All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What key reform did Frederick William I implement in Prussia?
Answer: Military and bureaucratic efficiency and expansion. Created Europe's most disciplined army and administration.
Flashcard 2: Which war solidified Prussia's status as a European power?
Answer: The War of Austrian Succession. Frederick II's victories established Prussian great power status.
Flashcard 3: What was the pragmatic sanction related to Maria Theresa?
Answer: Allowed her to inherit the Habsburg dominions. Ensured female succession to Habsburg throne.
Flashcard 4: Who was the ruler of Austria during its enlightened absolutism period?
Answer: Joseph II. Combined absolute power with Enlightenment reform ideals.
Flashcard 5: What was the Edict on Idle Institutions?
Answer: Joseph II's edict reducing monasteries and convents. Reduced Church power to strengthen state authority.
Flashcard 6: Identify the primary architect of Prussian absolutism.
Answer: Frederick William, the Great Elector. United Brandenburg-Prussia under centralized authority.
Flashcard 7: What was the significance of the Fronde (1648-1653) in France?
Answer: A series of civil wars that weakened the nobility's power. Demonstrated monarchy's triumph over aristocratic resistance.
Flashcard 8: Identify the Spanish monarch during the height of Spain's global power.
Answer: Philip II. Controlled vast empire spanning Europe and Americas.
Flashcard 9: Which Russian monarch is known for westernizing Russia in the 18th century?
Answer: Peter the Great. Modernized Russia through European technology and customs.
Flashcard 10: What was the significance of Catherine the Great's Charter of the Nobility?
Answer: Granted privileges and autonomy to the Russian nobility. Secured noble loyalty by confirming their privileges.
Flashcard 11: What was the purpose of the Spanish Armada in 1588?
Answer: To invade England and restore Catholicism. Failed attempt to impose Catholic rule on Protestant England.
Flashcard 12: What was the significance of Catherine the Great's Charter of the Nobility?
Answer: Granted privileges and autonomy to the Russian nobility. Secured noble loyalty by confirming their privileges.
Flashcard 13: Which document established a constitutional monarchy in England in 1689?
Answer: The English Bill of Rights. Limited royal power and guaranteed individual rights.
Flashcard 14: Which French minister is known for financial reforms under Louis XIV?
Answer: Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Implemented mercantilist policies to strengthen French economy.
Flashcard 15: What was the significance of the Battle of Lepanto in 1571?
Answer: Marked a major defeat for the Ottoman navy. Ended Ottoman naval dominance in Mediterranean.
Flashcard 16: Identify the impact of the Treaty of Utrecht (1713).
Answer: Ended the War of Spanish Succession; shifted European power balance. Prevented French hegemony and maintained balance of power.
Flashcard 17: What was the Edict of Potsdam?
Answer: Frederick William's edict inviting Huguenots to Prussia. Welcomed skilled Protestant refugees to boost economy.
Flashcard 18: Who was the prominent minister under Louis XV known for his influence?
Answer: Cardinal Fleury. Stabilized France after Louis XIV's costly wars.
Flashcard 19: What was the main cause of the War of Spanish Succession?
Answer: Dispute over the Spanish throne after Charles II's death. Childless Charles II's death created succession crisis.
Flashcard 20: Which treaty ended the War of Spanish Succession?
Answer: Treaty of Utrecht. Prevented French-Spanish union threatening European balance.
Flashcard 21: Identify the Russian ruler who expanded the empire significantly in the 18th century.
Answer: Catherine the Great. Extended Russian borders and promoted Western culture.
Flashcard 22: What was the main outcome of the English Civil War?
Answer: Establishment of a Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell. Temporarily replaced monarchy with republican government.
Flashcard 23: Which British monarch faced the English Civil War and was executed?
Answer: Charles I. Absolute rule led to parliamentary rebellion and regicide.
Flashcard 24: What was the role of the Palace of Versailles in Louis XIV's reign?
Answer: Symbol of royal power and control over nobility. Centralized court life to monitor and control aristocrats.
Flashcard 25: What was the main religious effect of the Treaty of Westphalia?
Answer: Recognition of Calvinism alongside Catholicism and Lutheranism. Established religious pluralism in German territories.
Flashcard 26: How did the Treaty of Westphalia affect the Holy Roman Empire?
Answer: It weakened the emperor's authority and decentralized the empire. Fragmented imperial power among independent German princes.
Flashcard 27: Which treaty ended the Thirty Years' War in 1648?
Answer: Treaty of Westphalia. Established principle of state sovereignty in Europe.
Flashcard 28: What was the significance of the General War Commissariat?
Answer: Instrument for Prussian military and bureaucratic centralization. Administrative body that unified military and civil authority.
Flashcard 29: Identify the Prussian monarch known for his militaristic and efficient rule.
Answer: Frederick William I, the 'Soldier King'. Built powerful army and disciplined bureaucratic state.
Flashcard 30: What was the purpose of the St. Petersburg establishment by Peter the Great?
Answer: To serve as a new, western-style capital and symbol of modernization. Demonstrated Russia's commitment to European integration.