History Lecture: Enlightenment to Cold War

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from world history, including forms of government, major revolutions, the World Wars, and the Cold War.

Monarchy

government with a hereditary ruler (passed down from family)

Absolute Monarchy

ruler has total power with very little restraints

Constitutional Monarchy

rules within the limits of a written or unwritten constitution; sometimes a leader serves as a figurehead

Oligarchy

government in which a small group of rich and powerful people rule

Dictatorship

form of government in which one person has complete and total control

Democracy

system of government in which supreme power reset with the people

Direct Democracy

people participate directly in decision making

Representative Democracy

decisions are made by officials who are selected by voters

Theocracy

a system of government in which religious leaders rule in the name of god

Divine Right

idea that the ruler got the right to rule directly from god (Mandate of Heaven)

Enlightenment

an intellectual movement that started in Europe, focused on reason, individualism, and new ways of thinking

Laws of Nature

looking at the world through reason and science instead of basing everything on religion

Pessimist

a person who tends to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen; believes that the world is as bad as it can be

Natural Rights

rights that everyone is born with: life, liberty, and property

Separation of Powers

idea that makes sure that no branch of government has too much power

Checks and Balances

a system that allows different branches of government to hold each other accountable to avoid one branch from becoming too powerful

Legislative

branch of government that creates laws (congress)

Executive

branch of government that implements, supports, and enforces laws (presidents)

Judicial

branch of government that interprets the laws and administers justice (supreme court)

Social Contract

an agreement between the people and the government that should be beneficial for both

General Will

best interest of society as a whole

Scientific Revolution

movement that marked the beginning of modern science and technology

Geocentric Theory

belief that Earth was the center of the universe and everything resolved around it

Heliocentric Theory

idea that the Sun (not the Earth) is the center of the universe and everything revolves around it

Heresy

belief or opinion that goes against the church

Scientific Method

process of experimentation, observation, and analysis to confirm a belief

Revolution

an overthrow of ideas in favor of something new (usually related to government, but doesn't have to be)

"No Taxation Without Representation."

phrase coined by the colonists who complained about being taxed without any say or rights

Boston Massacre

a riot in Boston in which colonists protesting were shot by British soldiers

Boston Tea Party

colonists dumped British tea into the harbor to oppose unfair taxation

American Revolution

the colonists fight for independence against Great Britain

Three Estates

three groups of people in France that each had one vote: clergy (church), nobility, and commoners

Bourgeoisie

middle class in France, the richest part of the Third Estate

National Assembly

a revolutionary group formed by the representatives of the Third Estate

French Revolution

an uprising against the French monarchy by the lower class

Constitution

a written document that outlines rules and regulations for the government and country

Declaration of the Right of Man

document dealt with human rights and political powers

Bastille

French prison that stored many weapons and was raided by revolutionaries

Great Fear

a wave of panic and violence that swept across France during the revolution

Jacobins

largest and most powerful political group during the French Revolution

Reign of Terror

period of time in France when many traitors were sent to death by beheading

Agricultural Revolution

period of increased agricultural production due to new technologies and methods

Crop Rotation

planting a different crop every season

Enclosure System

fencing of community land for individual plots of land

Industrial Revolution

process of rapid industrial development

Factors of Production

things you need to produce a good or service: land, labor, and capital

Capital

money or other financial assets

Natural Resources

resources that come from nature

Urbanization

the movement of people into cities

Middle Class

social class made up of skilled workers, professionals, and business owners

Child Labor

the use of children in industrial jobs; usually harsh or inhumane

Domestic System

a system of manufacturing based upon work done at home

Factory System

system of producing goods on a mass scale by machines in a factory

Bessemer Process

quickly and cheaper way of producing steel

Assembly Line

word done in a line, step by step, until the process is complete

Entrepreneur

person who starts and organizes a business

Capitalism

economic system in which trade and industry are controlled privately and making profit is the most important thing

Laissez Faire

the government takes a "hands off" policy in business

Monopoly

large company that has almost total control over an industry with very little competition

Socialism

economic theory in which "the people" rather than individuals would own and operate the means of production

Imperialism

when one country takes control of another country or territory

Racism

belief that your race or ethnic group is superior to others

Nationalism

intense love of one's country

Colonies

country or area under the control of another country

Protectorates

native rulers keep their titles, but officials from foreign power actually have control

Spheres of Influence

areas in which one country has partial control based on a special interest and other nations agree to respect that interest

White Man's Burden

idea that white Europeans had the duty to "civilize" or "help" minority races

Social Darwinism

theory that people go through natural selection and the strongest will survive

Missionary

a person sent on a religious mission, usually to promote Christianity in another country

Berlin Conference

meeting between European countries to create rules on how to peacefully divide Africa for colonization

Isolationism

idea that your country should not get involved in the affairs of the rest of the world

Treaty of Nanking

forced China to give Hong Kong to Britain and opened ports to British trade

Mandate of Heaven

god gave the blessing of those in power

Boxer Rebellion

anti-foreigner rebellion that attacked anyone or anything form another country

Open Door Policy

right for all the nations to trade equally in China

Meiji Restoration

time of enlightened rule in Japan focused on modernization

Russo-Japanese War

war between Russia and Japan over Manchuria (China)

Militarism

building up of military and weapons to prove your military strength

Alliance

relationship between countries that agree to help and defend each other

Trench Warfare

a type of combat in which opposing sides fight from trenches facing each other

No Man's Land

area between two trenches that is under dispute

Mobilization

the action of a country preparing and organizing troops for battle

Schlieffen Plan

German war strategy to quickly defeat France in the west while holding off Russia

U-Boats

underwater boats; name for the German submarines

Lusitania

British ship sunk by German U-Boats that carried Americans

Zimmerman Note

note in which Germany asked Mexico to go to war with the United States

Selective Services Act

act requiring men to register with the government to be randomly selected to military services (AKA the draft)

Propaganda

biased communication designed to influence people's thoughts and actions

Total War

war that has no limits; any weapons can be used, any people can be involved, and all resources at home are dedicated to the war

Armistice

an agreement to stop the fighting

14 Points

Wilson's step by step plan to create a lasting and just peace (peace that lasts and was fair for everyone)

Treaty of Versailles

treaty of WW1 that established new nations, borders, and war costs

League of Nations

association of nations established to promote international cooperation and peace

Credit

borrowing money to pay for items and promise to pay back that money

Black Tuesday

day the stock market crashes in the United States

Great Depression

severe downturn in American economy following the stock market crash

Totalitarianism

a political system in which the government hold total authority over the society and seeks to control everything

Communism

system in which all means of production are commonly owned rather than privately owned

Fascism

system that puts nation and race above all else

Nazism

system that put German nationality above all