All Flashcards
Who was Louis XIV?
The Sun King of France who aimed to expand France's borders and dominated European politics.
Who was William of Orange?
The Dutch leader who became King of England and opposed Louis XIV.
Who was Gustavus Adolphus?
The Swedish king who transformed the Swedish army into a modern fighting force.
Who was Charles II of Spain?
The Spanish king whose death without an heir triggered the War of Spanish Succession.
Who were the Habsburgs?
The ruling family of Austria and Spain who played a significant role in European politics.
Who were the Hohenzollerns?
The ruling family of Prussia who rose to prominence in the 18th century.
Who was Philip V?
Louis XIV's grandson who became King of Spain after the War of Spanish Succession.
Who was Martin Luther?
A German theologian who initiated the Protestant Reformation.
Who was Suleiman the Magnificent?
An Ottoman sultan under whose rule the Ottoman Empire reached its height.
Who was Frederick the Great?
King of Prussia known for his military victories, reorganization of Prussian armies, his patronage of the arts and the Enlightenment.
Define Balance of Power.
A system where nations prevent any single state from becoming too dominant, encouraging alliances and counter-alliances.
Define 'Grand Alliance'.
A coalition of European powers formed to check the expansionist ambitions of Louis XIV of France.
What was the Treaty of Westphalia?
A series of peace treaties signed in 1648 that ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic.
What was the Treaty of Utrecht?
A series of peace treaties signed in 1713 that ended the War of the Spanish Succession.
Define 'Military Revolution'.
A period of significant advancements in military technology and tactics during the 16th and 17th centuries, leading to larger, more professional armies and increased state power.
Define 'Standing Army'.
A permanent, professional army maintained by a state during peacetime and wartime.
Define 'Tercio'.
A Spanish infantry unit that combined pikemen, musketeers, and arquebusiers.
Define 'State Sovereignty'.
The principle that each state has independent authority and control over its own territory and affairs, free from external interference.
What is meant by 'Sick Man of Europe'?
A term used to describe the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, referring to its internal problems and decline.
Define 'Partition'.
The act of dividing a territory or state into separate parts, often by external powers.
What were the causes and effects of the Treaty of Westphalia?
Causes: The Thirty Years' War. Effects: Established state sovereignty, decline of religious conflict as a primary driver of war, rise of the balance of power system.
What were the causes and effects of Louis XIV's expansionist policies?
Causes: Louis XIV's desire to expand France's borders. Effects: Series of wars aimed at checking his power, formation of alliances against France.
What were the causes and effects of the War of Spanish Succession?
Causes: Charles II of Spain died without an heir, and Louis XIV's grandson was in line for the throne. Effects: Philip V became King of Spain, but the French and Spanish thrones could never unite, Austria gained territories, Prussia became a kingdom.
What were the causes and effects of the Military Revolution?
Causes: Technological advances in infantry, firearms, mobile cannons, and fortifications. Effects: Heavier taxes, bigger bureaucracies, consolidated states, rise of professional armies.
What were the causes and effects of the decline of the Holy Roman Empire?
Causes: Religious division, weak central authority. Effects: Emergence of Austria and Prussia as leading German states.
What were the causes and effects of the decline of Poland?
Causes: Elected kings with limited power, unanimous decisions required for political decisions. Effects: Poland was partitioned by Russia, Prussia, and Austria and disappeared.
What were the causes and effects of the decline of the Ottoman Empire?
Causes: End of expansion, internal problems, failed modernization attempts. Effects: Empire weakened and increasingly unstable.
What were the causes and effects of the Protestant Reformation?
Causes: Dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church, corruption, and the sale of indulgences. Effects: Religious division in Europe, rise of Protestantism, wars of religion.
What were the causes and effects of the rise of Prussia?
Causes: Strong leadership, military reforms, efficient bureaucracy. Effects: Prussia became a major military power in Europe, challenged Austria for dominance in the German states.
What were the causes and effects of the Battle of Vienna (1683)?
Causes: Ottoman expansion into Europe. Effects: Stopped the Ottomans' westward push, marked the beginning of the Ottoman decline.