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AP World History Period 5 Flashcards

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9656511406abolitionist movementAn international movement that between approximately 1780 and 1890 succeeded in condemning slavery as morally repugnant and abolishing it in much of the world; the movement was especially prominent in Britain and the United States.0
9656511407CreolesNative-born elites in the Spanish colonies.1
9656511408Declaration of the Rights of Man and CitizenDocument drawn up by the French National Assembly in 1789 that proclaimed the equal rights of all men; the declaration ideologically launched the French Revolution.2
9656511409Declaration of the Rights of WomanShort work written by the French feminist Olympe de Gouges in 1791 that was modeled on the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and that made the argument that the equality proclaimed by the French revolutionaries must also include women.3
9656511410Estates-GeneralFrench representative assembly called into session by Louis XVI to address pressing problems and out of which the French Revolution emerged; the three estates were the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners.4
9656511411FreetownWest African settlement in what is now Sierra Leone at which British naval commanders freed Africans they rescued from illegal slave ships.5
9656511412French RevolutionMassive dislocation of French society (1789-1815) that overthrew the monarchy, destroyed most of the French aristocracy, and launched radical reforms of society that were lost again, though only in part, under Napoleon's imperial rule and after the restoration of the monarchy.6
9656511413gens de couleur libresLiterally, "free people of color"; term used to describe freed slaves and people of mixed racial background in Saint Domingue on the eve of the Haitian Revolution.7
9656511414HaitiName that revolutionaries gave to the former French colony of Saint Domingue; the term means "mountainous" or "rugged" in the Taino language.8
9656511415Haitian RevolutionThe only fully successful slave rebellion in world history; the uprising in the French Caribbean colony of Saint Domingue (later renamed Haiti) was sparked by the French Revolution and led to the establishment of an independent state after a long and bloody war (1791-1804).9
9656511416Hidalgo-Morelos RevolutionSocially radical peasant insurrection that began in Mexico in 1810 and that was led by the priests10
9656511417Latin American RevolutionsSeries of risings in the Spanish colonies of Latin America (1810-1826) that established the independence of new states from Spanish rule but that for the most part retained the privileges of the elites despite efforts at more radical social rebellion by the lower classes.11
9656511418Toussaint L'OuvertureFirst leader of the Haitian Revolution, a former slave (1743-1803) who wrote the first constitution of Haiti and served as the first governor of the newly independent state.12
9656511419Napoleon BonaparteFrench head of state from 1799 until his abdication in 1814 (and again briefly in 1815); preserved much of the French Revolution under an autocratic system and was responsible for the spread of revolutionary ideals through his conquest of much of Europe.13
9656511420NationA group of people who have a sense of common identity and destiny, thanks to ties of blood, culture, language, or common experience.14
9656511421NationalismThe focusing of citizens' loyalty on the notion that they are part of a "nation" with a unique culture, territory, and destiny; first became a prominent element of political culture in the nineteenth century.15
9656511422American RevolutionSuccessful rebellion conducted by the colonists of parts of North America (not Canada) against British rule (1775-1787); a conservative revolution whose success assured property rights but established republican government in place of monarchy.16
9656511423Petit BlancsThe "little" (or poor) white population of Saint Domingue, which played a significant role in the Haitian Revolution.17
9656511424Seneca Falls ConferenceThe first organized women's rights conference18
9656511425Elizabeth Cady StantonLeading figure of the early women's rights movement in the United States (1815-1902).19
9656511426the Reign of TerrorTerm used to describe the revolutionary violence in France in 1793-1794, when radicals under the leadership of Maximilien Robespierre executed tens of thousands of people deemed enemies of the revolution.20
9656511427Third EstateIn prerevolutionary France, the term used for the 98 percent of the population that was neither clerical nor noble, and for their representatives at the Estates General; in 1789, it declared itself a National Assembly and launched the French Revolution.21
9656511428Tupac AmaruThe last Inca emperor; in the 1780s, a Native American rebellion against Spanish control of Peru took place in his name.22
9656511429BourgeoisieTerm that Karl Marx used to describe the owners of industrial capital; originally meant "townspeople."23
