Vocabulary Age of Absolutism
autocracy *
absolute monarchy *
Philip II *
English Bill of Rights *
Oliver Cromwell
Catherine the Great *
Versailles *
Thirty Years War *
English Civil War *
Prussia *
William and Mary *
Age of Absolutism
habeas corpus *
limited monarchy
Hapsburg Family *
divine right *
Louis XIV *
westernization *
Peter the Great *
Glorious Revolution *
warm water port *
Age of Absolutism:
The During the 17c and 18c, Britain,
France, Austria, Prussia, and Russia were
able to establish or maintain a strong
monarchy, standing army, efficient tax
structures, a large bureaucracy, and a
more or less domesticated, divided or
loyal nobility so that this period is known
as the "Age of Absolutism”.
absolute monarchy: a ruler with
complete authority over the
government and the lives of the people.
divine right: the authority to rule came
from god
Hapsburg Family: Powerful family in
Europe which included lands in Spain,
the Netherlands, the Holy Roman
Empire, and Austria. Will lead to
constant family fighting over the
thrones of Europe.
King Charles V: Greatest of the
Hapsburg rulers
Philip II: Hapsburg king of
Spain from 1556 to 1598.
Absolute monarch who
helped lead the Counter
Reformation by persecuting
Protestants in his holdings.
Sent the Spanish Armada
against England. Spent large
sums of money on ocean
exploration and the “New
World”
Autocracy: rule
by a single person.
This person was
not to be
questioned or
disobeyed; this
became known as
"absolutism," since
the monarch ruled
with "absolute"
power, that is,
unshared power.
Louis XIV: “the Sun
King”, an absolute
monarch that
completely
controlled France.
One of his greatest
accomplishments
was the building of
the palace at
Versailles.
Versailles: palace constructed by Louis
XIV which spared no expense to make
it the grandest building in Europe.
Thirty Years’ War: Revolt in Europe which
began in Bohemia (Germany) when the
Hapsburg king tried to suppress Protestants and
assert power over nobles. Sucked almost every
European power into war, considered by some
their “first” world war.
Prussia: Independent kingdom and state
of Germany. Eventually will form
central state of the German Empire,
which was one of the largest in Europe.
Peter the Great: Czar of Russia. He was
responsible for the westernization of
Russia in the 18th century.
westernization: To adopt western ideas
and culture.
warm water port: a sea port that would
be ice free all year long.
Catherine the Great :
An enlightened despot
who ruled over Russia.
She is responsible for
many positive changes
in Russia, as well as
securing the country a
warm water port
limited monarchy (constitutional monarchy):
A political system in which a country is
ruled by a monarch who has limited
power due to a constitution
English Civil War: Political and
religious conflict between the Stuart
monarchs and Parliament. Led to the
execution of King Charles I and the
establishment of the Commonwealth.
Oliver Cromwell:
Leader of the
English Revolution
that deposed the
Stuart monarchs in
favor of a short lived
Republic. Cromwell
acted as Lord
Protector until the
restoration of the
Monarchy in 1660.
Glorious Revolution: Political
revolution in Great Britain in 1688 that
put William and Mary on the throne,
while limiting the power of the
monarchy and making Parliament
supreme. This event marks the
beginning of a constitutional monarchy
in England.
William and Mary : King and Queen of
England from 1689 to 1702. They were
placed on the throne as a result of the
Glorious Revolution of 1688, and ruled
as limited monarchs.
The
Dynamic
Duo
English Bill of Rights: (1689) A Bill of
Rights written after the Glorious
Revolution of 1688 which placed
William and Mary on the throne of
England. The bill created a limited
monarchy and established Parliament
as the ruling body of the nation.
habeas corpus: no person can be held in
prison without first being charged with a
specific crime.