Absolutism+In+Eastern+Europe



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Terms: ID the following terms. Include any and all information that you feel is relevant to the term. If possible identify any other IDs your term is related to.


 * Holy Roman Empire- Once an actual Empire united by Charlemagne, it consisted of the whole of France, Germany, Italy, and a small part of northern Spain. On his death it was partitioned, and gradually came to be the loose constitutional confederacy which lasted until 1806. Tradition and common sense dictated that the seven Electors, or the Golden Bull, cast their votes for the House of Habsburg to be Emperor.**


 * Ottoman Empire- The Habsburg Empire/Austria's traditional enemy until both fell into a sharp and terrible decline in the 1850's. Fought repeated wars in the Balkans until the decisive 1683 Siege of Vienna, which led to the Christian Reconquest of Hungary.**


 * Suleiman the Magnificent**- Sultan of the Ottoman Empire/against Catholic Habsburgs. he was refered to as the magnificent because he was the most fortunate of all the sultans he had no opponent worthy of name, and he inherited a well organized country, and a disciplined army. he also took full advantage of all of his talents, gifts, and advantages.


 * Janissary Corps**- Slaves in the Ottoman Empire who formed the Sultan's very efficient military army. the pow's made up a big number of the soldiers, and the christian youths were converted to islam and then inducted into the ranks for the sultan's slaves. Open to Christians and Muslims, very prestigous to be apart of.


 * Poland-Lithuania A joined state of Poland and Lithuania that had a common monarch. It was partitioned thrice by the monarchs of Austria, Prussia, and Russia, disappearing for about 150 years in 1798**


 * serfdom: a type of service that peasants did under feudalism. They worked on the land of the Lord of the Manor, a noble. If a peasant lived on a plot of land owned by a noble, he had to do physical work or would be removed.**


 * robot- three days of unpaid labor that serfs had to do.**


 * Habsburg Empire (Austrian Empire)-** situated in Austria; wanted to gain control of Germany following the Thirty Years' War and bring it back to Catholicism. Was in alliance with Spain on this conquest, but as Spain's power and influence faltered, they were left on their own in achieving this. Retained a firm hold on the title of Holy Roman Empire after 1648. Began to solidify power within their hereditary possessions outside the Holy Roman Empire. The Treaty of Rastatt (1714) gave them former Spanish Netherlands and Lombary Northern Italy. Had difficulty unifying their territories due to the great diversity of each individual nation. Developed soveriegnity over Hungary with the rule of Emperor Leopald I. His conquests made up for the loss of holds on the Holy Roman Empire.


 * Bohemia- European region located where today's modern day Czech Republic is. Ruled by the Habsburgs, Great amount of serfs.**


 * Austria proper-** (as opposed to the complex of Habsburg lands as a whole) had been an Archduchy since the 15th century, and most of the other territories of the Empire had their own institutions and territorial history, although there were some attempts at centralization, especially between 1848 and 1859.


 * Hungary - The country that effectively thwarted the full development of Habsburg absolutism. Never fully centralized to a Habsburg state by the protestant magyars (Hungarian nobility) pitting the Ottomans vs. the Habsburgs allowing both to take over Hungary. They had on common ruler, had their own laws, politics, and could govern their own land.**


 * Leopold I-** Leopold I of Habsburg acceded to the imperi al crown in 1658 to take over the Holy Roman Empire. Once his brother/cousin died who put in all new reforms that allowed the peasants to pay their owners in actual money instead of chickens, cows, etc, Leopold took over and abolished all of the new reforms and put back the traditional laws and regulations which pleased both the nobles and peasants to some extent.


 * siege of Vienna, 1683- battle between holy roman empire and the ottoman empire. marked a turning point in the ottoman-habsburg wars. The climax of the Ottoman Empire's power. The Holy Roman Empire would probably have lost, if the Pope had not called on Poland to send their armies to support the Hapsburg forces.**


 * Pragmatic Sanction - says that the Habsburgs could have a daughter and still keep the name.**


 * Prussia- The only great state of the Holy Roman Empire aside from Austria, its continual antagonisms would lead to dual hegemony within Germany.**


 * Hohenzollerns-** Powerful German Family of Northern Germany situated in Prussia. Will become rivals of the Hapsburgs for supremacy in central Europe. Ruled Brandenburg since 1417; acquired the duchy of Cleves, as well the countries that border Brandenburg. East Prussia lay inside Poland and outside the authority of the Holy Roman Empire; Frederick William establishes these areas into a modern style. This dynasty did not possess a crown. However, one crafty Hohenzollern dubbed himself the "King in Prussia", citing ancestral claims to the area, which were, in fact, wholly dubious on the grounds that he said they were stolen from the Hohenzollerns by Knights Teutonic.


 * Frederick William, the “Great Elector”-** A Prussian Hohenzollern absolutist ruler. He built up an army to become a part of the balance of power and negotiated peace with Sweden for his own gains (trait of a Machiavellian prince). He also taxed cities and towns along with salt, land and consumer goods to reaffirm peasant control. He granted unlimited authority to the Junker class over their serfs, in return for the rights of taxation and to forge a standing army. He nabbed the rich archbishopric of Magdeburg and most of the Pommern coastline in the 1648 Treaty of Westfalen.


