AP Euro Themes

Global Trade Impact pre-1815

Explorers established global trade affecting prosperity, consumption, commerce, and national rivalries.

Colonization of the Americas pre-1815

Europeans colonized the Americas and imposed their social institutions.

Race Theory and Slavery pre-1815

Race theory justified slavery, while abolitionists objected on humanitarian and religious grounds.

Industrialization and Nationalism post-1815

Industrialization and nationalism expanded control in Asia and Africa beyond the periphery.

Enlightenment Influence post-1815

Enlightenment beliefs influenced opposition to Europe's global domination and promoted citizenship, popular sovereignty, equality, and liberty.

Capitalism and Socialism post-1815

Market demands led to mechanized production under capitalism, while injustices led to socialist arguments for state ownership and planning.

Scientific Advancements post-1815

New scientific discoveries challenged ordered reason and objective truth, leading to ideologies and subjective interpretations of reality.

State Power pre-1815

Unified Christendom shattered, leading to the rise of secular power and absolutism in monarchies.

State Power post-1815

Political revolutions and industrialization shifted power from monarchies to parliaments, leading to the development of international organizations like the League of Nations.

Social Changes since 1815

The Industrial Revolution divided classes by wealth, leading to the emergence of mass society defined by consumerism, literacy, and leisure.

Lorenzo Valla

Exposed the Donation of Constantine as a fraudulent document and restored classical Latin prose.

Leonardo da Vinci

A Renaissance polymath known for his art (Mona Lisa, Last Supper), engineering, science, and inventions.

Cosimo Medici

Utilized banking wealth to control Florence, establishing a dynasty and patronizing the arts.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Advised rulers to prioritize power over traditional Christian ethics in "The Prince" (1513).

Filipo Brunelleschi

Applied techniques from the Pantheon to construct the dome of Florence Cathedral.

Michelangelo

Renowned for sculptures like Pietà, David, paintings in the Sistine Chapel, and designing St. Peter's Basilica's dome.

Raphael

Known for painting Vatican frescoes, including the famous "School of Athens."

Johannes Gutenberg

Inventor of the printing press using movable type, which revolutionized book production.

William Shakespeare

English playwright famous for works like "Hamlet," "Macbeth," and "Romeo & Juliet."

Galileo Galilei

Improved the telescope, confirmed the heliocentric theory, and faced persecution for his scientific views.

Prince-electors

Seven bishops and rulers who elected the emperor, including Mainz, Trier, Cologne, Bohemia, Palatine, Saxony, and Brandenburg.

Italian Wars

Also known as the Habsburg - Valois Wars (1494-1559), involving invasions by French Valois kings and alliances with Italian city-states.

Sack of Rome

Occurred in 1527 by unpaid Catholic Spanish and Protestant Swiss/German Hapsburg mercenaries, ending the High Renaissance.

Diplomacy

Emerged in Renaissance Italy, involving ambassadors, embassies, and international relations between countries.

Ottoman Expansion

Ottoman Empire's expansion under Mehmed II and Suleiman the Magnificent, including conquests in the Mediterranean, Hungary, and North Africa.

Tsardom of Russia

Ivan III and Ivan IV's reign, including the expansion of Muscovy, establishment of the centralized state, and conflicts with the Ottomans.

Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania

Formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, characterized by religious toleration and limited monarchical power.

Secular State

Emergence of the secular state, with Machiavelli's political philosophy, Bodin's divine right theory, and Grotius's natural law principles.

Military Revolution

Evolution of warfare from the Hundred Years' War to the Thirty Years' War, including the use of infantry, artillery, and standing armies.

Spanish Habsburgs

Reign of Charles V, Philip II, and Charles II, involving Spanish conquests, religious conflicts, and the decline of the Habsburg dynasty.

Spanish Golden Age

Cultural achievements in Spain during the reigns of Philip II, including art, literature, and the Counter-Reformation.

Dutch Golden Age

Prosperity in the Netherlands, dominated by trade, finance, art, and scientific advancements.

