His power struggles with Parliament resulted in the English Civil War (1642-1648) in which he was defeated. He was tried for treason and beheaded in 1649

Ship Money

an impost levied in England to provide money for ships for national defense

Petition of Right

Document prepared by Parliament and signed by King Charles I of England in 1628; challenged the idea of the divine right of kings and declared that even the monarch was subject to the laws of the land

Triennial Act

An Act of Parliament reluctantly agreed to by Charles I (who said it reduced his sovereign powers) which stated that there had to be a parliament of at least 50 days duration every three years.

Writ of Habeas Corpus

A court order requiring jailers to explain to a judge why they are holding a prisoner in custody.

Long Parliament

Parliament convened by Charles I in 1640; lasted on and off for 20 years; passed laws that limited power of monarchy

New Model Army

fighting force developed by the Roundheads; used new techniques and strong discipline led by cromwell

Pride's Purge

elements of New Model Army removed all non-Puritans and Presbyterians form Parliament leaving Rump parliament. Parliament got rid of everyone who supported the monarchy so the Rump Parliament was left

"Rump" Parliament

The Cromwell-controlled Parliament that proclaimed England a republic and abolished the House of Lords and the monarchy.

Act of Settlement

1701 law by Parliament stating that should William III die heirless, Mary's Protestant sister, Anne, would take the throne, thereby protecting Protestant rule in England.

Interregnum

time between rulers

Test Act

An act forbidding anyone except members of the Church of England from holding political office or entering the professions

Whigs

conservatives and popular with pro-Bank people and plantation owners. They mainly came from the National Republican Party, which was once largely Federalists. They took their name from the British political party that had opposed King George during the American Revolution. Their policies included support of industry, protective tariffs, and Clay's American System. They were generally upper class in origin. Included Clay and Webster

Tories

a person who supported the British cause in the American Revolution; a loyalist

James II

This was the Catholic king of England after Charles II that granted everyone religious freedom and even appointed Roman Catholics to positions in the army and government

English Bill of Rights

King William and Queen Mary accepted this document in 1689. It guaranteed certain rights to English citizens and declared that elections for Parliament would happen frequently. By accepting this document, they supported a limited monarchy, a system in which they shared their power with Parliament and the people. document that gave England a government based on a system of laws and a freely elected parliament

Robert Walpole

Prime minister of Great Britain in the first half of the 1700s. His position towards the colonies was salutary neglect.