Ch. 5 Conflict and Absolutism in Europe

Charles I

Son of James I that was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1625-1649). His power struggles with Parliament resulted in the English Civil War (1642-1648) in which Charles was defeated. He was tried for treason and beheaded in 1649

French Wars of Religion

religious civil wars in France (1562-1598) between Protestantism (Huguenots) and Catholicism (French monarchy)

Spanish Armada

"Invincible" group of ships sent by King Philip II of Spain to invade England in 1588; Armada was defeated by smaller, more maneuverable English "sea dogs" in the Channel; marked the beginning of English naval dominance and fall of Spanish dominance.

Elizabeth I

(1533-1603) Queen of England and Ireland between 1558 and 1603. She was an absolute monarch and is considered to be one of the most successful rulers of all time.

William Shakespeare

(1564 - 1616) English poet and playwright considered one of the greatest writers of the English language; works include Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet.

Battle of Lepanto

(1571) Spain defeated the Turkish navy off the coast of Greece-ended Ottoman threat in Mediterranean, Turkish sea power was destroyed in 1571 by a league of Christian nations organized by the Pope

Cardinal Richelieu

(1585-1642) Minister to Louis XIII. His three point plan (1. Break the power of the nobility, 2. Humble the House of Austria, 3. Control the Protestants) helped to send France on the road to absolute monarchy.

The Thirty Years War

(1618-1648 CE) War within the Holy Roman Empire between German Protestants and their allies (Sweden, Denmark, France) and the Hapsburg Holy Roman emperors and his Catholic ally, Spain; ended in 1648 after great destruction with Treaty of Westphalia.

Peter the Great

(1672-1725) Russian czar (r. 1689-1725). He enthusiastically introduced Western languages and technologies to the Russian elite, moving the capital from Moscow to the new city of St. Petersburg.

William Blackstone

(1723-1780) English jurist who explained the common law and who defined the rights of individuals under English law in his book Commentaries on the Laws of England.

John Locke

17th century English philosopher who opposed the Divine Right of Kings and who asserted that people have a natural right to life, liberty, and property.

Johann Sebastian Bach

1685-1750. German Baroque Composer. Most of his career was spent in performing, conducting and composing music for the Lutheran church. One of his most famous compositions is the "Passion According to St. Matthew."

George Frederic Handel

1685-1759 German Baroque Composer who studied music in Italy and moved to England Composed the music the "Messiah" and "Water Music"

Leviathan

A book written by Thomas Hobbes describing his theory that an absolute government was the only means of balancing human interests and desires with their rights of life and property.

Don Quixote

A comedic book written by Miguel de Cervantes during the Renaissance. The title character is now used to refer to idealists that champion hopeless or fanciful causes.

Constitutional Monarchy

A form of government in which the king retains his position as head of state, while the authority to tax and make new laws resides in an elected body.

Absolutism

A form of government, usually hereditary monarchy, in which the ruler has no legal limits on his or her power.

Roundheads

A group consisting of puritans, country land owners, and town based manufacturers, led by Oliver Cromwell; fought against the Cavaliers and King Charles I during the English civil war

Holy Roman Empire

A medieval and early modern central European Germanic empire, which often consisted of hundreds of separate Germanic and Northern Italian states. In reality it was so decentralized that it played a role in perpetuating the fragmentation of central Europe.

Sun King

A nickname for Louis xiv that captures the magnificence of his court and of the Palace of Versailles, which he built. Louis himself adopted the sun as his emblem.

Commonwealth

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Glorious Revolution

A reference to the political events of 1688-1689, when James II abdicated his throne and was replaced by his daughter Mary and her husband, Prince William of Orange.

The Witchcraft Trials

A series of hundreds of thousands of charges and executions of poor, property- less, single or widowed women of being witches, stemmed from traditional village beliefs in witchcraft and the Inquisition's search for heretics; 'witches' caught were often tortured until they confessed, saying they were sworn to the devil, attended sabbats, and cast spells; the hysteria declined by 1650, when the governments unified again, and people began becoming skeptical of witchcraft.

King Louis XIV

Absolute French monarch who reigned for seventy-two years known as the Sun King. Reigned from 1643 to 1715

Stuart dynasty

After Queen Elizabeth Tudor's death in 1603, the Stuart Line of rulers came. Started with James I, King of Scotland. (Cousin of Elizabeth.) Then came Charles I, his son. Charles II. Then James II. Then William of Orange.