Elizabethan England

Reign of Queen Elizabeth I, marked by religious settlement, conflicts with Spain, and cultural achievements.

English Civil War

Causes, conflicts, and consequences of the civil war between Charles I and Parliament, leading to the establishment of the Commonwealth.

French Absolutism

Development of French absolutism under Louis XIII and Louis XIV, centralizing power and patronizing the arts.

Swedish Golden Age

Rise and decline of Sweden as a Great Power under Gustavus Adolphus, Christina I, and Charles XII, including the Great Northern War.

Fronde

French parlements, nobility, and bourgeoisie revolted against high taxes and monarchical infringement during the Thirty Years' War, seeking to limit the king's power.

Catalan Revolt

Aragonese province of Catalonia resisted Spanish imperial wars, leading to a peasant revolt and the declaration of the Catalan Republic under French protection in 1641.

Peace of Westphalia

Ended the Thirty Years' War and Dutch Revolt, establishing principles of sovereign states, international law, and religious pluralism, extending the Peace of Augsburg and recognizing the independence of the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Indulgences

Church grants for absolution of sins and shortening of time in Purgatory, famously sold by Johann Tetzel, authorized by Pope Leo X, and criticized by Martin Luther.

Christian Humanism

Merged Christian ethics with humanist principles, emphasizing individual worth, dignity, and materialism, seen in the works of Erasmus and Thomas More.

Lutheranism

Martin Luther's theology opposing indulgences, emphasizing salvation by faith alone, and advocating for clerical marriage, leading to his excommunication and the spread of Lutheranism in northern Germany and Scandinavia.

Calvinism

John Calvin's reform movement emphasizing predestination, simplicity, and a strong work ethic, spreading to France, the Netherlands, Scotland, and England.

Anglicanism

Henry VIII's separation of the Anglican Church from Rome, supported by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, leading to the English Religious Settlement under Elizabeth I.

Anabaptists

Radical Reformers practicing adult baptism, separation of church and state, and pacifism, with various groups like the Hutterites, Mennonites, and Amish facing persecution and emigrating to North America.

Catholic (Counter-) Reformation

Efforts by the Catholic Church to address corruption, indulgences, and clerical misconduct through the Council of Trent, Roman Inquisition, and the establishment of religious orders like the Jesuits and Ursulines.

Defenestration of Prague

Bohemian Protestants ejected Catholic Hapsburg imperial ministers out a third-story window in 1618.

Battle of White Mountain

Catholic League, Hapsburg imperial, and Spanish forces crushed Bohemian Protestants in 1620.

Gustavus Adolphus

Lutheran military genius of Sweden who intervened in the 30 Years' War.

Peace of Westphalia

Ended most fighting in 1648, marking the conclusion of the 30 Years' War.

Wars of the 3 Kingdoms

Interconnected wars between England, Ireland, and Scotland, including the English Civil War.

Warsaw Confederation Act

Granted religious tolerance in multiethnic Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania in 1573.

Teutonic Knights

Spread Christianity through the Northern Crusades against Baltic Pagans from 1229-1413.

Age of Exploration

Increased contact between distant civilizations and led to the building of global empires.

Columbian Exchange

Spread between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres due to the Age of Exploration.

Spanish Colonial Society

Social structure in the Spanish Empire with viceroys, encomiendas, and a hierarchical system.

East India Company

Chartered by Elizabeth I in 1600, it established trading posts in Java, Sumatra, and India, competing with other European powers for trade.

Triangular Trade

A system between Europe, Africa, and the Americas involving the exchange of goods, slaves, and resources.

Dutch East India Company

Formed in 1602, it was the first multinational corporation, monopolizing the spice trade and having extensive powers in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of animals, plants, diseases, and ideas between the Old World and the New World after Columbus's voyages.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

The transportation of millions of African slaves to the Americas from the 1500s to the 1800s, impacting labor and economies.

