Final Exam- Adv. History Flashcards
A Spanish conqueror of the Americas
Conquistador
Inca
Largest and most powerful Andean empire. Controlled the Pacific coast of South America from Ecuador to Chile from its capital of Cuzco.
Peru
South America/Latin America
Spain
Sent out conquistadors to conquer America
Maize
An early form of corn grown by Native Americans
…
a monarch, a sovereign
Absolute Monarchy
A government in which the king or queen has absolute power.
Divine Right
Belief that a rulers authority comes directly from god.
Limited Monarchy
government in which a constitution or legislative body limits the monarch’s powers
Enlightened Despot
Absolute rulers who used their power to bring about political and social change
Louis XIV (14)
(1638-1715) Known as the Sun King, he was an absolute monarch that completely controlled France. One of his greatest accomplishments was the building of the palace at Versailles
Fredrick the Great
Prussian king of the 18th century; attempted to introduce Enlightenment reforms into Germany; built on military and bureaucratic foundations of his
Prussia
A former kingdom in north-central Europe including present-day northern Germany and northern Poland
Catherine the Great
ruled Russia from 1762 to 1796, added new lands to Russia, encouraged science, art, literature, Russia became one of Europe’s most powerful nations
Voltaire
(1694-1778) French philosopher. believed that freedom of speech was the best weapon against bad government. spoke out against the corruption of the French government, and the intolerance of the Catholic Church
Thomas Hobbes
English materialist and political philosopher who advocated absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings (1588-1679)
John Locke
17th century English philosopher who opposed the Divine Right of Kings and who asserted that people have a natural right to life, liberty, and property.
Checks and Balances
A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
Louis XVI (16th)
King of France during the French Revolution, is executed by the guillotine
Marie Antoinette
Queen of France (wife of Louis XVI) who was unpopular her extravagance and opposition to reform contributed to the overthrow of the monarchy; she was guillotined along with her husband (1755-1793)
Reign of Terror
(1793-94) during the French Revolution when thousands were executed for “disloyalty”
Guillotine
device used during the Reign of Terror to execute thousands by beheading
Social Darwinism
The belief that only the fittest survive in human political and economic struggle.
Imperialism
A policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries poitically, socially, and economically.
Scramble for Africa
Sudden wave of conquests in Africa by European powers in the 1880s and 1890s. Britain obtained most of eastern Africa, France most of northwestern Africa. Other countries (Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, and Spain) acquired lesser amounts.
Economic Systems
organized way a society provides for the wants and needs of its people
Adam Smith
Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneer of political economics. Seen today as the father of Capitalism. Wrote On the Wealth of Nations (1776) One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment.
Capitalism
an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.
free market economy
an economic system in which decisions on the three key economic questions are based on voluntary exchange in markets
Laissez-faire
Idea that government should play as small a role as possible in economic affairs.
Karl Marx
1818-1883. 19th century philosopher, political economist, sociologist, humanist, political theorist, and revolutionary. Often recognized as the father of communism. Analysis of history led to his belief that communism would replace capitalism as it replaced feudalism. Believed in a classless society.
Communism
A theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.
Socialism
A system in which society, usually in the form of the government, owns and controls the means of production.
Militarism
glorification of the military
Entangling Alliances
confusing series of alliances that bring countries into war
Nationalism
pride in one’s country
WWI Alliances
Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Ottoman Empire. Italy was in and then left later.
Balance of Power
Condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries.
Western Front
In WWI, the region of Northern France where the forces of the Allies and the Central Powers battled each other.
Sudetenland
Land that Germany thought was rightfully theirs due to the large German speaking population
Czechoslovakia
1939 Hitler occupies Czechoslovakia and violates Munich Agreement.
Munich Agreement
Agreement between Germany and Great Britain in which Hitler is given the Sudetenland in return for agreeing not to take any more territory.
Appeasement
Accepting demands in order to avoid conflict
Neville Chamberlain
Great British prime minister who advocated peace and a policy of appeasement
Adolf Hitler
Austrian born Dictator of Germany, implement Fascism and caused WWII and Holocoust
WWII Alliances
Allies (Britain, U.S., France, Russia, Australia, China, India, Canada) Axis (Germany, Japan, Italy)
ultimatum
a final proposal or statement of conditions
Aryans
Germanic people seen as the master race
USSR
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Red Scare
fear that communists were working to destroy the American way of life
Joseph McCarthy
1950s; Wisconsin senator claimed to have list of communists in American gov’t, but no credible evidence; took advantage of fears of communism post WWII to become incredibly influential; “McCarthyism” was the fearful accusation of any dissenters of being communists
