Absolutism: The Habsburgs

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the rise of absolutism, the Habsburg dynasty, key monarchs Charles V and Philip II, and Spain's Siglo de Oro.

Absolutism

A political system where rulers have complete control and authority over the government and the lives of the people.

Divine Right

The concept that God created the monarchy and the monarch acted as God's representative on earth, answering only to God and not to subjects.

Jacques Bossuet

French figure and author of "Politics Drawn from the Very Words of Scripture" who taught that royal authority is absolute so that a king can do good, repress evil, and leave no escape from power.

Politics Drawn from the Very Words of Scripture

A work by Jacques Bossuet arguing that royal authority must be absolute because without it a king can neither do good nor repress evil.

1500 to 1800 Absolutist Trend

The historical era between 1500 and 1800 that witnessed a marked increase in the number of absolute rulers throughout Europe.

Divine Right Hierarchy

The pyramid of authority under absolutism placing God at the top, followed below by the Monarch, then the Nobles, and the People at the base.

The Habsburgs

Identified as the most influential family of Europe, ruling over territories including Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Netherlands in the 1500s.

First Modern European Power

Spain in the 1500s under the Habsburgs, distinguished by global exploration, Catholic religious unity, wealth, territorial expansion, and Papal support.

Charles V

Habsburg monarch who became Holy Roman Emperor in 1519, fought ongoing wars against France, the Ottomans, and Protestants, and divided his empire and yielded the Spanish crown in 1556.

Division of the Holy Roman Empire (1556)

The 1556 settlement where Charles V gave up the Spanish crown and split the Holy Roman Empire after years of constant warfare.

Philip II

Successor to Charles V in 1556 who expanded Spanish Catholic influence, concentrated royal power, and engaged in military conflicts with the Ottomans, Dutch, and English.

Siglo de Oro

Spain's Golden Century lasting from 1550 to 1650, characterized by an explosion of arts and literature sponsored extensively by Philip II.

El Greco

Prominent painter of Spain's Golden Century celebrated for producing religious pictures and portraits of nobles.

Diego Velazquez

Celebrated Golden Age Spanish painter who served as the official court painter for the Spanish monarchy.

Miguel de Cervantes

Spanish Golden Age author who wrote Don Quixote, acknowledged as the first modern novel.

Don Quixote

Major literary masterpiece composed by Miguel de Cervantes during Spain's Siglo de Oro, recognized as the first modern novel.

Battle of Lepanto (1571)

A major naval engagement fought in 1571 in the Strait of Lepanto between the forces of Philip II and the Ottoman Empire.

Netherlands Revolts (1572–1581)

An uprising against Spanish Habsburg rule occurring between 1572 and 1581 in the Netherlands during the reign of Philip II.

Defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588)

The 1588 naval disaster where the Spanish battle fleet organized by Philip II was defeated by England.

Spanish Habsburg Possessions

The senior branch territories of the Habsburg dynasty that encompassed Spain (Castille and Aragon), the Netherlands, and Italian lands including Milan, Naples, and Sicily.