9656511430British Royal SocietyAssociation of scientists established in England in 1660 that was dedicated to the promotion of "useful knowledge."24
9656511431Crimean WarMajor international conflict (1854-1856) in which British and French forces defeated Russia; the defeat prompted reforms within Russia.25
9656511432Sigmund FreudAustrian doctor and the father of modern psychoanalysis (1856-1939); his theories about the operation of the human mind and emotions remain influential today26
9656511433Labour PartyBritish working-class political party established in the 1890s and dedicated to reforms and a peaceful transition to socialism, in time providing a viable alternative to the revolutionary emphasis of Marxism.27
9656511434Karl MarxGerman expatriate in England who advocated working-class revolution as the key to creating an ideal communist future.28
9656511435Middle class valuesBelief system that developed in Britain in the nineteenth century; it emphasized thrift, hard work, rigid moral behavior, cleanliness, and "respectability."29
9656511436Robert OwensSocialist thinker and wealthy mill owner (1771-1858) who created an ideal industrial community at New Lanark, Scotland.30
9656511437Peter the GreatTsar of Russia (r. 1689-1725) who attempted a massive reform of Russian society in an effort to catch up with the states of Western Europe.31
9656511438PopulismLate-nineteenth-century American political movement that denounced corporate interests of all kinds.32
9656511439ProletariatTerm that Karl Marx used to describe the industrial working class; originally used in ancient Rome to describe the poorest part of the urban population.33
9656511440Steam engineMechanical device in which the steam from heated water builds up pressure to drive a piston, rather than relying on human or animal muscle power; the introduction of this item allowed a hitherto unimagined increase in productivity and made the Industrial Revolution possible.34
9656511441Boxer RebellionRising of Chinese militia organizations in 1900 in which large numbers of Europeans and Chinese Christians were killed35
9656511442DaimyoFeudal lords of Japan who retained substantial autonomy under the Tokugawa shogunate and only lost their social preeminence in the Meiji restoration.36
9656511443Meiji RestorationThe overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan in 1868, restoring power at long last to the emperor37
9656511444Matthew PerryU.S. navy commodore who in 1853 presented the ultimatum that led Japan to open itself to more normal relations with the outside world.38
9656511445Opium WarsTwo wars fought between Western powers and China (1839-1842 and 1856-1858) after China tried to restrict the importation of foreign goods; China lost both wars and was forced to make major concessions.39
9656511446Russo-Japanese WarEnding in a Japanese victory, this war established Japan as a formidable military competitor in East Asia and precipitated the Russian Revolution of 1905.40
9656511447SamuraiArmed retainers of the Japanese feudal lords, famed for their martial skills and loyalty; in the Tokugawa shogunate, they gradually became an administrative elite, but they did not lose their special privileges until the Meiji restoration.41
9656511448Self-strengthening MovementChina's program of internal reform in the 1860s and 1870s, based on vigorous application of Confucian principles and limited borrowing from the West.42
9656511449The Sick Man of EuropeWestern Europe's unkind nickname for the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a name based on the sultans' inability to prevent Western takeover of many regions and to deal with internal problems; it fails to recognize serious reform efforts in the Ottoman state during this period.43
9656511450Social DarwinismAn application of the concept of "survival of the fittest" to human history in the nineteenth century.44
9656511451Taiping UprisingMassive Chinese rebellion that devastated much of the country between 1850 and 1864; it was based on the millenarian teachings of Hong Xiuquan.45
9656511452Tanzimat ReformsImportant reform measures undertaken in the Ottoman Empire beginning in 1839; the term means "reorganization."46
9656511453Tokugawa ShogunateRulers of Japan from 1600 to 1868.47
9656511454Unequal treatiesSeries of nineteenth-century treaties in which China made major concessions to Western powers.48
9656511455Young OttomansGroup of would-be reformers in the mid-nineteenth-century Ottoman Empire that included lower-level officials, military officers, and writers; they urged the extension of Westernizing reforms to the political system.49
9656511456Young TurksMovement of Turkish military and civilian elites that developed ca. 1900, eventually bringing down the Ottoman Empire50
9656511457ApartheidAfrikaans term for the system that developed in South Africa of strictly limiting the social and political integration of whites and blacks.51
9656511458Cash crop agricultureAgricultural production, often on a large scale, of crops for sale in the market, rather than for consumption by the farmers themselves.52
