absolute monarch
a ruler that has unlimited power and authority over his or her people
divine right
the belief that a ruler's authority comes directly from God
Charles V
King of Spain (as Charles I); Holy Roman Emperor (as Charles V); from 1519 to 1558; his opposition to the Protestant Reformation embroiled Spain in a series of wars throughout his reign. (p. 536
peace of augsburg
an agreement between states in the Holy Roman Empire that gave each German prince the right to decide whether his state would be Catholic or Protestant
Phillip II
King of Spain (1556-1598), Naples from (554-1598), and Portugal (1580-1598); he led Roman Catholic efforts to recover parts of Europe from Protestantism. He was defeated by England and the Netherlands.
el greco
Greek painter in Spain; chiefly religious in nature, his works express the spirit of the Counter, or Catholic, Reformation.
diego velazquez
Spanish painter; he painted in a realistic style but also worked in impressionism towards the end of his career.
Miguel de Cervantes
Spanish novelist, dramatist, and poet; he wrote Don Quixote de la Mancha
sister juana ines de la cruz
Mexican nun and poet; she wrote poetry, prose, and plays
spanish armada
a great fleet (130 ships and 20,000 men) assembled by Spain in 1588 for an invasion of England
huguenot
a French Protestant
Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre
August 24, 1572; a massacre of 6,000 to 8,000 Huguenots in Paris authorized by King Charles IX and his mother Catherine de M�dici
Henry IV
King of France from 1589 to 1610; he issued the Edict of Nantes (1598), which permitted Protestant worship, in order to restore peace to France.
edict of nantes
a declaration of French king Henry IV in which he promised that Protestants could live peacefully in France and were free to establish houses of worship in selected French cities
Louis XIII
weak ruler with cardinal richelieu as is advisor
Cardinal Richelieu
French minister and chief minister of King Louis XIII; he wanted to strengthen the monarchy and fought against Huguenot resistance to the Catholic monarchy
war of the spanish succession
war fought over the Spanish throne; Louis XIV wanted it for his son and fought a war against the Dutch, English, and the Holy Roman Empire to gain the throne for France
treaty of Utrecht
treaty that ended the War of the Spanish Succession; it gave the throne to Louis XIV's grandson but also stated that France and Spain would never be ruled by the same monarch
Louis XIV
King of France from 1643 to 1715; known as the Sun King, he built the palace at Versailles as a means to consolidate absolute power; a series of wars at the end of his long reign drained France's wealth
puritans
English Protestants of the late 1500s and most of the 1600s who wanted to "purify" the Church of England through reforms
Charles I
King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1625 to 1649; his conflict with Parliament started the English Civil War. He was beheaded in 1649
royalists
supporters of government by a monarch; used as a name for supporters of England's King Charles I
oliver cromwell
Lord Protector of England; in 1642 he led Parliament's forces in deposing King Charles I; he became ruler of England in 1653
commonwealth
a republican government based on the common good of all the people
restoration
the period of the reign of Charles II in England when the monarchy was restored after the collapse of Oliver Cromwell's government; there was also a rebirth of English culture during this time
Charles II
King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1660 to 1685 and eldest son of King Charles I; he was asked by Parliament to rule England after the death of Oliver Cromwell.
william and mary
King William III (1650-1702) and Queen Mary II (1662-1694), rulers of Great Britain who replaced King James II as a result of the Glorious Revolution.
glorious revolution
a nonviolent revolution in which leaders of Britain's Parliament invited Mary, daughter of King James II, and her husband, the Dutch ruler William of Orange, to replace King James II
constitutional monarchy
a monarchy limited by certain laws
boyars
wealthy Russian landowners
czar
caesar"; title taken by the ruler of Russia
Ivan IV
Grand duke of Russia and the first Russian ruler to assume to title of czar; also known as Ivan the Terrible. He instituted a campaign of terror against disfavored boyars. He killed his son, leaving no heir to the throne
peter the great
Czar of Russia from 1682 to 1725; he transformed Russia into a modern state. He was an absolute monarch who brought the ways of Western Europe to Russia and made various reforms.
westernization
the adoption of the culture and ideas of Western society, namely Europe and America
Catherine the Great
Czarina of Russia from 1762 to 1796; ruling with absolute power, she introduced a number of reforms that extended Peter the Great's policy of "westernization
Thirty Year's war
a conflict in Europe that began in Prague as a Protestant rebellion against the Holy Roman Empire; fought over religion and power among ruling dynasties
treaty of westphalia
treaty ending the Thirty Years' War; it reduced the power of the Holy Roman Emperor; it extended religious toleration to Protestants and Catholics within most of the empire
maria theresa
Austrian archduchess, queen of Bohemia and Hungary from 1740 to 1780; she took the throne after the War of the Austrian Succession. She was one of the most beloved monarchs in the history of Austria
frederick the great
King of Prussia from 1740 to 1786; through victories in a series of wars with Austria, Prussia's main rival for dominance among the German states, Frederick made Prussia a major European power in the late 1700s