Modern European History Flashcards

Review flashcards for a student's history lecture notes

Goals after Napoleon

Restore monarchy, prevent future French aggression, balance of power.

Romantic Revolution and Liberty

Passionate and moral struggle for human freedom, emphasized emotion, supported French Revolution, criticized Enlightenment for reducing liberty to legal framework.

Romanticism and Nationalism

Each nation had a unique spirit expressed in tradition, not laws; promoted emotional and cultural community.

Nationalism

Drew on romantic ideals from shared language, history, and culture; fueled unification movements, challenged Enlightenment universalism.

Klemens von Metternich

Aimed to restore old monarchial orders, supported Concert of Europe, wanted to restore divine right of kings.

Karlsbad Decree

Initiated by Metternich as response to nationalist student activism; imposed censorship, banned student groups, states suppress descent.

Greek Revolution

Driven by nationalism and a desire to form a Christian nation independent from Ottoman rule, inspired by romantic nationalism.

Decembrist Revolt

Russian army officers who wanted a constitutional monarchy following Alexander I; opposed Nicholas I.

July Revolution (France)

Tried to restore absolute monarchy and limit civil liberties; opposed by middle-class liberals and workers.

1848 Revolution in France

Widespread economic hardship, corruption, lack of suffrage under Louis Philippe; protests forced abdication; Second Republic made universal male suffrage.

1848 Revolution in Austria

Inspired by revolts elsewhere; liberals wanted a constitution, nationalists wanted autonomy; protests forced Metternich to flee.

Irish Potato Famine

Triggered by crop failure; British government responded slowly; massive death, emigration, and anti-British sentiment resulted.

Marx and Engels

Believed capitalist system exploited the working class; Communist Manifesto called for overthrow of bourgeoisie, abolition of private property, and a communist society.

Utopian Socialism (Fourier, Saint-Simon, Owen)

Disturbed by poverty and inequality from industrial capitalism; proposed ideal communities with fair wealth distribution.

Chartist Movement

Workers mandated political representation, wanted male suffrage, demanded People's Charter.

Corn Laws

High tariffs on imported grains that made food expensive for workers; led by middle class who wanted free trade; successful in rise of economic liberalism.

Liberalism

Advocated for representative government, individual rights, free speech, property rights, and limited government; supported bourgeois revolutions.

Republicanism

Sought to replace monarchy with a republic based on elections; played a role in 1848 revolutions; challenged hereditary rule.

Socialism

Critique of capitalism; believed private production created inequality; wanted to redistribute wealth and empower workers.

Laissez-faire

Minimal government intervention in the economy; state intervention is corrupt.

Agricultural Revolution

New farming techniques, enclosed land, increased food supply, labor moved to cities.

Thomas Malthus' Theory

Population grows faster than food supply, leading to poverty; theory challenged by industrialization.

First Industrial Revolution

Mechanization in textile and iron production; new technologies for faster manufacture; centered in Britain.

Second Industrial Revolution

Technological advancements in electricity, steel, and chemical production; shift to heavy machinery and research-based innovation.

1851 Crystal Palace

First world's fair that spread industrial ideas.

Urban Planning

Addressing sanitation and infrastructure needs in urban areas.

Canals

Cheaper and faster transport of goods.

Railroads

Revolutionized trade and connected factories; growing economies.

Zollverein

Customs unit in Germany that eliminated internal tariffs; promoted economic unity.

Bessemer Process

Allowed for mass production of steel; helped grow industries.

Electricity

Powered factories, extended work hours, and increased productivity.

Chemicals

Supported new industries, expanding economy.

Steamship

Replaced sail with steam power; reduced cost of trade.

Telegraph

Long-distance communication; instantaneous.

Streetcars

Expansion of cities and suburbs.

Internal Combustion Engine

Rise of automobiles and trucks.

Middle Class Families

Middle class men worked, women ran the home, emphasized morality and respectability.

Attacks on Christianity

People began to question religious beliefs; church out of touch with society.

Education

Industrialization needed a more literate workforce; public education expanded.

Leisure Travel

Higher wages, transport, less work hours; leisure sports promoted national identity, discipline, and social unity.

Department Stores

Growing consumer culture and role of women.

Realism (Art)

Harsh realities of working class.

Emily Pankhurst

Helped women's suffrage movement; led campaigns for fair rights.

Temperance Movement

Reduce alcohol consumption and improve family life.

Public Health Movement; Chadwick and Hausmann

Advocated for sanitation; Hausmann redesigned Paris.

Germ Theory; Pasteur

Overcrowded cities led to disease outbreaks; Pasteur's germ theory gave scientific evidence.

Third Republic in France

After Napoleon III showed desire for republican government; promoted French identity, secular education, military strength.

Dreyfus Affair

Jewish person falsely accused of treason; exposed antisemitism; nationalism used to exclude minorities.

Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary

Austria and Hungary trying to appease Hungarian nationalism.

Theodor Herzl

Founded Zionism calling for a Jewish homeland.

Pogroms

Violent anti-Jewish protests fueled by nationalism; contributed to massive Jewish emigration.

Nucleus of Italian Unification

Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont proved to be the military and political foundation.

Effects of Italian Unification

Nationalist sentiment ended foreign domination; Italy officially united.

Camillo Cavour

Prime minister who strengthened the state and expanded Sardinia's control.

Giuseppe Garibaldi

Nationalist military leader leading redshirts; enabled unification of north and south.

Effects of German Unification

Rising nationalism, economic cooperation, unification under Prussia; powerful industrial and military state.

Austro-Prussian War (1866)

Bismark provoked war with Austria to eliminate influence; Prussia victory led to North German Confederation.

Franco-Prussian War

Bismark manipulated France into declaring war on Prussia; after defeating France, the German empire was proclaimed at Versailles.

Bismark's Tenure as Chancellor

Policy of blood and iron to complete unification.

Bismark's Welfare Policies

Introduced health insurance, pensions, and workers protection; secured loyalty to the state.

Crimean War

Russia defeated, exposing military backwardness and outdated infrastructure; showed Alexander II reforms were necessary.

Effects of Abolition of Serfdom in Russia

Emancipation edict passed; ultimately failed but did lay groundwork for urban migration.

New Imperialism

AfricatasiaEuropean powers sought controlled to scramble for Africa

White Man's Burden

Justified conquest as a civil duty to spread Western ideas.

Cecil Rhodes

Promoted British expansion in Africa; believed it was the best for the human race.

Technological Causes of Imperialism

Steamship for goods transport, machine gun for better fighting.

Berlin Conference Results

Divide Africa without African input which lead to lasting and widespread regional instability

Sepoy Mutiny in India

Britain took control of India; rise of Indian nationalism after they revolted due to disrespect.

Boxer Rebellion in China

Nationalist uprising against foreign influence; increased foreign domination of China by imperial powers.

Meiji Restoration in Japan

Japan responded to imperialism with rapid modernization; prevented colonization by becoming an imperial power.

Assimilation (Imperialism)

Expected people to adopt European culture; incomplete and often resisted.

Imperialism (WWI Cause)

Competition for Africa and Asia caused tension.

Alliance System (WWI Cause)

Conflict between countries could quickly draw in others

Militarism (WWI Cause)

European nations developed war plans; increased suspicion.

Nationalism (WWI Cause)

People believed their nation was superior; internal instability.

Balkans (WWI Cause)

Rising tensions in ethnic groups lead to a powder keg of tension.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Serbian nationalist killed him; Austria blamed Serbia and started war when Germany backed them up.

Total War

All resources directed toward war.

Propaganda (WWI)

Encouraged support for war by making the enemy look bad.

Machine Gun (WWI)

A new stalemate on the war front; revolutionized warfare.

Poison Gas (WWI)

Broke trench deadlock; new inhumanity in war.

Submarine (WWI)

Cut off Britain's supplies; unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany.

Tank (WWI)

Made to cross trenches and barbed wire.

Battle of the Marne

Stopped German advance into France; led to trench warfare.

Reliance on Infantry (WWI)

Relied on infantry to take and hold ground; mass casualties.

Easter Rebellion (Ireland)

Irish nationalists uprising against British rule; increased support for Irish independence.

Russian Revolution

Unrest in Russia; February Revolution toppled the Tsar; October Revolution brought Bolsheviks into power; Russia withdrew from WWI, angering the allies.

Dissolution of Austria-Hungary

Defeat led to collapse; long-term instability in smaller developed states.

Armenian Genocide

Ottomans carried out mass deportations and genocide of Armenian Christians.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of Bolsheviks; promised peace, land, and bread; only government led by workers could fulfill new goals.

February Revolution

Mass protests in Petrograd led to Tsar's abdication.

Provisional Government (Russia)

Established by Duma after Tsar's abdication; failed to meet people's demands and kept Russia in WWI.

Soviets (Russia)

Workers, soldiers, and peasants.

Petrograd Soviet

Undermined provisional government; created dual power system; made the government unstable.

October Revolution

Bolsheviks overthrew provisional government; took full control of state.

Dictatorship of the Proletariat

Lenin argued that the government of workers would fulfill revolutionary goals.

Russian Civil War

Bolsheviks vs. Whites; Bolsheviks won; made USSR one-party state of communist control.

Wilson's 14 Points

Proposed fair and lasting peace; League of Nations to prevent conflicts.

Treaty of Versailles

Imposed harsh terms on Germany; fueled nationalist anger and desire for revenge.

Reparation Payments (WWI)

Germany was forced to pay; resulted in widespread poverty that exacerbated the Great Depression.