Absolutism and Constitutionalism

The Divine Right of Kings: The idea that monarchs were appointed by God and had absolute authority over their subjects.

The Wars of Religion: The series of wars fought between Protestants and Catholics throughout Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Thirty Years' War: The conflict that engulfed much of Central Europe from 1618 to 1648, resulting in devastating loss of life and property.

The English Civil War: The struggle between Parliament and King Charles I that ended with the king's execution in 1649.

The Glorious Revolution: The peaceful transfer of power in England in 1688 from James II to William and Mary.

The Enlightenment: The intellectual and cultural movement that arose in Europe in the 18th century, advocating reason, progress, and individual rights.

The Scientific Revolution: The breakthroughs in natural philosophy that began in the 16th century and paved the way for modern science.

The Age of Exploration: The era of European exploration and colonization in the Americas, Africa, and Asia from the 15th to the 17th centuries.

Mercantilism: The economic theory that the wealth and power of a nation depend on its accumulation of precious metals and its balance of trade.

Baroque Art and Architecture: The ornate and dramatic artistic style that dominated Europe in the 17th and early 18th centuries.

Absolutist Monarchies: The European nations that developed centralized and powerful monarchies in the 17th and 18th centuries, such as France, Spain, and Russia.

Constitutional Monarchies: The nations that established limited monarchies with parliamentary institutions, such as England, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

The Treaty of Westphalia: The 1648 treaty that ended the Thirty Years' War and established the principle of national sovereignty in Europe.

The Habsburg Empire: The multiethnic and multinational empire that dominated much of Central and Southeastern Europe from the 16th to the 20th centuries.

The Ottoman Empire: The Muslim empire that controlled much of Southeastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa from the 14th to the 20th centuries.

The Dutch Republic: The prosperous and tolerant nation that emerged in the Netherlands in the 17th century, with a powerful navy and merchant fleet.

The Scientific Method: The empirical and experimental method of investigation that emerged in the 17th century and transformed natural philosophy.

The Printing Press: The invention of movable type by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, which revolutionized the dissemination of information and knowledge.

The Protestant Reformation: The movement for religious and theological reform that began in the 16th century and divided Christianity into numerous denominations.

The Counter-Reformation: The Catholic Church's response to the spread of Protestantism, which included reforms and the establishment of new religious orders.

Enlightened Absolutism: This type of absolutism represents the attempt to reconcile the Enlightenment's ideas with the absolute power of monarchs. The rulers, known as enlightened despots, tried to apply reason and rationality to political and social issues while maintaining their power.

Divine Right Absolutism: This type of absolutism is based on the idea that kings and queens derive their authority from God. The monarchs are believed to be anointed by God and therefore have the right to rule without interference from other sources.

Military Absolutism: This type of absolutism is characterized by the dominance of the military class in society. Military leaders, often generals or warlords, hold the highest positions of power, and their authority is based on their ability to command and control armies.

Federalism: This type of constitutionalism advocates for a government system in which power is divided between the central government and smaller regional governments.

Parliamentary Democracy: This type of constitutionalism features a government system in which power is divided between the legislative (parliament) and executive (prime minister or president) branches of government.

Presidential Democracy: This type of constitutionalism is characterized by a system of government in which a president, elected by the people, holds executive power and shares it with the legislature.

Monarchical Democracy: In this type of constitutionalism, the king or queen holds a ceremonial position while the power to govern is vested in an elected parliament or head of state.

Constitutional Monarchy: This type of constitutionalism is characterized by the presence of both a monarch and a constitution. The monarch's power is limited by the constitution, which outlines the rules and responsibilities of the government.