AP Euro - Absolutism and Constitutionalism ID Terms

noblesse d’epee (sword nobles)

noblemen of the oldest class of nobility in France dating from the Middle Ages and the early modern period; old nobles

noblesse de robe (robe nobles)

class of hereditary nobles who acquired their rank through holding a high state office; new nobles

Louis XIII

French king who succeeded Henry IV when he was nine years old; reign dominated by the influence by his mother (regent Marie de Medici), Cardinal Richelieu, and wealthy nobles; remembered for establishing the Académie française and ending the revolt of the French nobility

intendants

public officials in Europe who were appointed by the king and oversaw governance in provinces of the kingdom

Louis XIV

France’s “sun king” who had the longest reign in European history, constructed Versailles, believed in the divine right of kings, engaged in many wars, and established absolutism

Cardinal Mazarin

Italian cardinal, diplomat, and politician who served as the Chief Minister to the King of France while Louis XIV was a child king; inspired by Cardinal Richelieu but failed to mirror his success

Fronde

series of revolts by French nobles against the authority of Louis XIV, Cardinal Jules Mazarin, and Anne of Austria triggered by objections to high taxes and increasing royal power

Bishop Jacques Bossuet

French bishop and theologian who was the main advocate of divine right of kings during reign of Louis XIV; believed "divine right" meant king placed on throne by God and therefore owed his authority to no man or group

L’ état c’est moi

absolutist motto of Louis XIV meaning “I am the state”

Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Comptroller-General of Finances under Louis XIV; responsible for developing trade, industry and the merchant navy, modernizing Paris, and backing new advances in the sciences

Marquis of Louvois

minister of the military for Louis XIV following the Treaty of the Pyrenees; introduced more ranks in the armies, got rid of the idea of that you had to be part of a certain family to fight, and heavily recruited mercenaries

War of the Spanish Succession

conflict over the succession to the throne of Spain after the death of Charles II, who had no children and would be the last king of the Habsburg Dynasty to rule Spain; war between France and the rest of Europe over Spain's successor that ended in 1714 with the Treaty of Utrecht in which the Bourbons emerged victorious

Treaties of Utrecht

agreement signed in 1713 that ended the War of the Spanish Succession, redistributing territorial claims and ensuring that Spain and France remained separate entities under Philip V; ended French expansionist policy and the golden age of Spain but vastly expanded the British Empire

Cardinal Fleury

cardinal appointed by Louis XV’s regent who balanced the budget and carried out plans for road and canal construction; pulled away from foreign adventures because commerce and trade expanded so the government promoted growth of industry

Hohenzollerns

German royal family who ruled Brandenburg from 1415 and later extended their control to Prussia

Frederick William, the Great Elector

Hohenzollern leader who inherited the title of elector of Brandenburg; created the best standing army in Europe, introduced permanent taxation, and moved toward absolute monarchy; unified Prussia through diplomacy and war

junkers

members of the landed nobility in Prussia who owned great estates maintained and worked by peasants with few rights

Maria Theresa

Austrian female monarch who set out to reform her nation, primarily through traditional power politics; the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg; won the War of Austrian Succession after defeating Frederick II of Prussia

Pragmatic Sanction

edict issued by Charles VI to ensure that the Habsburg hereditary possessions could be inherited by a daughter, but was contested after Charles' death in 1740, resulting in the War of Austrian Succession

Muscovy

former principality in west-central Russia also known as Moscow

Ivan IV (“The Terrible”)

first Tsar of Russia whose rule is marked by significant territorial expansion, the centralization of power, and the establishment of a more autocratic state, which shaped the belief systems within land-based empires during his time

boyars

Russian noble class; relatively small group that ruled over the day to day operations of the vast expanses of Russia for the Czar

Romanovs

this dynasty favored the nobles, reduced military obligations, expanded the Russian empire further east, and fought several unsuccessful wars, yet they lasted from 1613 to 1917; last imperial dynasty to rule Russia

Duma

legislative assembly in the Russian Empire that was created in response to the 1905 Revolution, primarily to address demands for more representation and political reform

Peter the Great

Russian Tsar known for his extensive reforms that modernized Russia and expanded its territory and whose reign marked a significant transformation in Russian state-building, economic policies, and approaches to governance that reflected the absolute power he wielded; contributed to a shift in governance that would later influence constitutionalism