Test Act

An act forbidding anyone except members of the Church of England from holding political office or entering the professions

Baroque

An artistic style of the seventeenth century characterized by complex forms, bold ornamentation, and contrasting elements

Jean Baptiste Colbert

An economic advisor to Louis XIV; he supported mercantilism and tried to make France economically self-sufficient. Brought prosperity to France.

Thomas Hobbs

British writer of the Leviathan that argued that people are selfish, self-serving, and brutal. Without monarchy, society would be chaotic.

St. Petersburg

Built by Peter the Great of Russia to attract Europeans and to get warm water ports.

The Globe Theater

Built in 1599, this is a famous theater in London where many of William Shakespeare's best-known plays were first performed

Divine Right of Kings

Doctrine that states that the right of ruling comes from God and not people's consent

Bourbon dynasty

Dynasty in France started by the reign of King Henry IV and included Louis XIV, powerful and extremely wealthy, rulers of this Dynasty wanted hegemony (dominant power), wanted to see shift of balance of power

The Romanov Dynasty

Dynasty that favored the nobles, reduced military obligations, expanded the Russian empire further east, and fought several unsuccessful wars, yet they lasted from 1613 to 1917.

Protestant England

England became a Protestant nation starting with King Henry VIII and continuing with Elizabeth I.

Oliver Cromwell

English military, political, and religious figure who led the Parliamentarian victory in the English Civil War (1642-1649) and called for the execution of Charles I. As lord protector of England (1653-1658) he ruled as a virtual dictator.

Austrian Hapsburgs

Family of rulers that ruled the Holy Roman Empire and created new empire in Eastern and Southeastern Europe including Austria and Hungary after the Thirty years war.

King Frederick I

Frederick William's son who became the first king of Prussia.

Hugenots

French Protestants who followed the teachings of John Calvin

Edict of Nantes

French document issued in 1598 by King Henry IV (Henry of Navarre) that granted religious freedom to the Huguenots

Czar

From Latin caesar, this Russian title for a monarch was first used in reference to a Russian ruler by Ivan III (r. 1462-1505).

Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible)

Grand Prince of Moscow - first ruler to be crowned as Czar of all the Russians and managed many changes that allowed Russia to become an empire. He executed tons of people including his own son which is where he got the Nickname The Terrible.

English Petition of Right

In 1628, this document was signed by Charles I. By signing this document Charles I agreed that taxes could only be raised with the consent of Parliament.

Cavaliers

In the English Civil War (1642-1647), these were the troops loyal to King Charles I

Two Treatises of Government

Is a refutation of the divine rights of kings and the absolutist theory of government. A book written by John Locke which stated details about natural rights and that people were born with and entitled to life, liberty, and property.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Italian architect and sculptor; famous during the baroque movement; completed Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome

English Bill of Rights

King William and Queen Mary accepted this document in 1689. It guaranteed certain rights to English citizens and declared that elections for Parliament would happen frequently. By accepting this document, they supported a limited monarchy, a system in which they shared their power with Parliament and the people.

William and Mary-

King and Queen of England in 1688. With them, King James' Catholic reign ended. As they were Protestant, the Puritans were pleased because only protestants could be office-holders.

Charles II

King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1660-1685) who reigned during the Restoration, a period of expanding trade and colonization as well as strong opposition to Catholicism. He converted to Catholic on his deathbed leading to the Glorious Revolution.

Henry of Navarre (Henry IV)

King of France, Protestant who converted to Catholicism, issued the Edict of Nantes

King Phillip II

Most Catholic King of Spain (1556-1598) who expelled or executed Muslims, Jews, and Protestants from Spain during the Spanish Inquisition and lost war and Spanish Armada to England. He was the son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

Elizabethan Era

Named for England's Queen Elizabeth the First, a somewhat vague classification applied to the second half of the 16th century and early part of the 17th, remarkable for its creative activity and output in English literature, especially drama.

Versailles

Palace constructed by Louis XIV outside of Paris to glorify his rule and subdue the nobility.

