Test Flashcards
(33 cards)
What was the Thirty Years’ War?
A series of conflicts (1618–1648) fought by many European powers for religious, dynastic, territorial, and commercial reasons, devastating large parts of the continent.
What event sparked the Thirty Years’ War?
The Third Defenestration of Prague on May 23, 1618, when Bohemian Protestant nobles threw two Catholic regents from a castle window.
Who was crowned the ‘Winter King’?
Frederick V of the Palatinate was crowned the ‘Winter King’ but was defeated at the Battle of White Mountain (1620).
What was the outcome of the Battle of White Mountain?
It ended Frederick V’s brief reign and confirmed Habsburg Catholic control in Bohemia.
Who intervened to defend Protestant rights during the Thirty Years’ War?
Christian IV of Denmark intervened (1625–1629) but suffered defeat.
Which leader revived the Protestant cause during the Thirty Years’ War?
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden revived the Protestant cause with major victories such as the Battle of Breitenfeld (1631).
When did Catholic France enter the Thirty Years’ War?
Catholic France under Cardinal Richelieu entered the war in 1635.
What was the significance of the Peace of Westphalia?
It concluded the Thirty Years’ War in October 1648, recognized the sovereignty of over 300 German states, and laid the groundwork for the modern nation-state system.
What was the impact of the Thirty Years’ War on Central Europe?
Central Europe suffered catastrophic losses, with some regions losing up to one-third of their population.
What does absolutism describe?
Monarchs who ruled without legal or institutional checks, their authority justified by the Divine Right of Kings.
Who epitomized absolutism in France?
Louis XIV of France, known for his declaration ‘L’état, c’est moi’ and centralizing government through Versailles.
What was Peter I the Great known for?
He westernized Russia’s administration and military, built a modern navy, and founded Saint Petersburg.
What led to the end of English absolutism?
The Stuart attempts at royal prerogative led to civil war, regicide, and ultimately the Glorious Revolution.
What did Louis XIV do to control the nobility?
He relocated his court to Versailles in 1682 and used elaborate court rituals.
What economic policies did Louis XIV adopt?
Under finance minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert, France adopted mercantilist policies to develop state-sponsored industries.
What wars did Louis XIV engage in?
He fought the Franco-Dutch War, the Nine Years’ War, and the War of the Spanish Succession.
What was the legacy of Louis XIV’s reign?
His 72-year reign established France as Europe’s dominant power but sowed the seeds of fiscal crisis and coalition opposition.
What did Thomas Hobbes argue in ‘Leviathan’?
Strong, even absolute, sovereignty is necessary to avoid the brutish state of nature.
What did John Locke assert in ‘Two Treatises of Government’?
Natural rights to life, liberty, and property, and that legitimate government rests on consent.
What was Voltaire known for?
Using wit and satire to defend civil liberties, religious tolerance, and freedom of expression.
What did Montesquieu propose in ‘The Spirit of Laws’?
Separation of powers as a safeguard against tyranny.
What did Rousseau argue in ‘The Social Contract’?
Sovereignty resides with the general will.
What did Mary Wollstonecraft advocate in ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’?
Called for women’s education and equality, laying groundwork for modern feminism.
When was Isaac Newton born?
January 4, 1643 (OS) at Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire.
