Absolutism
What is absolutism?
Absolutism is a political system where a single ruler, like a monarch or dictator, holds unlimited, centralized power, unrestrained by laws, legislatures, or other institutions, often justified by divine right.
If rulers claimed absolute authority, why did people begin to question everything they were taught?
Scientific Revolution
John Locke believed in what natural rights?
Life, liberty, and property
Oliver Cromwell ruled as what?
Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power in what year?
1799
What is divine right?
The belief that kings and queens received their authority directly from God and therefore couldn't be questioned.
What century did the scientific revolution occur in?
What was Diderot's Encyclopedia?
a massive 28-to-35-volume French reference work that aimed to collect all human knowledge, promote Enlightenment ideals, and "change the common way of thinking".
It created a weak central government
Napoleon crowned himself what?
Emperor
What occurred in Spain during the 17th century?
Financial troubles such as a bankrupt government weakened the state, even though inflation itself was not a primary issue.
What theory did Nicolaus Copernicus support?
Heliocentric theory
Thomas Hobbes described government as a social contract. What is that?
Thomas Hobbes’ social contract is a theoretical agreement where individuals mutually consent to surrender their natural rights and absolute freedom to a sovereign authority (a monarch or assembly) in exchange for collective security, order, and the preservation of life.
The English Bill of Rights limited what?
It limited royal authority and strengthened Parliament
What was the Battle of Austerlitz?
The Battle of Austerlitz, fought on December 2, 1805, was a decisive Napoleonic Wars victory for Napoleon Bonaparte, often called his masterpiece, where his outnumbered French forces crushed the combined Austro-Russian army led by their emperors, leading to the collapse of the Third Coalition and cementing French dominance in Europe. Napoleon brilliantly lured the Allies into attacking his weak right flank, then used his central forces to seize the strategic Pratzen Heights, splitting the enemy army and leading to a catastrophic defeat for the coalition.
What did some monarchs do in response to questioning to their authority?
They adopted Enlightenment ideas while keeping absolute authority, thus becoming enlightened despots.
Instead of relying on tradition or religious explanation alone, thinkers promoted what?
Knowledge gained through observation and experimentation.
What was Neoclassical Style?
Neoclassical style is a revival of ancient Greek and Roman art, architecture, and design, emphasizing simplicity, symmetry, order, and rationality as a reaction against Baroque and Rococo extravagance, popular from the mid-18th to early 19th centuries, seen in clean lines, classical columns (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian), geometric forms, and themes of civic virtue in art and literature.
After the Glorious Revolution, England became a what?
It became a constitutional monarchy.
What was the Reign of Terror?
The Reign of Terror (September 1793 – July 1794) was a brutal, 10-month phase of the French Revolution characterized by mass executions, political purges, and intense fear.
What idea did Louis XIV embody?
Absolutism
Galileo Galilei used what to provide evidence for the heliocentric model?
He used a telescope
Human behavior and government should be guided by?
It should be guided by reason or rational principles rather than tradition.
Congress lacked the ability to what?
Levy taxes
Who was Rebespierre?
Maximilien Robespierre (1758–1794) was a radical French lawyer and politician who became a leading figure of the French Revolution. As a dominant member of the Committee of Public Safety, he spearheaded the Reign of Terror (1793–1794), aiming to create a "Republic of Virtue" before his own downfall and execution.