9656511459Leopold IIhis rule as private owner of the Congo Free State during much of that time is typically held up as the worst abuse of Europe's second wave of colonization, resulting as it did in millions of deaths.53
9656511460Cultivation SystemSystem of forced labor used in the Netherlands East Indies in the nineteenth century; peasants were required to cultivate at least 20 percent of their land in cash crops such as sugar or coffee for sale at low and fixed prices to government contractors, who then earned enormous profits from further sale of the crops.54
9656511461Indian Rebellion of 1857-1858Massive uprising of much of India against British rule; also called the Indian Mutiny or the Sepoy Mutiny from the fact that the rebellion first broke out among Indian troops in British employ.55
9656511462Scramble for AfricaName used for the process of the European countries' partition of the continent of Africa between themselves in the period 1875-1900.56
9656511463Guillotinedefined the reign of terror, its fast-falling blade extinguished life immediately, introduced as a more humane way of beheading (vs. an ax)57
9656511464Mass ProductionThe manufacture of many identical products by the division of labor into many small simple tasks.58
9656511465Steam Shipstechnological innovation allowed Europeans to reach distant Asian and African ports quickly and predictably59
9656511466mercantilismA set of economic principles based on policies which stress government regulation of economic activities to benefit the home country60
9656511467Capitalism(1776) , an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations.61
9656511468Simon BolivarThe most important military leader in the struggle for independence in South America; born in Venezuela, he led military forces there and in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.62
9656511469GaribaldiLeader of the Italian Nationalist Army. He was a bold and visionary leader. He united Southern Italy, also captured Sicily in the 1860's.63
9656511470MazziniGiuseppe Mazzini was the first person that tried to unify all of Italy. He preached a centralized democratic republic based on universal male suffrage and the will of the people. His brand of democratic republicanism seemed too radical for the people. Austria smashed Mazzini's republicanism in 1848.64
9656511471Count CavourItalian statesman from Sardinia who used diplomacy to help achieve unification of Italy.65
9656511472Pedro ISon and successor of Joao VI in Brazil, aided in the declaration of Brazilian independence from Portugal in 1822, became constitutional emperor of Brazil66
9656511473William WilberforceHe was a highly religious man and a member of the English Parliament who worked tirelessly for the abolition of slavery67
9656511474Janissarya soldier in the elite guard of the Ottoman Turks68
9656511475Muhammad AliAlbanian soldier in the service of Turkey who was made viceroy of Egypt and took control away from the Ottoman Empire and established Egypt as a modern state (1769-1849).69
9656511476Tanzimat'Restructuring' reforms by the nineteenth-century Ottoman rulers, intended to move civil law away from the control of religious elites and make the military and the bureaucracy more efficient.70
9656511477ExtraterritorialityForeign residents in a country living under the laws of their native country, disregarding the laws of the host country. 19th/Early 20th Centuries: European and US nationals in certain areas of Chinese and Ottoman cities were granted this right.71
9656511478Canton SystemThe Canton System (1757-1842) served as a means for China to control trade with the west within its own country by focusing all trade on the southern port of Canton (now Guangzhou).72
9656511479Empress Dowager CixiEmpress of China and mother of Emperor Guangxi. She put her son under house arrest, supported anti-foreign movements like the so-called Boxers, and resisted reforms of the Chinese government and armed forces.73
9656511480Palm OilA West African tropical product often used to make soap; the British encouraged its cultivation as an alternative to the slave trade.74
9656511481Emmeline Pankhurst(1858-1928) British suffragette and founder of the Woman's Social and Political Union.75
9656511482Emily DavisonThrew herself under the Kings horse at the Derby to draw attention to the women's movement and was killed.76
9656511483Separate SpheresNineteenth-century idea in Western societies that men and women, especially of the middle class, should have different roles in society: women as wives, mothers, and homemakers; men as breadwinners and participants in business and politics77
9656511484Universal Male SuffrageThe extension of the right to vote to all males regardless of social standing or race, whose movement had begun in the early-mid 1800's78
9656511485Ems TelegramA telegram which the French gave to the Germans in anger over the Succession of the Throne in Spain, but the Germans altered it to look like the French were rude and evil. The French declared war.79
9656511486free trade imperialismEconomic dominance of a weaker country by a more powerful one, while maintaining the legal independence of a weaker state. In the late 19th cent, this characterized the relationships between Latin American republics and GB/US80

AP World History - Period 3 Flashcards

The Post-Classical World, 500-1450

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8474972201DhowArab sailing vessels; equipped with lateen sails; used by Arab merchants0
8474972202Seljuk Turksnomadic invaders from central; staunch Sunnis; ruled in the name of the Abbasids1
8474972203Crusadesinvasions of western Christians into Muslim lands, especially Palestine; captured Jerusalem and established Christian kingdoms enduring until 12912
8474972204Mongolscentral Asian nomadic peoples; captured Baghdad in 1258 and killed the last Abbasid caliph3
8474972205Chinggis Khan(1162-1227); Mongol ruler; defeated the Turkish Persian kingdoms4
8474972206Arabic numeralsIndian numerical notation brought by the Arabs to the West5
8474972207Malaccaflourishing trading city in Malaya; established a trading empire after the fall of Shrivijaya6
8474972208Malistate of the Malinke people centered between the Senegal and Niger rivers7
8474972209Mansatitle of the ruler of Mali8
8474972210Ibn BattutaArab traveler throughout the Muslim world9
8474972211Sundiatacreated a unified state that became the Mali empire; died in 126010
8474972212Songhaysuccessor state to Mali; dominated middle reaches of the Niger valley; capital at Gao11
8474972213East African trading portsurbanized commercial centers mixing African and Arab cultures; included Mogadishu, Mombasa, , Kilwa12
8474972214Great Zimbabwewith massive stone buildings and walls, incorporates the greatest early buildings in sub-Saharan Africa13
8474972215Greek FireByzantine weapon consisting of mixture of chemicals that ignited when exposed to water; used to drive back the Arab fleets attacking Constantinople14
8474972216Iconsimages of religious figures venerated by Byzantine Christians15
8474972217Iconoclasmthe breaking of images; religious controversy of the 8th c; Byzantine emperor attempted, but failed, to suppress icon veneration16
8474972218Cyril and MethodiusByzantine missionaries sent to convert eastern Europe and Balkans; responsible for creation of Slavic written script called Cyrillic17
8474972219Kievcommercial city in Ukraine established by Scandinavians in 9th c; became the center for a kingdom that flourished until 12th c18
8474972220Vladmir Iruler of Kiev (980-1015); converted kingdom to Orthodox Christianity19
8474972221Russian OrthodoxyRussian form of Christianity brought from Byzantine Empire20
8474972222Middle Agesthe period in western European history between the fall of Roman Empire and the 15th c21
8474972223Gothican architectural style developed during the 13th and 14th c in western Europe; featured pointed arches and flying buttresses as external support on main walls22
8474972224Vikingsseagoing Scandinavian raiders who disrupted coastal areas of Europe from the 8th to 11th c; pushed across the Atlantic to Iceland, Greenland, and North America; formed permanent territories in Normandy and Sicily23
8474972225Manorialismrural system of reciprocal relations between landlords and their peasant laborers during the Middle Ages; peasants exchanged labor for use of land and protection24
8474972226Serfspeasant agricultural laborers within the manorial system25
8474972227Three-field systempractice of dividing land into thirds, rotating between two different crops and pasturage-- an improvement making use of manure26
8474972228ClovisKing of the Franks; converted to Christianity circa 49627
8474972229Carolingiansroyal house of Franks from 8th c to 10th c28
8474972230Charles Martelfirst Carolingian king of the Franks; defeated Muslims at Tours in 73229
8474972231CharlemagneCarolingian monarch who established large empire in France and Germany circa 80030
8474972232Holy Roman Emperorspolitical heirs to Charlemagne's empire in northern Italy and Germany; claimed title of emperor but failed to develop centralized monarchy31
8474972233Feudalismpersonal relationship during the Middle Ages by which greater lords provided land to lesser lords in return for military service32
8474972234Vassalsmembers of the military elite who received land or a benefice from a lord in return for military service and loyalty33
8474972235William the Conquerorinvaded England from Normandy in 1066; established tight feudal system and centralized monarchy in England34
8474972236Magna CartaGreat charter issued by King John of England in 1215; represented principle of mutual limits and obligations between rulers and feudal aristocracy, and the supremacy of law35
8474972237Parliamentsbodies representing privileged groups; institutionalized the principle that kings ruled with the advice and consent of their subjects36
8474972238Hundred Years Warconflict between England and France over territory (1337-1453) Established a since of Nationalism with each country. Joan of Arc united the French and promoted French patriotism.37
8474972239Pope Urban IIorganized the first Crusade in 1095; appealed to Christians to free the Holy Land from Muslim control38
