Modern History Unit 1

Empire

A large political unit or state, consisting of multiple territories governed by a single authority.

Nationalism

Pride in belonging to one’s country

Autocracy

A system of government in which one person (an autocrat) holds absolute power and is not limited by the law.

Monarchy

A political system in which supreme authority is vested in the monarch, an individual ruler who functions as head of state.

Imperialism

A policy to increase a nation’s influence by expanding beyond its own territories and acquiring/creating an overseas empire.

Colonialism

The policy of acquiring control over another country, occupying it with settlers and exploiting it economically.

Commonwealth

an association of self-governing autonomous states more or less loosely associated in a common allegiance (Great Britain)

Nation state

A sovereign state with a largely homogenous population.

Self-determination

A people's right to form its own political entity, and to representative government with full suffrage.

Uprising

An act of opposition, sometimes using violence, by many people in one area of a country against those who are in power

Revolution

A rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures.