Monarchial Absolutism
This would be the dominant form of government in Eastern Europe(with the important exception of Poland). Contrasts with the triumph of constitutionalism in Western Europe.
Serfdom
Remember this institution was eliminated by 1350 in Eastern Europe but was reinstated in the years 1400 through 1650 by the nobility. First peasants became bound to the land they worked and then to the lords they served. Very notably this institution was
Towns
Their population declined greatly and were impoverished by a trading system that valued selling agricultural products (produced by degrading estate agriculture) to big foreign capitalists(from the west) over local buyers. Their decline mirrored that of th
Eastern Absolutism
Rested on a powerful nobility, a WEAK (opposite the western model) middle class, and an oppressed peasantry composed of serfs.
Baroque
Absolute monarchs in Prussia, Austria, and Russia had a powerful impact on the flowering of the _________ style in architecture and the arts. Was dramatically emotional, bold, and grand.
Nobility
Gained increasing power in the period following the Black Death in eastern Europe. They accomplished this by eliminating peasants ability for free movement, imposed heavy labor obligations on the peasantry and by manipulating the legal system by being "ju
Hereditary Subjugation
By 1653 a condition imposed on the peasantry that made them bound to their lords from one generation to the next.
Estate agriculture
Associated with consolidation of serfdom in Eastern Europe. Occured more frequently as price for agricultural commodities rose because of the flow of gold and silver from the new world.
Sovereignty
The western concept of _______ , as embodied by a king who protected the interests of all his people, was NOT well developed in eastern Europe before the 1650s. MOST significant political difference between East and West that explains the rise of serfdom
Suleiman
Ottoman sultan who is known as "The Magnificent." Under him the Ottoman Empire reached the peak of its power. His victory at the Battle of Mohacs in 1526 allowed him to add Hungary to the Ottoman Domain. Following his death a powerful oligarchy of officia
War
The continual occurrence of this after the 1600s in eastern Europe did help rulers build more power over the nobility. Allowed rulers to justify permanent standing armies, impose and collect permanent taxes with nobilities permission, and conduct formal r
Prussia
Had a significantly stronger and effective form of absolutism when compare with Austria in the 18th century. This gave it an advantage in Eastern Europe which eventually led to it uniting the German people in the 19th century.
Bohemian Estates
Had been predominantly Protestant before their defeat in the Thirty Years War at the Battle of White Mountain. Their losses led to the establishment of a new Catholic nobility loyal to the Hapsburg who that reinstated serfdom and stamped out Protestantism
King Ferdinand III
Austrian Hapsburg king who centralized government in the hereditary German speaking provinces, most notably Austria, Styria, and the Tyrol. His reign also featured the first creation of a permanent standing army which was used to to wage war in Hungary.
Eastern Orthodoxy
Church established in the Byzantine Empire after the split from the Roman Catholic Church; Greek & Russian Orthodox Churches descend from this. Rejects the authority of the pope which is the main difference in religion and moral beliefs dividing it from R
Janissary Corp
Formed from a yearly "tax" on conquered christian communities that amounted to about 3,000 male children. Were the brave and skillful corp of the Ottoman Sultan's army.
Sultan
Literally means"holder of power," the military and political head of state in the Ottoman Empire. A hereditary position who was allowed to exploit the land as he saw fit(no hereditary nobility), and protect the peasants from greedy officials.
Battle of Mohacs
1526 battle in which Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman "The Magnificent." This battle marked the end of the Jagellion Dynasty and division of Hungary into 3 realms und
Hohenzollern
A German royal family that originally ruled through its senior and junior branches as the imperial electors of Brandenburg.
Battle of Vienna
A decisive victory for the Holy League under King John III Sobieski of Poland over Ottomans. Completely reversed Ottoman dominance of Hungary that had followed the Battle of Mohacs in 1526 and promoted a degree of unity in the Hapsburg Empire.
millet
A religious community or nation within the Ottoman Empire. Enjoyed autonomous self-government under its religious leaders. Led to the creation of a powerful, stable bond between the Ottoman ruling class and the different religious leaders. Illustrates how
Private Property
The Ottoman State disavowed the concept of ____________ _________. Explains the immense power of Sultan and lack of hereditary nobility.