“Window to the West”

moniker for St. Petersburg that symbolized Peter's commitment to Westernization and served as the new capital of Russia; cultural changes included encouraging Western dress codes for both men and women, as well as promoting education and scientific inquiry

St. Petersburg

capital of the Russian empire for over 200 years established by Peter the Great; showed the westernization and modernization of Russia during Peter's rule and exemplified his absolute power; “modern city” built through forced construction

Battle of Poltava

decisive victory of Peter I the Great of Russia over Charles XII of Sweden in the Great Northern War; ended Sweden's status as a major power and marked the beginning of Russian supremacy in eastern Europe

James I

first Stuart to be king of England and Ireland from 1603 to 1625 and king of Scotland from 1567 to 1625; son of Mary Queen of Scots successor to Elizabeth I; alienated the British Parliament by claiming the divine right of kings; known for uniting the thrones of Scotland and England and for establishing the King James Bible

Charles I

King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1625 until his execution in 1649; reign marked by conflict with Parliament due to his belief in absolute monarchy and divine right, ultimately leading to the English Civil War; made significant contributions to art and architecture in Britain and founded overseas colonies of Carolina and Maryland

ship money

medieval tax for coastal cities for their defense by nation; Charles I took this tax and applied in inland as well, which got him around the need to convene Parliament

Petition of Right

document prepared by Parliament and signed by King Charles I of England in 1628; challenged the idea of the divine right of kings and declared that even the monarch was subject to the laws of the land

Triennial Act

ensured that Parliament met at least every three years and enacted various laws aimed at restricting royal authority, including reforms that diminished the king's power over taxation and military matters.

writ of habeas corpus

court order which requires that individuals who have been arrested or detained be physically brought before the court to determine whether they are being held on legal grounds; helped protect people from being arbitrarily arrested and/or unnecessarily held in custody for excessive periods

Long Parliament

period of the English Parliament that lasted from 1640 to 1660, during which significant political conflicts between the monarchy and Parliament unfolded, leading to the English Civil War and the eventual establishment of a constitutional monarchy

New Model Army

disciplined fighting force of Protestants established by Parliament and led by Oliver Cromwell in the English Civil War; aimed at defeating the royalist forces loyal to King Charles I; characterized by strict discipline, merit-based promotions, and effective organization; marked a significant turning point in the war, leading to pivotal victories that shaped the future of England

Pride’s Purge

event that took place in December 1648, during the Second English Civil War, when troops under the command of Colonel Thomas Pride forcibly removed from the Long Parliament all those who were not supporters of the Grandees in the New Model Army and the Independents

“Rump” Parliament

Cromwell-controlled Parliament that proclaimed England a republic and abolished the House of Lords and the monarchy after Charles I was killed

Act of Settlement

law by Parliament stating that should William III die heirless, Mary's Protestant sister, Anne, would take the throne, thereby protecting Protestant rule in England

Interregnum

period of time between the reigns of Charles I and Charles II in England, specifically from 1649 to 1660, when England was governed as a republic following the English Civil War; “between the kings” period characterized by political turmoil, the establishment of the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell, and significant changes in governance and society, ultimately leading to the restoration of the monarchy

Test Act

English law that excluded Catholics from public office and led to the creation of the first political parties (Whigs and Tories); took away any chance of becoming influential or powerful from people who did not receive the sacrament

Whigs

English political party led by Walpole; opposition members of Parliament who tried to exclude James from succession to the throne; supported constitutional monarchism, opposed absolute rule, and contested for power against the Tories

Tories

traditionalist and conservationist English political party that supported royal authority and were opposed to Parliament

James II

the last Catholic Stuart king to rule both England and Scotland; overthrown by his son-in-law William of Orange

English Bill of Rights

drawn up by Parliament and presented to King William II and Queen Mary, it listed certain rights of the British people, limited the king's powers in taxing, and prohibited the maintenance of a standing army in peacetime

Robert Walpole

first Prime Minister of England whose election led to the rise of the House of Commons

South Sea Bubble

speculation mania that ruined centered around the South Sea Company and ruined British investors in 1720; Walpole made Parliament give investors their money back, creating trust for the English economy; the South Sea company assumed national debt following the War of Spanish Concession and went bankrupt

William Pitt

Prime Minister of England during the French and Indian War; increased the British troops and military supplies in the colonies, which is why England won the war