WOrld History maybe idk

Absolutism

System where a monarch holds total political power

Divine Right

Belief that a ruler’s authority comes directly from God

Louis XIV

King of France who ruled as an absolute monarch and called himself the Sun King

Louis XIV religion he tried to suppress

Protestant Huguenots in France

Louis XIV example of absolute power

Built the Palace of Versailles and controlled nobles through luxury and court life

Louis XIV foreign policy goal

Expand French territory and make France the most powerful country in Europe

Louis XIV economic problem

Overspending on wars and Versailles caused massive national debt

Frederick William

Ruler of Prussia who created a strong centralized military state

Prussia importance of military

Army allowed Prussia to gain power and defend itself

Frederick William long-term impact

Built foundation for Prussia to later lead German unification

Ivan the Terrible

First czar of Russia known for violent rule and harsh punishments

Ivan the Terrible use of violence

Executed enemies and ruled with fear and terror

Ivan’s secret police purpose

The Oprichniki removed and killed political enemies

Ivan the Terrible expansion

Expanded Russian territory east into Siberia

Peter the Great

Russian czar who modernized and westernized Russia

Peter western reforms

Forced Russians to adopt Western clothing, shave beards, and follow European customs

Peter military reforms

Created a modern army and built Russia’s first navy

Peter navy purpose

Gain access to warm-water ports and trade routes (Baltic Sea)

Peter overall goal

Turn Russia into a powerful modern European nation

Tycho Brahe

Astronomer who collected detailed and accurate data on planetary positions

Brahe’s contribution to science

His data helped later scientists prove heliocentric theory

Johannes Kepler

Scientist who used Brahe’s data to explain planetary motion

Kepler orbit discovery

Planets move in elliptical (oval-shaped) orbits

Kepler’s three laws

Explain speed, path, and motion of planets around the sun

Isaac Newton

Scientist who explained motion and gravity using mathematics

Newton’s laws of motion

Three laws describing how objects move and react to forces

Newton’s universal gravitation

Law stating all objects attract each other with gravity

Newton’s impact on science

Made science more predictable and based on math

Francis Bacon

Philosopher who promoted the scientific method

Scientific method steps

Observation, hypothesis, experimentation, conclusion

Bacon’s belief

Knowledge should come from experiments and evidence

René Descartes

Philosopher who emphasized reason and logic

Descartes famous quote

“I think, therefore I am”

Descartes math contribution

Developed coordinate plane (analytical geometry)

Descartes belief

Truth comes from reason and logical thinking

Galileo Galilei

Scientist who improved the telescope and supported heliocentrism

Galileo telescope improvement

Increased magnification to observe space more clearly

Galileo discovery about Jupiter

Observed four moons orbiting Jupiter

Galileo’s impact

Provided evidence that supported the sun-centered model

Nicolaus Copernicus

Scientist who proposed the heliocentric model

Heliocentric definition

Sun is at the center of the universe

Copernicus impact

Challenged the Church’s geocentric belief

William Harvey

Doctor who discovered how blood circulates in the body

Harvey’s discovery

Blood is pumped by the heart through the body

Harvey’s importance

Improved understanding of human anatomy and medicine

Andreas Vesalius

Scientist who studied human anatomy through dissection

Vesalius method

Dissected human bodies instead of relying on ancient texts

Vesalius importance

Corrected errors made by earlier medical writers

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Philosopher who believed in popular sovereignty

General will definition

The collective good or best interest of all people

Rousseau government idea

Government should follow the will of the people

Rousseau view of society

Society corrupts naturally good humans

Adam Smith

Economist who supported free-market capitalism

Rational self-interest

People act in ways that benefit themselves economically

Adam Smith economic system

Capitalism with little government interference

Adam Smith book

The Wealth of Nations

Denis Diderot

Editor of the Encyclopedia

Diderot’s Encyclopedia purpose

Spread Enlightenment ideas to the public

Why the Encyclopedia was controversial

Challenged authority of Church and government

Thomas Hobbes

Philosopher with a negative view of human nature

Hobbes view of humans

Naturally selfish, violent, and competitive

Hobbes government idea

Strong absolute monarchy needed to keep order

Hobbes book

Leviathan

John Locke

Philosopher who believed in natural rights

Natural rights definition

Life, liberty, and property

Locke government purpose

Protect the natural rights of citizens

Locke’s idea about a bad government

People have the right to overthrow it

Montesquieu

Philosopher who proposed separation of powers

Three branches of government

Legislative (makes laws), executive (enforces laws), judicial (interprets laws)

Importance of separation of powers

Prevents one branch from becoming too powerful

Voltaire

Enlightenment thinker who supported civil liberties

Voltaire supported freedoms

Freedom of speech and freedom of religion

Voltaire criticism

Spoke out against corruption in the Catholic Church

Maximilien Robespierre

Radical leader of the French Revolution and the Jacobins

Robespierre role

Led the Reign of Terror as part of the Committee of Public Safety

Why Robespierre was feared

Ordered executions of thousands of suspected enemies

Reign of Terror

Period of extreme violence during the French Revolution (1793–1794)

Reign of Terror actions

Around 40,000 people executed by guillotine

Targets of the Terror

Nobles, clergy, and suspected enemies of the revolution

Reason the Terror ended

Robespierre was arrested and executed

Tennis Court Oath

Event where the Third Estate formed the National Assembly

Who made the Tennis Court Oath

Members of the Third Estate

Promise of the oath

To create a new constitution for France

Why they were locked out

King closed their meeting hall

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

Document stating basic rights of citizens (1789)

Rights included in the declaration of right of man

Freedom, equality, and protection of property

Source of political power

Comes from the people, not the king

Importance of the document

Foundation for democracy and human rights

Storming of the Bastille

Attack on a prison in Paris (July 14, 1789)

Reason for the attack

Citizens wanted weapons and gunpowder

Symbol of the Bastille

Represented royal tyranny and oppression

Date of The Storming of Bastille

July 14, 1789

Estates-General

Assembly representing the three estates of France

Three estates

Clergy (1st), nobility (2nd), common people (3rd)

Why was the eastern general called

To solve France’s financial crisis

Importance of the eastern general

Led to formation of the National Assembly and start of revolution

Directory

Government of France made up of five leaders (1795–1799)

Directory weakness

Corrupt, inefficient, and unpopular

How it led to Napoleon

Weakness allowed Napoleon to take power

Napoleon Bonaparte

French military leader who became emperor