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boyars
russian nobility
SIGNIFICANT as they originally helped muscovite princes consolidate power over other principalities post-mongols/under ivan iii
role of orthodox church in russia
used to legitimize moscow’s autonomy
religious successor from byzantine empire as guardians of orthodox christianity
SIGNIFICANT as it consolidated power under tsar
power was seen as coming from god
allowed tsars to be much more absolutist much faster
ivan iv (the terrible)
declared himself tsar of all russia
first to use “tsar“ title
persecuted those he thought were opposing him
quelled boyar power
created new power system made up of thousands of men → rewarded them with land for loyalty
tied serfs to land even more and bound urban residents to their cities
SIGNIFICANT as his restrictions checked growth of middle class and put russia behind compared to europe proper
SIGNIFICANT as he ended mongol power in russia and set up its beginnings as a multiethnic empire
cossacks
peasants/serfs who survived the persecution and fled to the east and south to escape landlords who raised prices
term for free warrior groups
SIGNIFICANT as the fleeing of serfs led to decline in russian growth, esp in middle class
russian territorial expansions
conquered muslim khanates of kazan and astrakhan
gained fertile volga river region
not as good as expanding west
tried to secure livonia → wanted warm water port in baltic sea
led to war with sweden and lithuania
cossacks helped conquer siberia
didn’t initially impose orthodoxy b/c it was so far
usually just bought loyalty of local elites with land
SIGNIFICANT as it led to increased multiethnicity, consolidated power under tsar, and increased resources and territory
time of troubles
breakdown of dynastic succession following death of ivan iv + famine = chaos and death of 1/3 of populations
civil war, cossack uprising, and various contenders for throne
SIGNIFICANT as it allowed for polish-lithuanian armies to occupy moscow
threats made nobles pull it together and elect Michael Romanov as tsar (ivan’s grandnephew)
presented as an act of god to ensure the religious legitimancy
SIGNIFICANT as it led to Romanov tsardom
increased territorial expansion and state building
land west of ukraine and to siberia
got down to sea of okhotsk and was checked by Qing dynasty
strict control of trade and admin through extending serfdom and landlord’s powers
crushed rebellions with ease
peter the great
SIGNIFICANT as he successfully created the russian fiscal military state
used ivan’s service obligations and territorial expansion
extended russia to the black sea and baltic sea (warm water ports!)
westernized russia → tech, urban planning, shaving beards, western clothes, and co-mingling/love marriages -? new class of westernized nobles
fought great northern war
founded academies of sciences to produce technicians for war
increased commoner’s service reqs → standing army, construction labor, factories
SIGNIFICANT as he made russiaa the dominant baltic power and a great european power
reforms were unpopular
nobles hated unigeniture -? land can only be inherited by one son, not split or given to daughters
serfdom increased
westernization
followed peter’s 1697 tour of western capitals and the great northern war
part of russian modernization
tech, urban planning, shaving beards, western clothes, and co-mingling/love marriages
new class of westernized nobility
SIGNIFICANT as it brought russia closer to europe → led way for enlightenment under catherine the great
great northern war
russia allied with denmark and polish-lithuanian commonwealt against sweden
FOR ACCESS TO THE BALTIC SEA
sweden under charles xii quickly defeated denmark and stopped russian siege of the swedish fort of narva
sweden had a very well trained, professional army
led to educational, military, and service reforms, aas well as taxes in russia
1709 → russia beat sweden in poltava'
1721 → russia beat sweden and gained control of estonia and latvia
SIGNIFICANT as russia became dominant baltic power and a european great power
st. petersburg
SIGNIFICANT as it was a giant wealth tax on rich and nobility
peter the great ordered construction of huge western-style capital overlooking the baltic
peasants were ordered to build it
25000 to 40000 each summer
many died from hunger, sickness, and accidents
nobles were forced to populate it by building expensive palaces there
merchants and artisans were required to settle there too
table of ranks
classification of russian military, naval, and civil services into 14 grades
based on promotion system and ability instead of birth statya
introduced by peter the great during great northern war
SIGNIFICANT as it made govt and army stronger
SIGNIFICANT as it increased social mobility
sultan
ruler of ottoman empire
owned all agricultural land and was served by the bureaucracy
cultural and religious patrons and leaders
devshirme
enslaved christian boys from balkan regions of ottoman empire
practice was initiated as muslim law forbids from enslaving other muslims
trained as soldiers and administrators
