Enlightenment, French Revolution, and Napoleon Vocab

Enlightenment

18 century European movement where thinkers attempted to apply the principles of reason & Science to all aspects of society.

Leviathan

Sea monster in the bible/very large & powerful.

Social contract

Agreement by which people define, & limit their individual rights thus creating an organized society or government.

Natural rights

Fundamental, universal rights, & freedoms individuals possess - cannot be taken away.

Two Treatises on Government

1684 work by John Locke that argues government founded on consent of the governed & natural rights, rather than divine rights of Kings.

Philosophes

Intellectuals of the Enlightenment who applied reason & science to philosophy, politics, & social issues.

Separation of powers

Dividing government power among different branches to prevent tyranny.

On the Spirit of Laws

Montesquieu's work (1748) advocating for these separation of powers to ensure political liberty, based on the general will of the people.

The Social Contract

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's work (1762) arguing that government should be based on the collective agreement of the people.

A Vindication of the Rights of Women

Mary Wollstonecraft's work (1792) crying for women's education & equality.

Candide

Voltaire's satirical novella (1759) criticizing societal institutions & philosophies.

Salons

Social gatherings in private homes where intellectuals, artists, & writers discussed ideas during the Enlightenment.

Encyclopedia

A comprehensive collection of knowledge, compiled by Denis Diderot & others to promote Enlightenment ideas.

Baroque

An ornate & extravagant artistic style popular in the 17th & 18th centuries.

Neoclassical

Artistic style that emulated Greek/Roman Art, emphasizing balance & order.

Enlightened despots

Absolute rulers who embraced some Enlightenment ideas & reforms without giving up power.

Old Regime

The political & social system in France by the French Revolution, characterized by absolute monarchy & feudal privileges.

Estates

3 social classes in revolutionary France: Clergy (1E), Nobility (2E), Commoners (3E).

Louis XVI

King of France during the French Revolution, known for weak leadership & execution.

Marie Antoinette

Queen of France during the French Revolution, noted for extravagance & unpopularity.

Estates General

Representative assembly of the 3 estates in pre-revolutionary France.

National Assembly

Assembly formed by representatives of the 3 Estates during the Revolution to draft a new constitution.

Tennis Court Oath

Event in the French Revolution where National Assembly members swore to continue meeting until a new constitution was written.

Bastille

A fortress in Paris used as a prison; July 14, 1789, marked the start of the French Revolution.

Great Fear

Panic by peasants in the French countryside in 1784 due to aristocratic rumors.

Declaration of the Rights of Man

Document of the French Revolution that proclaimed the rights of liberty, property, security & resistance to oppression.

Legislative Assembly

The legislative body formed during the early stages of the French Revolution.

Emigres

French aristocrats who fled France during the revolution.

Sans-culottes

Common people of the lower classes in late 18th century France, many became radical & militant portions of the French Revolution.

Guillotine

Device used for executions by beheading.

Maximillian Robespierre

A lawyer & politician, best known figure from the French Revolution.

Committee of Public Safety

A committee established in the French Revolution to protect the newly established republic against foreign attacks & internal rebellion.

Reign of Terror

Period of violence in the French Revolution marked by conflict between the Girondins & the Jacobins and characterized by mass executions of 'enemies of the revolution'.

Coup d'état

Sudden decisive overthrow of a government by a small group of people.

Plebiscite

Direct vote of qualified voters of a state in regard to important question

Lycees

State funded secondary schools established by Napoleon

Concordat

An agreement between Napoleon & pope restoring Catholic Church in France

Napoleonic Code

The French civil code established under Napoleon in 1804

Battle of Trafalgar

Naval engagement fought by British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of France and Spain during the war of the 3rd Coalition

Blockade Act

Act of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving

Continental System

Foreign policy of Napoleon I of France in struggle against Great Britain during Napoleonic Wars

Guerrillas

Small group of combatants who use special tactics, such as sabotage or ambushes, to fight a less mobile enemy

Peninsular War

Military conflict fought by Spain, Portugal, and the UK against France's invading forces

Scorched-earth policy

Military strategy of burning buildings, crops, or other resources that is used to hinder the enemy

Waterloo

The battle in which Napoleon was defeated

Congress of Vienna

Conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Austrian statesman Klemens von Metternich & held in Vienna from Sept 1814-Jun 1815

Legitimacy

The principle of restoring the legitimate monarchs to their thrones

Klemens Von Metternich

An Austrian statesman & diplomat who was at the center of European affairs for 3 decades

Louis XVIII

King of France from 1814 to 1824