Merchant Banks

Originating with medieval Italian grain merchants, they provided credit, insurance, and financial services, evolving into modern banking systems.

Hanseatic League

An alliance dominating trade in Northern Europe from the 1400s to the 1700s, influencing politics and economics in the region.

Bourgeoisie

Emerging in the 1000s, this middle-class group of merchants and artisans played a significant role in challenging feudal systems and supporting new monarchies.

Enclosure Acts

Policies in England consolidating small landholdings into larger farms, leading to the commercialization of agriculture and social upheaval.

Serfdom

A labor system in medieval Europe where serfs worked on noble lands, with its decline in Western Europe contrasting with its growth in Eastern Europe.

Vagabond Acts

Laws in 1495 and 1531 allowing arrest, whipping, and enslavement of the homeless.

Poor Laws

Regulations in 1597 and 1601 sending those unable to work to poorhouses, able-bodied to Houses of Industry, and vagrants to House of Correction for hard labor.

La Querelle des Femmes

Feminist literary debate over women's rights, marriage, and roles in politics and religion.

Christine de Pizan

Italian humanist challenging women's social limitations in the Renaissance.

Martin Luther

Protestant leader considering marriage women's proper role, praising marital sex, but insisting on female social subordination.

Folklore

Influence of Classical, Germanic, Celtic, and Slavic traditions on regional folklore.

Saints' Days Festivals

Celebrations of Jesus, Mary, and saints, continued by Lutherans and Anglicans but not by Calvinists.

Blood Sports

Popular sports like bull-baiting, bear-baiting, dog-fighting, and cock-fighting.

Prostitution

Found near military garrisons, universities, and public baths with regulated dress, health checks, and activities.

Witchcraft

Belief in sorcery, with witch hunts peaking during the Wars of Religion and ending with the embrace of science.

Absolutism

Political theory where kings exercise unrestricted power over the state and its people.

Louis XIV

French monarch who consolidated power, promoted mercantilism, and sought religious uniformity.

Peter the Great

Russian tsar who modernized the country through reforms and wars.

Hohenzollern Dynasty

Ruling family of Brandenburg-Prussia, known for turning Prussia into a military state.

Austrian Hapsburgs

Ruling family that gained territory and faced challenges like the Thirty Years' War and Ottoman conflicts.

Enlightened Absolutism

Monarchs adopting rational reforms to enhance state power and military strength.

Frederick the Great

Prussian king who modernized bureaucracy, encouraged industry, and supported the arts.

Catherine the Great

Russian empress who expanded Russia's territory and implemented reforms.

Enlightened Absolutism

Maria Theresa of Austria:Maria Theresa implemented reforms such as taxing nobles, creating a standing army, and promoting commerce and agriculture to improve peasants' lives. She championed inoculation against smallpox and mandated autopsies to reduce infant mortality.

Pugachev's Rebellion

Pugachev's Rebellion aimed to end serfdom but was suppressed. It led to increased authority of Russian nobles over serfs, allowing them to punish serfs but not kill them.

Constitutionalism

Glorious Revolution:The Glorious Revolution in England saw William III and Mary II signing the English Bill of Rights, ensuring Protestant rule and establishing a constitutional monarchy sharing power with Parliament.

Colonial Rivalry in India

During the Carnatic Wars, French and British forces vied for power in India. Robert Clive's victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757 laid the foundation for British dominance in India.

French Revolution

Outbreak:The French Revolution began with the convening of the Estates-General in 1789 to address the financial crisis. The Third Estate formed the National Constituent Assembly, leading to the storming of the Bastille and the Tennis Court Oath.

Dutch Republic (1648 - 1678)

The Dutch Republic faced challenges during the Anglo-Dutch Wars and Franco-Dutch War, leading to the end of the Dutch Golden Age. The "Year of Disaster" in 1672 saw Dutch leaders lynched, and William of Orange appointed as the new stadtholder.

French Revolution

Reign of Terror

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Napoleonic Code

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Haitian Revolution

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Cottage Industry