Jagiellon Dynasty
Family of monarchs of Poland-Lithuania, Bohemia, and Hungary that became one of the most powerful in east central Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Pragmatic Sanction
1713 act passed by Hapsburg Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI that stated that Hapsburg possessions were never to be divided, in order to allow his daughter Maria Theresa to be ruler.
Hungarian Nobility
Arguably the strongest in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. The composed 5 to 7 percent of the Hungarian people. Resistance was tied to the fact that many still remained Protestant.
Francis Rakoczy
Prince of Hungarians who led rebellion in 1703 against the Habsburgs when they were involved in the War of Spanish Succession; revolt was crushed, but was successful in getting Habsburgs to accept some traditional privileges for Hungarian aristocrats.
Elector of Brandenburg
Hohenzollern family; their right to help choose the Holy Roman emperor with six other electors bestowed prestige, but the elector had no military strength whatsoever
Charles XII
This young Swedish king's forces won many victories against the Russians in the early years of the Great Northern War, but after introducing a number of military reforms Peter the Great ultimately defeated him at the decisive 1709 Battle of Poltava.
Brandenburg
The territory of an Elector (of the Holy Roman Empire) that expanded to become the kingdom of Prussia around 1701. Nicknamed the "sand box of the Holy Roman Empire
Fredrick William
Known as "The Great Elector". He exploited the weakening of the imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire following the Thirty Years War to unify his three separate provinces. Forced Estates to accept permanent taxation without consent in order to build a
Junkers
The noble and landowning class that dominated the Estate of Brandenburg and Prussia in the Holy Roman Empire. Became the officer class in Fredrick William 1's army.
Fredrick III
This Elector succeeded Fredrick William in 1688 and ruled until 1713. Nicknamed " The Ostentatious" because his contemporaries felt he was of weak mind and body. He mainly tried to copy Louis XIV love for luxury. Followed by Fredrick William I
Fredrick William I
Nicknamed "The Soldier's King" he followed up the weak reign of Fredrick III with dramatic reforms. Seen as being crude, dangerous, and neurotic by his contemporaries he nevertheless fully established Prussian absolutism. He created the best army in Europ
Boyard Nobility
A fuedal division of the land based society in Russia.
Yaroslav
Vladimir's son who became a Grand Prince in A.D. 1019. Under his rule, Kievan culture reached its peak. First library established and legal system organized. After his death however the Kevian principality disintegrated into competing political units. Nic
Vladimir
Kevian ruler and grandson of Oleg the Great. He chose Byzantine Christianity as the official religion of the Kievan( would become Russian) state in 980 after studying a variety of religions.
Mongol Yoke
Describes the ruthless Mongol rule over the Slavs for about 200 years after the conquest of Chinggis Khan. The Mongols used existing Slavic princes as servants and tax collectors. Good princes were rewarded with heredity. Alexander Nevsky began the proces
Ivan III
He completed the process of gathering in the territories around Moscow including the crucial principality of Novgorod. This prince of Moscow was an autocrat and tsar. By 1480 he stopped acknowledging the khan as the supreme ruler. Second, after the fall o
Alexander Nevsky
Russian who defeated a German invading army and was rewarded by Mongols by becoming grand-prince and the first czar. Bases in Novorgrod.
The Golden Horde
A Mongol group who ruled over Russia (merely collected taxes, didn't actually live there) Also interrupted the peace & prosperity of the Song dynasty and did what hadn't been done before - they conquered China. Led by Genghis Khan
Ivan I
became the first Great Prince of Moscow; He gained this title by aiding the Mongols in their attacks against the Princes who had refused to pay proper tribute; Most importantly, he made Moscow the center of Orthodox Christianity. Nicknamed kalita or "The
Service nobility
Held the tsar's land on the explicit condition that they serve in the tsar's army. Non heriditary.
Ivan IV
First "Tsar of All Russia" Fought and lost the Livonian War in an attempt to expand territory. He also added vast territories in the Russo-Tatar wars. Abolished distinction between boyars and new service nobility(all were obligated to serve him). Divided
Livonian War
A lengthy series of wars between the Tsardom of Russia and Denmark, Norway, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden for the Control of Livonia.
Cossacks
Free groups and outlaw armies of peasants who fled the tzar and service nobility.
The Time of Troubles
By 1601 the Russian crown plunged this crisis of legitimacy. Started when Ivan IV "The Terrible" had murdered his heir in a fit of anger and left his half-written son to inherit the throne, which led to an absence of power at the center as well as a strug
Oprichnik
Secret Police created by Ivan IV to carry out murders.
Oprichnina
This area under Ivan's personal rule consisted of scattered territories and estates, many of which were seized from princely families and boyars. Included some of the best land, as well as districts of several cities. The rest of the country was left unde
Ivan Bolotnikov
A leader of Cossacks groups during the "Time of Troubles" that travelled through north Russia, gaining peasant support and killing members of the upper class. Killed when he attempted to enter Moscow.
Michael Romanov
In 1613 he was chosen by an assembly of nobles new czar. For the next 300 years the Romanov family ruled in Russia.
Alexis Romanov
Second Romanov tsar; abolished assemblies of nobles; gained new powers over Russian Orthodox church
Nikon
Patriarch of Russian Orthodox Church who introduced sweeping reforms in 1625 during the reign of Alexis Romanov. Led to the split of faith into "Old" and "New" Believers.
Old Believers
Russians who refused to accept the ecclesiastical reforms of Alexis Romanov (17th century); many exiled to Siberia or southern Russia, where they became part of Russian colonization. Some were also hunted down and killed.
Peter I
Known for "westernizing" Russia, he was primarily interested in increasing Russian military power and territory. Started the Great Northern War against Sweden to gain control of Baltic. Traveled to the "West" in the 1690s undercover and when he returned e
Stenka Razin
Led a Cossack revolt by gaining masses of peasant supporters as they killed nobility and landlords. Finally defeated by the government nobles further enserfed the peasants , holding down the peasants and holding them back from rebellion became the primary
Great Northern War
War with Sweden over control of Baltic, caused by Russia building St. Petersburg(on Peter the Great's orders)on Swedish soil. (Russia wins). Ended by Treaty of Nystad
Treaty of Nystad
A treaty that ended the great Northern War. Prussia and Russia are the big winners in this treaty and Poland and Sweden (lose Baltic lands) are the losers. This marks the end of Sweden as a great power.
Battle of Narva
1700 Battle in which King Charles XII of Sweden with 8,000 men routed Tsar Peter's army of 40,000 men during the Great Northern War. Peter resolved to improve his army further and later came back at Battle of Poltava. (Picture of Battles Triumphal Arch)
Battle of Poltava
In this 1709 battle King Charles XII of Sweden was decimated by Peter and his Russian Army after being severely weakened by the one of the harshest Russian winters ever recorded, very much in the fashion of Napoleon and Hitler. Sweden would not put up ano
Table of Ranks
Peter the Great instituted it to create opportunities for non-nobles to serve the state and join the nobility. There were 14 levels. Each official was required to begin at level one and work his way up. When a non-noble reached the eighth rank, he became
Neva River
River where ships could sail down into the Baltic Sea, around St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg
Capitol city of Russia built by Peter the Great. It was on the coast of the Baltic Sea and considered Russia's "Window to the West" and is a symbol of Peter's desire to westernize. Built on the back of the serfs.
Bartolomeo Rastrelli
Chief architect of the St. Petersburg who combined Russian and Italian styles in a unique Baroque style which is sometime called "Petrine Baroque". Known for building the Winter Palace.