 * Junkers- Prussian aristocrats and landholders. In 1661, Frederick William persuaded them to accept taxation without consent, in order to fund an army.**

“**king of Prussia”- Frederick the Great (Frederick II). Best known for brilliance in military campaigning and organization of the Prussian army. Mostly focused on power and constantly checked on his army.**


 * Frederick William I-** Also known as Frederick the "Ostentatious," Frederick William I was known for being a weak ruler with weak control. He attempted to copy Louis XIV, but her could not control his people, especially the countryside.

“**Sparta of the North"-** This was the army of Prussia created by the Soldier King, Peter the Great, that was four times as large as any other European army. This army allowed political stability in the country by creating intimidation.


 * Muscovy**.a portion of land in Russia. A historical region and former land area in west-central Russia. Centered on Moscow, it was founded 1280 and existed as a separate area until the 16th century, when it was united with another principality to form the center of the early Russian empire. The name was then used for the expanded territory.


 * Boyars- Russian nobility and landholders, harrassed Ivan the Terrible when he came to power.**


 * Ivan III (“the Great”) -** Ivan III lead the Muscovite State, beginning to revolt against the ruling khan and declaring themselves autocrats. He gained the loyalty from the highest-ranking nobles who helped Ivan and the other princes gain power. He claims the Byzantine Empire by marrying the daughter of the empire and claiming himself tsar, and by naming himself head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

“**Third Rome**”- This is what the princes of Moscow, who also believed they were the heirs and empires of Orthodox Christianity, called Moscow. They thought it'd be the next world superpower.


 * Ivan IV (“the Terrible”)** - He took the throne at age three, and was crowned tsar at 16. He become terrible after his wife died. He already lacked any family whatsoever, and when his wife died he was convinced that his enemy nobles had done it. Ivan began a campaign to persecute all of these opposers. His accomplishments were as follows: he gained Poland and Lithuania, lead a noble execution en masse, created a New Law Code to increase taxes and check the growth of the middle class, and ended the influence of the Tartars.


 * Cossacks- landowners in Russia who split from the country and Ivan the Terrible. They tried to rebel against the government, but the nobles banded together and crushed them, and elected Michael Romanov as the new tsar.**

“**Time of Troubles**”- This was the time period after Ivan and his successor. The "Time of Troubles" included drought, crop failure, and plague. It also included Cossack and peasant revolts, and brought unity to the nobles, causing them to crush this rebellion. during this time foreign intervention, peasant uprisings, and attempts of pretenders threatening to seize the throne threatened to destroy the state itself and caused social and economic problems.


 * Romanov Dynasty-** Dynasty that arose in 1613 at end of the Time of Troubles; ruled Russia until 1917. Began with the reign of Michael Romanov, who was elected by an assembly of nobles. Brought stability and modest bureaucratic centralization to Russia.


 * Michael Romanov- First Tsar from the Romanov house. ended "the time of troubles" he started the romanov dynasty. he was chosen as tsar after the time of troubles.**

“**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.


 * Peter the Great- Leader of Russia whom was 6'7'' with enormous energy and willpower. He was fascinated by weapons and foreign technology. He led a group of 250 Russian officials and young nobles on and eighteen month tour of western European capitals remaining unoffical to avoid long diplomatic ceremonies. while the renaissance swept through europe, russia stayed away from westernization and modernization. he created a strong military and army, secularized schools, and held more power over orthodox churchs.**


 * Strelski- Russian conscripts; poorly equipped. Usually given a large bardiche and told to charge.**


 * Great Northern War-** Broke out as Peter attacked Sweden (with assistance from Poland and Denmark) in his quest to establish a Russian trading port on the Baltic during the reign of Charles XII on the Swedish throne. After being defeated at the Battle of Narva in 1700, Peter re-organized his army on the western model and eventually gained Estonia, Livonia, and Karella on the Baltic. Charles XII troops are defeated in the Battle of Poltava, and the war ends with the Peace of Nystad in 1721. Sweden becomes a second-rate power after the war.

“**Window on the West”-** Created by Peter the Great, this city, A.K.A. St. Petersburg, was created to imitate the other strong countries of Europe. To "modernize his ideal country", he made 25,000 serfs per year come and work in the summer to build and construct new palaces, etc. Invited many new renaissance men and artists and western men to bring new culture and ideas.


 * Table of Ranks** *- Introduced in 1722, Peter the Great used this system to establish power of nobility and peasanty alike. The system recognized duties by civilians in three distanct categories: military, civil, and court. People would be given a rank not based on title or wealth, but about how good they performed in these categories.


 * St. Petersburg-** Capitol city created by Peter the Great to resemble a French city. It was built on land taken from Sweden. It was Peter the Great's dream city. He built it in his image of a great city, and it became a major trading post, with access to the sea for the benefit to Mother Russia. "The window to the west."


 * Winter Palace- (town palace) Prince Eugene of Savoy wanted to have Fischer, a famous architect, build his glory and triumph into stone after defeating the Turks and halting Louis XIV to a standstill.**