1-10 Cards Early Modern Europe: Absolutism, Witch Hunts, and the Thirty Years' War

Vocabulary flashcards covering 17th-century European political theory, judicial witch trials, and the key developments of the Thirty Years' War.

Absolutism

Ultimate sovereign authority rests with the monarch; actual enforcement still depends on elites, institutions, and resources.

Divine right / Bossuet

Kings receive authority from God and answer to God; this is a justification for royal power.

Factors behind widespread witch hunts

Religious fears, war and economic insecurity, local social tensions, and gender prejudice overlapped.

Gaudry's confession

Unreliable proof of witchcraft because torture and threats coerced testimony; serves as evidence of judicial methods and beliefs.

Thirty Years' War: dates and trigger

1618-1648; the Bohemian revolt and Defenestration of Prague ignited wider tensions.

Failure of Augsburg settlement

It excluded Calvinism; Catholic-Lutheran rivalry and imperial-princely conflict also persisted.

Four war phases (in order)

Bohemian -> Danish -> Swedish -> Franco-Swedish.

Gustavus Adolphus

Swedish king associated with disciplined forces and tactical innovations; intervened in 1630 and died at Lutzen in 1632.

French opposition to Catholic Habsburgs

French security and dynastic rivalry outweighed shared religion.

Westphalia: religious consequence

Calvinism received recognition in the imperial religious settlement.

Westphalia: political consequence

German states gained extensive autonomy and foreign policy powers; imperial authority weakened.

Military change -> state building

Costlier armies demanded taxes and bureaucracies, expanding central institutions while provoking resistance.

Intendants

Royal agents who carried central government orders into French provinces.

Parlements versus Parliament

French parlements were law courts; English Parliament was a representative lawmaking and taxing institution.

Richelieu versus Louis on Huguenots

Richelieu removed political/military privileges while retaining religious rights; Louis revoked Nantes in 1685.

The Fronde

Failed French rebellions in 1648-1653 against taxation and growing royal power; disorder strengthened the appeal of monarchy.

Louis XIV: reign versus personal rule

Reigned 1643-1715; began personal government in 1661.

Versailles: political function

Court ceremony, patronage, and access made high nobles compete for royal favor and helped control central politics.

Colbert / mercantilism

State-supported manufacturing, tariffs, shipping, and infrastructure aimed to enrich France and strengthen the crown.

Fontainebleau, 1685

Revoked the Edict of Nantes, closed Protestant institutions, and prompted Huguenot flight.

Limits on Louis XIV

Local privilege, powerful nobles and officials, tax exemptions, uneven enforcement, and war costs.

Great Elector / General War Commissariat

Frederick William of Brandenburg-Prussia used army finance and administration to strengthen central rule.

Junker bargain

Prussian nobles supported central rule in exchange for privileges, offices, and greater power over peasants.

Why was Austrian centralization difficult?

The Habsburg monarchy included distinct territories, laws, and regional elites requiring negotiation.

Boyars

Russian nobles; tsars sought to curb their independent power while using elite service.

Peter's main goal

Make Russia a great military power by adopting Western technical, administrative, and military methods.

Table of Ranks / procurator

Ranks tied advancement to state service; the procurator supervised the Holy Synod on the tsar's behalf.

Poltava / Saint Petersburg

Victory in 1709 weakened Sweden; the Baltic capital symbolized Peter's opening toward Europe.