pop

secular

- Anything that is not religious in its character or purpose.

politiques

- Term for those nobles and royal figures who supported religious

toleration as a means of restoring domestic peace and strengthening

the nation.

sovereignty

- The power of a state to govern itself; supreme power or authority.

absolutism

- A system of government where all power is in the hands of the ruler.

divine-right

- A power or authority that is bestowed by God.

Bourbons

- The family that held the throne of France from 1589 until the French

Revolution.

Edict of Nantes

- 1598 royal decree issued by King Henry IV of France that granted

religious toleration and control of 200 walled fortified cities to that

nation’s Protestant minority.

reign

- Period of time during which a monarch rules.

duel

- Formal combat with weapons between two people in front of

witnesses.

Intendants

- French royal governmental officials who took over roles once held by

the French nobility.

bureaucracy

- Non-elected governmental officials who keep the machinery of the

state functioning.

Huguenots

- French Protestants who followed the teachings of John Calvin.

Treaty of Westphalia

- 1648 international agreement that ended the Thirty Years’ War. The

treaty marked a major defeat of the Habsburg dynasty and the rise of

the Bourbon dynasty. It destroyed the Holy Roman Empire.

standing army

- A full-time, professional military force composed of career soldiers and

conscripts.

regency

- A period of government when an appointed figure rules in the name of

the monarch due the monarch’s youth, illness, or incapacity.

Fronde

- An uprising, led by French nobles, against the growth of absolutism in

that nation. It was crushed by the government of Louis XIV.

L’etat c’est moi

- Famous declaration by Louis XIV that sums up the role of the absolute

monarch. It translates as “I am the state.”

levy

- A tax (n) or the authority to collect a tax (v).

aristocratic

- Of or pertaining to the nobility.

Edict of Fontainebleau

- 1685 royal proclamation that ended religious freedoms for French

Huguenots and led to the emigration of over 200,000 Protestants.

mercantilism

- The dominant economic policy of the 1500s – 1750s, it was based on

the formation of self-sufficient national economies. This was achieved

by limiting imports through high tariffs, the development of national

industries, and the acquisition of colonies. It emphasized the

amassing of bullion.

tariff

- A tax placed on imported goods to keep out foreign competition.

League of Augsburg

- An alliance of nations who feared the growing power of Louis XIV’s

France. It was principally led by William of Orange (Netherlands) who

went on to become William III (England).

legitimate

- Something that is legally based; a child born to a married couple.

Treaty of Utrecht

- 1713 agreement that ended the War of Spanish Succession. The

Bourbon King Phillip V was allowed to remain King of Spain but the

treaty was a major defeat for France and Spain.

Gibraltar

- Strategic region attached to the bottom of the Iberian Peninsula; it

controls the passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the

Mediterranean Sea.

bullion

- Precious metals (gold and silver) in bulk form, valued by weight.

Hohenzollern

- The dynasty that ruled the German state of Prussia and later ruled the

German Empire.

militaristic

- An aggressive posture that glorifies the military.

Kaiser

- Title held by the ruling monarch of Prussia and later Germany.

General War Commissariat

- The Prussian political organization created to direct the affairs of the

nation and supervise the bureaucracy.

Junkers

- Term that historically refers to the nobility of Prussia.

Sultan

- Title held by the ruling monarch of the Ottoman Empire.

Battle of Lepanto

- Epic 1571 naval battle between the Ottoman Empire and Christian

forces led by Spain that changed the balance of power in the

Mediterranean Sea and began the gradual decline of the Ottomans.

Janissaries

- Elite Ottoman military force, at first composed of Christian-born

captives; it was the first standing army in the history of Europe.

“sick man of Euroe”

- Nickname of the Ottoman Empire in the 1800’s and early 1900’s as it

slowly declined as an European power.

Mongol Yoke

- Term for the brutal 300 year period (1200’s – 1400’s) of Mongol feudal

rule over Russia. It left strong Asian influences on Russian culture.

Tsar

- Title held by the ruling monarch of Russia.

autocracy

- A state governed by a single absolute monarch who holds all power; it

is usually associated with Russia.

Boyar

- Term that historically refers to the nobility of Russia.

serfs

- One of the lower classes, they are rural, agricultural labor who are

bound to the land.

Romanov

- The dynasty that ruled the state of Russia.

Kremlin

- Massive fortress / palace complex in the heart of Moscow that is the

traditional center of the Russian government.