top ranks became part of bureaucracy, got wealth and power
lower ranks became janissaries
SIGNIFICANT as they provided a significant military advantage against western europeans
janissary corps
lower ranks from devshirme who became soldiers in sultan’s army
SIGNIFICANT as they provided a significant military advantage against western europeans
became so prestigious in first half of the 1600s that it became a volunteer army for both christians and muslims
millet system
SIGNIFICANT as it created a bond between the ottoman ruling class and religious leaders by giving relative autonomy to religious minorities in exchange for loyalty and administrative duties
division of religious communities → each one is a millet
got some religious and social autonomy
each collected taxes for the state, maintained courts/schools/houses of worships/hospitals, and regulated behaviors
suleiman i (the magnificent)
Broke ottoman rules of only having one heir with concubines to reduce royal infighting → married and had several children with his wife
SIGNIFICANT as this decision set a precedent for imperial women to have more power → increased imperial household
SIGNIFICANT as this decentralized power → imperial to even more bureaucratic
hurrem
enslaved concubine from Polish-lithuanian commonwealth who rose to power after marrying suleiman I
unprecedented marriage defying role of concubine
had several children
very influential over sultan and over politics/diplomacy
sent letters and gifts to foreign leaders
write letters to suleiman discussing politics
sultanate of women
had many public works → mosque, schools, hospitals, fountains, baths, and soup kitchens
SIGNIFICANT due to political influence, defiance of tradition, and beginning of decentralization due to her children
ottoman crisis late 16th/early 17th century
inexperienced sultans who faced revolts
economic issues → loss of overland trade = inflation and shrinking population
failed to adopt new military technology
SIGNIFICANT as it led to their power in europe/military strength weakening and the start of their decline
siege of vienna
conflict between ottomans and HRE emperor Leopold I
ottoman defeat due to help from poland
SIGNIFICANT as it marked the beginning of the end of ottoman strength in eastern europe
constitutionalism
limitation of government by law
SIGNIFICANT as it ensures balance between govt power and rights of the people
SIGNIFICANT as it was an alternate to absolutism → england and polish=lithuanian commonwealth
republicanism
form of govt with no monarch
power is in people through elected representatives
SIGNIFICANT as it was an alternate form of govt → dutch republic experienced a golden age
constitutional monarchy
monarchy has legal limitations
used in england and polish-lithuanian commonwealth
SIGNIFICANT as it led to rights of people being protected and checked royal authority
polish-lithuanian commonwealth
kingdom of poland and grand duchy of lithuania → two separate kingdoms ruled by one monarchy due to marriage
formally joined by union of lublin in 1569
placed constitutional limits on monarchy
monarchy was elected instead of hereditary
majority catholic state that became more diverse due to compact of warsaw
fell under russian influence due to declining political stability
SIGNIFICANT as it was one of the earliest constitutional monarchies in europe
sejm
noble-dominated parliament decreeed by union of lublin
senate appointed by king and an elected chamber of deputies
SIGNIFICANT as they elected the king
compact of warsaw
decree of religious freedom to ALL non-catholics to appease religious minorities over the election of a uber-catholic/protestant-massacring king
led to increased jewish, muslim, protestant, and orthodox populations
largest jewish population of the time → 10% of population
SIGNIFICANT as it made the commonwelath the most ethnically and religiously diverse state in europe
james i
scottish successor to elizabeth I
son of mary, queen of scots
super into divine right of kings
told house of commons that there;s nothing that can stand against the divinely-appointed king
SIGNIFICANT for his absolutism
charles i
james i’s son
exacerbated religious issues by marrying a french catholic princess & supporting the archbishop of canterbury, william laud
also absolutist, refused to call parliament for 11 years
financed govt through egregious temporary taxes
faced rebellion from scottish calvinsists and ireland
forced to summon parliament to get an army,
they did not raise an army, just impeached his fav bishop and said he needed to call them every 3 years
fought his parliament with his own, non-parliament army
got beheaded for high treason
SIGNIFICANT as he showed england and europe that not even the king was above laws like he has proclaimed → killed for treason/breaking the law
puritans
people who wanted to purify the anglican church of catholic elements
SIGNIFICANT as they hated fun and imposed that in their govts (cromwell)
rebellions in scotland & ireland
scottish calvinists rebelled against charles i’s more catholic religious practices
