A
What does the phrase "Ad fontes" mean?
"To the sources"
What major political event occurred in 1688?
The Glorious Revolution in England
Which ruler is best known for his coercive efforts to westernize his country?
Peter the Great (1672-1725)
Which key Protestant reformer emphasized the doctrine of moral purity and predetermined salvation?
John Calvin
To which period does the motto "Nullius in verba" belong?
The Scientific Revolution (17th century)
What is historical materialism?
The driving force of historical development is not ideas, religion, or the will of great individuals, but the mode of production of material goods and the corresponding relations of production
What major 14th-century disaster was the catalyst for the Renaissance? Why?
The Plague (or The Black Death), 1347-51
What was the Tennis Court Oath, and what was its historical significance?
1789. Deputies of the Third Estate gathered to write a new constitution for France. The open move against the king; the idea that political authority comes from the people; paved the way to the National Assembly
Who was Gavrilo Princip, and why is he significant?
On June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Princip assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, Sophie. The assassination led to an Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia and triggered a chain reaction that led to the start of World War I
Name the famous 16th-century debate between Bartolomé de las Casas and Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda. What was its historical significance?
The Valladolid Debate (1550–1551). The first public debate in European history to discuss the morality, rights and treatment of Indigenous people
What does "enlightened monarch" mean? Bring one example
A form of absolute rule where monarchs employ ideas from the Age of Enlightenment: reason, religious tolerance, legal reform. At the same time, they maintain their absolute power. Frederick the Great (1712-1786) in Prussia, Catherine the Great (1729-1796) in Russia
Name and explain one of Martin Luther’s Five Protestant Principles
Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura, Solus Christus, or Soli Deo gloria
Name one powerful group/institution that limited the Early Modern sovereign's power and explain how
Nobility, clergy, cities, or Parlement & the Estates General (1302)
What was new about World War I?
Trench warfare; New weapons (tanks, poison gas); Global scale; Total war (home front)
What four freedoms were central to classical liberalism?
Freedom from absolutism (elections); Freedom from landed aristocracy (competition); Freedom from guilds (free trade); Freedom from organized religion (private religion)
What is the Peace of Westphalia and why it was important?
Ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648); laid the foundation for the modern system of sovereign states: introduced legal equality of states and the principle of territorial sovereignty; reaffirmed the principle of cuius regio, eius religio ("whose realm, his religion")
Who distinguished between the "public use" and the "private use of reason," and what is the key difference between the two?
Immanuel Kant. Key Difference: Private use must conform to a specific civil role (e.g., soldier, priest), while public use must be free and addressed to the entire reading public (scholarly)
Why was the Russian Empire considered a backward country in the 19th century? Name at least two reasons
Serfdom; Autocracy; Lack of industrialization
When was the Council of Trent and what was its role in European history?
1545–1563; It was the Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation that defined Catholic doctrine for centuries
What is the meaning of Nietzsche's concept of the Übermensch (Superman), and why was it popular among the German Nazis?
The Übermensch is Nietzsche’s philosophical ideal: a person who has overcome their weaknesses and instincts and creates their own values and meanings. The concept's popularity among the Nazis was based on a deliberate distortion of his philosophy, making his ideas sound favorable to German nationalism and antisemitism
What does "Industrious Revolution" mean?
Households worked more and demanded more goods, driven by increased market access and new consumer goods -- not the large scale tech innovations (Jan De Vries et al), ~1600 to 1800
Why did Fascism rise to power in Italy?
Post-WWI economic crisis; Political weakness of liberal parties; Fear of communism (the 'Red Scare'); Mussolini's charisma; Support from elites
What does "seeing like a state" mean?
Rationalization, bureaucratization, unification; simplification and the state taxonomy; using knowlegde to expand the power (James Scott)
How did the new wave of 19th-century colonization (The Scramble for Africa) differ from the first wave of colonization in the 15th century?
Geopolitical competition among nations; Industrial Revolution technologies; Implementation of national ideologies in African territories; Enlightenment principles ("civilizing mission")
What is the link between Romanticism and the rise of early national projects?
Focus on the spititual unity, Volksgeist, language, culture, and the nation's unique history