Final Flashcards
The Columbian Exchange
the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, and technology between the Old World and the New World that occurred after Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas in 1492. The exchange of goods and ideas between Europe, Africa, and the Americas had significant ecological, cultural, and economic impacts. For example, the introduction of new crops such as maize, potatoes, and tomatoes to Europe helped to fuel population growth, while the transfer of diseases such as smallpox decimated indigenous populations in the Americas.
Triangular Trade
a system of trade routes that linked Europe, Africa, and the Americas in the 16th-19th centuries. European merchants would transport goods such as textiles, rum, and guns to Africa in exchange for slaves, who were then transported to the Americas to work on plantations. The profits from the sale of slave-produced goods such as sugar and tobacco were then used to purchase more European goods. The Triangular Trade had significant economic and social impacts, including the enslavement and forced labor of millions of Africans and the development of new industries in Europe and the Americas.
Royal absolutism
a form of monarchy that emerged in Europe during the 16th-18th centuries, in which the monarch held absolute power and authority over the state and its citizens. This form of government was characterized by the centralization of power, the suppression of dissent, and the use of state power to enforce religious conformity. Royal absolutism had significant impacts on European politics, leading to both the consolidation of state power and the growth of resistance movements that challenged the authority of the monarch.
Peter the Great
a Russian tsar who ruled from 1682 to 1725. He is best known for his efforts to modernize and westernize Russia, including reforms in the areas of industry, education, and culture. He also built a new capital city, St. Petersburg, which became a symbol of his efforts to transform Russia into a European-style power. Peter’s reforms had significant impacts on Russian society and politics, paving the way for Russia’s emergence as a major European power in the 18th and 19th centuries
Estates General
a representative assembly in France that was called by the king to address political and economic issues. It was composed of representatives from the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. The Estates General had significant political and social impacts in France, serving as a forum for debates over political reform and representation. It also played a key role in the French Revolution, as the Third Estate’s demand for representation ultimately led to the establishment of a National Assembly and the downfall of the monarchy.
Olympe de Gouges
a French feminist and playwright who lived during the late 18th century. She is best known for her advocacy of women’s rights, including the right to vote and to participate in politics. She also wrote a number of plays and pamphlets that challenged prevailing attitudes towards gender and sexuality. De Gouges had significant impacts on the feminist movement in France and beyond, inspiring generations of women to fight for equal rights and challenging traditional notions of gender roles and identity.
Laissez-faire
economic philosophy that advocates for minimal government intervention in economic affairs. It emerged during the 18th and 19th centuries as a response to the mercantilist policies of the time, and was championed by thinkers such as Adam Smith and Friedrich Hayek. Laissez-faire had significant impacts on the development of capitalism
James Watt
Scottish inventor who lived from 1736 to 1819. He is best known for his improvements to the steam engine, which greatly increased its efficiency and made it more widely usable. Watt’s steam engine became a key component of the Industrial Revolution and had a significant impact on transportation, manufacturing, and other industries.
Congress of Vienna
a diplomatic conference held in Vienna, Austria from 1814 to 1815. The conference was convened to reorganize Europe following the Napoleonic Wars, which had caused widespread political and social upheaval. The Congress of Vienna established a new balance of power among the major European powers and established a system of international relations that helped maintain peace on the continent for several decades.
Otto von Bismarck
a Prussian statesman who lived from 1815 to 1898. He played a key role in the unification of Germany in 1871, which created a new, powerful European state. Bismarck served as the first Chancellor of the German Empire and pursued a policy of Realpolitik, which prioritized the use of practical rather than ideological means to achieve political goals.
Alfred Dreyfus
a French military officer who was falsely accused of spying for Germany in 1894. The Dreyfus Affair, as it came to be known, became a major scandal in France and highlighted the anti-Semitic prejudices that were prevalent in French society at the time. The Affair eventually led to Dreyfus’s exoneration in 1906 and contributed to the growth of political and social movements that sought to combat anti-Semitism.
Triple Entente
a military alliance between France, Great Britain, and Russia that was formed in 1907. The alliance was a response to the growing threat posed by the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The Triple Entente played a key role in the events leading up to World War I and helped to ensure that the war became a global conflict rather than a localized conflict in Europe.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne and lived from 1863 to 1914. He was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, in 1914 by a Serbian nationalist, an event that is widely regarded as the trigger for the outbreak of World War I. The assassination led to a series of diplomatic and military actions that ultimately resulted in the outbreak of the war.
Schlieffen Plan
a military strategy developed by the German General Staff in 1905-06. The plan called for a rapid invasion of France through Belgium, followed by a turn south to encircle the French army and capture Paris. The plan was designed to avoid a two-front war against France and Russia and to achieve a quick victory in the event of war. The Schlieffen Plan was implemented at the start of World War I but ultimately failed to achieve its objectives.
Peace, Bread, Land
a slogan used by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution of 1917. The slogan represented the three key demands of the Russian people: an end to the war, food for the hungry, and land for the peasants. The Bolsheviks used the slogan to rally popular support for their revolutionary agenda and ultimately succeeded in overthrowing the Provisional Government and establishing the world’s first communist state.