Window to the West

Peter the Great's city of St Petersburg with a port easily accessible to Europe

William the Silent

Prince of Orange, led the Dutch resistance forces against the Spanish

Church of England

Protestant church led by the king/ queen of England also called the Anglican Church

Puritans

Protestant sect in England hoping to "purify" the Anglican church of Roman Catholic traces in practice and organization.

Tudor dynasty

Ruling family of England 1485-1603. It ended with Queen Elizabeth 1

Boyars

Russian landholding aristocrats; possessed less political power than their western European counterparts

Catholic Spain

Spain was militant Catholic during the Age of Absolutism executing non Catholic Protestants, Jews and Muslims during the Spanish Inquisition

El Greco

Spanish painter (born in Greece) remembered for his religious works characterized by elongated human forms and dramatic use of color (1541-1614)

Miguel de Cervantes

Spanish writer best remembered for 'Don Quixote' which satirizes chivalry and influenced the development of the novel form

Rump Parliament

The Cromwell-controlled Parliament that proclaimed England a republic and abolished the House of Lords and the monarchy.

Commentaries on the Laws of England

The English document that laid the groundwork for judges in the US to rule based on precedent.

New Model Army

The disciplined fighting force of Protestants led by Oliver Cromwell in the English civil war.

Reconquista

The effort by Christian leaders to drive the Muslims out of Spain, lasting from the 1100s until 1492.

James I

The first Stuart to be king of England and Ireland from 1603 to 1625 and king of Scotland from 1567 to 1625 who ignored constitutional principles and asserted the divine right of kings.

Saint Peter's Basilica

The largest Christian church building in the world, located in the Vatican. The residence of the pope adjoins it and many ceremonies and speeches connected with the pop's administration take place there. Raphael and Michelangelo contributed to its design and decoration.

Decline of Spain

The rise in population coupled with inflation led to a weakening of Spanish industry and emigration. The expulsion of Jews and Moors in 1492 also contributed to the decline, as they were productive members of the economy. Philip II and III spent too much money, armed forces were out-of-date, insufficient government, commercial class was weak, suppressed peasantry, luxury-loving nobles, oversupply of priests/monks.

Cardinal Mazarin

This was the man who served under Cardinal Richelieu and laid the foundations for Louis XIV's expansionist policies

Frederick William the Great Elector

This was the man who starting absolutism in Prussia by uniting the three provinces of Prussia under one ruler.

Mary I

This was the queen who reverted back to Catholicism in England for five years and during this reign, she executed many Protestants

House of Lords

Upper house of Parliament, for nobles and bishops in England

gentry

Wealthy landowning class

English Civil War

a conflict, lasting from 1642 to 1649, in which Puritan supporters of Parliament (Roundheads) battled supporters of England's monarchy (Cavaliers)

Inflation

a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.

Prussia

a strong military state in central Europe including present-day northern Germany and northern Poland that emerged in the late 1600s

Mannerism

an artistic movement that emerged in Italy in the 1520s and 1530s; it marked the end of the Renaissance by breaking down the principles of balance, harmony, and moderation

Golden Age of the Dutch Republic

early 1600s due to political stability, economic prosperity, and cultural achievements.

Austrian Empire

empire which emerged after the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire; consisted of Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic; never became a strong, centralized monarchy

Peter Paul Rubens

is the most famous Baroque artist who studied Michelangelo in Italy and took that Renaissance style to the next level of drama, motion, color, religion and animation, which is portrayed in his paintings

Act of Supremacy

named Elizabeth I the supreme governor of church and state

House of Commons

one of the houses of Parliament that represent the common people of England and are elected to office

Spanish Inquistion

systematic destruction of Muslims and Jews and Protestants, forced them to get out of Spain, convert to Christianity, or die; was fall of Spain since Jews and Muslims were the merchants

Natural Rights

the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property

Parliament

the lawmaking body of British government

Peace of Westphalia

the peace treaty that ended the Thirty Years' War in 1648 and gave Sweden, France, and their allies new territories. It effectively ended the Holy Roman Empire by dividing it into over 300 independent states each with the freedom to choose their own religion.

The Restoration

the re-establishment of the British monarchy bringing back Charles II as king in 1660 after Oliver Cromwell died.

Hapsburg Holy Roman Emperors

the ruling family of the Holy Roman Empire and later the Austria Hungary Empire

Heretics

those who hold to a belief opposed to the established teachings of a church

Convert

to turn or change your beliefs or way of thinking