catholic gentry of ireland rebelled due to england exploitation/landlords and a fear of anti-catholic invasion
charles i had no army and could deal with neither, so he fought a civil war with parliament instead
gentry
middle class people → under nobility but above peasantry
english civil war
power of king charles i against parliament, led by oliver cromwell
three years of fighting, ended in 1645 with the battles of naseby and langport
cromwell’s forces capture charles, and he is executed for high treason
SIGNIFICANT as it ended monarchy for a bit in exchange for republicanism and dictatorship
SIGNIFICANT as it emphasized power of parliament over monarchy
oliver cromwell
devout puritan, part of the house of commons, led parliament’s new model army against charles i
head of the protectorate/military dictator of england
state forbade sports, theatre, and censored press
allowed religious toleration for all but catholics
welcomed jews back into england for financial and trade experience
reconquered ireland
very brutal → massacre at drogheda garrison
banned catholicism, executed priests, and confiscated land for settlers
adopted mercantilism
small war with dutch over trade with colonies
good for commerce
SIGNIFICANT for vital role in civil war and leadership of the protectorate
petition of right
english constitutional document outlining individual protections
similar to american bill of rights
SIGNIFICANT for its attempt to safeguard and outline individual rights
SIGNIFICANT as it took more power away from monarchy
thomas hobbes
english philosopher who said that all humans are inherently bad/desire power and wealth, and when left ungoverned, would do anything to get it
proposed the social contract where everyone placed themselves under a sovereign to maintain order and peace
society cannot rebel against the king
SIGNIFICANT for his ideas about human nature and defense of wide-ranging power of government
founder of modern political philosophy
protectorate
name of cromwell’s commonwealth/republican govt
theoretically, power was with the parliament → but it was controlled by military, who were controlled by cromwell
military dictatorship
lots of censorship and puritan values in govt
collapsed after cromwell’s death
charles ii
eldest son of charles i, restored to monarchy after the collapse of the protectorate
entered a secret treaty with louis xiv
charles needed more income than what parliament gave him → louis gave him money in exchange for the re-catholicism of england
led to spread of anti-catholic sentiment
test act
act denying those outside of the anglican church from holding public positions or gathering
later broken by james ii
james ii
catholic brother of charles ii
went against test act and appointed catholics to public positions
opposed by many in parliament and church of england → led to his replacement by william and mary
SIGNIFICANT as he worsened religious tensions
SIGNIFICANT the end of his rule meant a decrease in powers of the crown and into a more constitutional monarhcy
glorious revolution
replacement of james ii on the throne with his daughter,, mary, and her husband, william of orange
enacted due to fears around james’ re-catholicization of england
considered peaceful transfer of power, but actually started many riots in the colonies and in scotland and ireland
SIGNIFICANT as it permanently established parliament as the head power in england, as well as solidified constitutional monarchy in england
william and mary
protestant royals (daughter of english james ii and son of the dutch house of orange) who took over the english throne at parliaments behest
accepted bill of rights
SIGNIFICANT as this decreased power of monarchy/made it permanently constitutional
bill of rights
informal constitution holding rights and rules in response to the stuart dynasty’s absolutism
SIGNIFICANT as it established power of parliament, laws for different religions → protestants can bear arms but catholics can’t
john locke
political philosopher who said that the government’s primary function was ensuring the natural rights of its subjects → life, liberty, and property
if the govt was bad, he advocated for rebellion
SIGNIFICANT for his later influence on enlightenment thinkers
staadholder
executive officer of each province who carried our ceremonial functions and military defense when needed
usually a member of the house of orange
suspected by other houses of monarchial ambitions
SIGNIFICANT as it was an early example of a republic in europe
economic prosperity in dutch netherlands
dominated shipping by pouring money from fishing into shipbuilding
low shipping rates and lots of ships = win out over foreign comp
brought the highest standard of life to the dutch republic
had very few food riots
SIGNIFICANT as it propped up their political stability and ensured comfort in the lives of their citizens
religious toleration in dutch netherlands
relatively accepted jews into both business and general culture
pretty chill with catholics and accepted huguenots
SIGNIFICANT as it helps increase their foreign investment and brought in skilled workers