St. Petersburg

- The city built in the early 1700’s on the Baltic coast by Peter the Great

as a new capital city of Russia. It was the capital until the Russian

Revolution.

Sejm

- The historic parliament of Poland. In the medieval period the Sejm

held the veto power over actions of the government. It led to national

paralysis.

constitutional monarchy

- AKA limited monarchy

- A form of government in which the monarch’s powers are limited by

law.

republic(an)

- Any government that does not have a crowned monarch as head of

state.

stadholder

- Title held by the ruling official of a Dutch province, similar to a

governor.

East Indies

- Geographic region of Southeast Asia that includes Indonesia.

stock market

- A business enterprise in which the stocks of different companies are

bought, sold, and traded.

merchant marine

- A country’s shipping that is involved in trade, rather than military

activities.

finished goods

- Products that have been produced from raw materials, thus increasing

their value.

commercial

- A synonym for business.

joint-stock corporation

- A business that sell shares to investors who then assume a

percentage of risk for a proportional share of any profits.

Magna Carta

- Historic 1215 document signed by King John of England that placed

limits on the monarch’s powers. It is a foundation of English freedom.

balanced polity

- Term that refers to the division of governmental powers between the

monarch and the Parliament.

Petition of Right (1628)

- A document drafted by the Parliament that restricted the monarch’s

power in exchange for a payment of money. King Charles I signed the

Petition, accepted the money, and then refused to honor his word.

arbitrary

- Something that is done without good reason, randomly.

quartering

- In law, quartering is when a government forces people to houses

soldiers in their homes without any compensation.

martial law

- This is a form of military control that is used to preserve order when a

government feels threatened.

renege

- To go against a previous agreement, to break a promise.

tyranny

- Oppressive, unjust, cruel government.

Eleven Years of Tyranny (1629 – 1640)

- Term that refers to the period during which King Charles I ruled

England without Parliament. It culminated in the English Civil War.

Long Parliament (1640 – 1660)

- Nickname for the Parliament that was seated in 1640 at the end of the

Eleven Years’ of Tyranny. The Long Parliament was hostile to King

Charles I and met off and on for the next 20 years.

House of Lords

- The “upper” house of the English Parliament. Lords is meant to be the

voice of the nobility in the government.

House of Commons

- The “lower” house of the English Parliament. The Commons is meant

to represent the common people in the government.

Cavaliers

- Nickname for supporters of Charles I during the English Civil War.

charismatic

- Possessing a compelling charm that inspires devotion in others.

gentry

- An English social class made up of wealthy, land-owning people who

are lower than the nobility in status.

Roundheads

- Nickname for opponents of King Charles I in the English Civil War.

New Model Army

- A military force formed by opponents of the king during the English

Civil War. Oliver Cromwell became the commander. Many Puritans

served in the New Model Army.

regicide

- Term for the killing of a ruling monarch.

English Commonwealth (1649 – 1660)

- This is the only republic in English history. It was formed after the

execution of Charles I and lasted until the restoration of Charles II in

1660.

Lord Protector

- The title held bby Oliver Cromwell during his leadership of the

Commonwealth. He refused to take the title of king.

Levellers

- A radical English political movement favored voting rights for all men

and even rights for women.

universal manhood suffrage

- Political term that means that all adult men have the right to vote.

Rump Parliament

- Following the decision to execute Charles I, many former supporters of

the fight against the king turned against Cromwell and withdrew from

the Parliament leaving only the most radical and Puritan elements.

This radical group were nicknamed the “Rump.”

Glorious Revolution (1688)

- One of the most important political events in English history, the

monarch, King James II, was removed from the throne and replaced by

a new monarch chosen by the Parliament. It established the

superiority of the Parliament over the monarch in England.

abdicate

- The action of a monarch in surrendering their claim to the throne.

Act of Settlement (1701)

- A law passed by the English Parliament to ensure that no Catholic

could sit on the throne. It stated that if Queen Anne died with no

surviving children, the throne would go to the German Hannover

dynasty, Protestant cousins of the Stuarts. In 1714, George I was

crowned the first Hannover monarch of England.

figurehead

- Someone is supposedly the leader of a nation or organization, but who

exercises no real authority.

Social Contract Theory

- This is a political theory that government’s power is given bby the

people, not by God. There is an informal agreement between the

people and the government.