AP European History
Ch. 15 Absolutism & Constitutionalism
Study Guide
Chapter Terms (Define 20)
Please use your own words. Definitions plagiarized from the glossary or another source will not receive
credit.
Witchcraft Craze
30 Years’ War
Protestant Union
Catholic League
Bohemian Phase
Defenestration of Prague
Danish Phase
Christian IV
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Edict of Restitution
Gustavus Adolphus
Battle of Lutzen
Battle of Nordlingen
Franco-Swedish Phase
Battle of Rocroi
Peace of Westphalia
Absolutism
Divine-right monarchy
Cardinal Richelieu
Louis XIII
Intendants
Cardinal Mazarin
The Fronde
Versailles
Louis XIV
Parlements
Edict of Fontainbleau
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Appartement
Francois-Michel Le Tellier
1st Dutch War
2nd Phase of Dutch War
War of the League of
Augsburg
War of the Spanish Succession
Philip III
Gaspar de Guzman
Brandenburg-Prussia
Frederick William the Great
Elector
Junkers
General War Commissariat
Frederick III/King Frederick I
Treaty of Karlowitz
Ivan the Terrible
Time of Troubles
Romanov Dynasty
Peter the Great
Procurator
St. Petersburg
The Northern War
Suleiman the Magnificent
Janissaries
House of Orange
William III of Orange
Amsterdam
States General
Stadholder
James I
Charles I
Gentry
Long Parliament
Triennial Act
Petition of Right
Oliver Cromwell
Rump Parliament
Commonwealth
Protectorate
Lord Protector
The Restoration
Charles II
Test Act
James II
Toleration Act
Glorious Revolution
William & Mary
John Locke
Thomas Hobbes
Mannerism
Baroque
French Classicism
Dutch Realism
William Shakespeare
Complete the Following Sentences
1. Henry IV had granted French Huguenots civil rights with his Edict of
, but Louis XIV took
them away with his Edict of
.
2. Jean-Baptiste Colbert, controller-general of
for Louis XIV, followed the policy of
, encouraging
, discouraging
.
3. The suspicion that France and Spain would be united when Louis XIV’s
became the
Spanish King Philip V, led to the War of the
.
4. The Hohenzollern ruler who built the Prussian state, the Great Elector
, based
his structure on a large and efficient
and used
to raise revenues.
5. In Italy, the three arms of the Counter-Reformation, the
, the
, and
the
, long stifled all resistance to Catholic orthodoxy.
6. Peter Romanov decided after a trip to
Europe that Russia was a
and needed an infusion of modern
.
7. When it became evident to the English in 1688 that the baby son of James II would perpetuate a
dynasty, they sent him into exile and chose as their monarchs William of
and his wife
, the daughter of James II.
8. American and French used Englishman’s John Locke’s theories to demand
government, the rule of
, and the protection of
.
9. The Golden Age of Dutch Painting was financed by Dutch
and reached its zenith with
the work of
, who ironically in his later years eschewed
success.
10. In his play
, Moliere poked fun at the Paris
, and in reaction they had it
banned from the stage for
years.
Place the Following in Chronological Order and Give Dates
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Peter Romanov’s trip to the West
War of the Spanish Succession
Turkish Siege of Vienna
England’s Glorious Revolution
Publication of Hobbes’ Leviathan
Michael Romanov begins his reign
Edict of Fontainebleau
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Questions for Critical Thought
1. What does the witchcraft craze of the 17th Century reveal about the social changes which took place as
a result of the cultural, political, and religious upheaval of the 16th century?
2. It has been said that the Thirty Years’ War began as a religious conflict but ended as a political
conflict. Using specific examples from the Thirty Years’ War, assess the extent to which this statement
is accurate.
3. Contrast the theory of Absolutism as propounded by Bodin and Bossuet with the reality of its practice,
using the policies and activities of Louis XIV as your example.
4. Describe in detail the life of the aristocracy at Louis XIV’s court in Versailles. To what extent was Louis
master and to what extent was he a slave of his court?
5. Discuss the similarities and differences in the personalities and policies of Louis XIV and Peter
Romanov. Which of the two was more successful as an absolute monarch?
6. What political and social factors transformed the small German province of Brandenburg-Prussia into
the core of what was to be a German nation? Explain each factor.
7. Describe Peter Romanov’s role in the emergence of modern Russia. Was he more or less important
for Russia than Louis XIV was for France? Was he more or less absolute than Louis? Explain your
answer.
8. Discuss the political, economic, and social factors which account for the failure of the Dutch and
English to develop an Absolute Monarchy.
9. Explain the internal and external circumstances that made the Dutch so commercially successful in
the seventeenth century. Were external or internal circumstances more vital to their success?
10. Historians have argued that Oliver Cromwell eventually became the ruler that he fought so hard to
prevent in England. Discuss the validity of this view.
11. Compare and contrast the political ideas of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. How did their respective
social ranks and historical settings account for the similarities and differences in their views?