8474972240Investiturethe practice of appointment of bishops; Pope Gregory attempted to stop lay investiture, leading to a conflict with the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV39
8474972241Gregory VII11th c pope who attempted to free church from secular control; quarreled with Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV over practice of lay investiture of bishops40
8474972242Thomas Aquinascreator of one of the great syntheses of medieval learning; taught at University of Paris; author of Summas; believed that through reason it was possible to know much about natural order, moral law, and nature of God41
8474972243Scholasticismdominant medieval philosophical approach; so-called because of its base in the schools or universities; based on use of logic to resolve theological problems42
8474972244Hanseatic Leaguean organization of north German and Scandinavian cities for the purpose of establishing a commercial alliance43
8474972245Guildsassociations of workers in the same occupation in a single city; stressed security and mutual control; limited membership, regulated apprenticeships, guaranteed good workmanship; held a privileged place in cities44
8474972246Black Deathbubonic plague that struck Europe in the 14th c; significantly reduced Europe's population; affected social structure; decimated populations in Asia45
8474972247Period of the Six Dynastiesera of continuous warfare (220-589) among the many kingdoms that followed the fall of the Han46
8474972248Sinificationextensive adaptation of Chinese culture in other regions47
8474972249ShamanismMongol beliefs focused on nature spirits48
8474972250Golden Hordeone of four regional subdivisions of the Mongol Empire after death of Chinggis Khan; conquered and ruled Russua during the 13th and 14th c49
8474972251Ilkhan khanateone of four regional subdivisions of the Mongol empire after the death of Chinggis Khan; eventually included much of Abbasid empire50
8474972252Kubilai Khangrandson of Chinggis Khan; conquered China; established Yuan dynasty in 127151
8474972253White Lotus Societysecret religious society dedicated to overthrow of Yuan dynasty52
8474972254Ottoman EmpireTurkish empire established in Asia Minor and eventually extending through the Middle East and the Balkans; conquered Constantinople in 1453 and ended Byzantine Empire53
8474972255Ming Dynastyreplaced Mongal Yuan dynasty in China in 1368; lasted until 1644; initially mounted large trade expeditions to southern Asia and Africa; later concentrated on internal development within China54
8474972256Ethnocentrismjudging foreigners by the standards of one's own group; leads to problems in interpreting world history55
8474972265Inca and Rome both hadextensive road systems56
8474972266Important continuity in social structure of states and empires 600-1450land holding aristocracies, patriarchies, peasant systems still in place57
8474972267Trans Saharan tradeDominated my Muslims in 13th century after rise of Islamic caliphates..58
8474972268Indian Ocean Maritime Trade59
8474972269Cities that rose during this time due to increased tradeNovgorod, Constantinople, Timbuktu60
8474972270Timbuktutrade center of Mali, cosmopolitan city that saw the blending of many different cultures and people61
8474972271New forms of monetizationChecks, Bills of Exchange62
8474972272Bantu Migrations63
8474972273Marco Polotraveler/merchant from Europe who spend 17 years at court of Kublai Khan64

AP World History Period 1 Flashcards

From Hunting and Gathering to Civilizations, 2.5 million-1000 B.C.E.: Origins
Original from MrsBHatchTEACHER

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9915516112hunting and gatheringMeans of obtaining subsistence by humans before the mastery of sedentary agriculture; normally typical of tribal social organization0
9915516113civilizationSocieties with reliance on sedentary agriculture, ability to produce food surpluses, and existence of nonfarming elites, along with merchant and manufacturing groups1
9915516114neolithicThe New Stone Age between 8000 and 5000 B.C.E.; period in which adaptation of sedentary agriculture occurred; domestication of plants and animals accomplished2
9915516115nomadic societieslivestock hearding societies that do not have a permanent settlement. normally found on the fringes of civilized (urban) societies; commonly referred to as "barbarian" by civilized societies3
9915516116cultureCombination of ideas, objects, and patterns of behavior that result from human social interaction4
9915516117agrarian revolutionOccurred between 8000 and 5000 B.C.E.; transition from hunting and gathering to sedentary agriculture5
9915516118pastoralismA nomadic agricultural lifestyle based on herding domesticated animals; tended to produce independent people capable of challenging sedentary agricultural societies6
9915516119Catal HuyukEarly urban culture/civiization based on sedentary agriculture; located in modern southern Turkey; larger in population than Jericho, had greater degree of social stratification7
9915516120Bronze AgeFrom 4000 to 3000 B.C.E.; increased use of plow, metalworking; development of wheeled vehicles, writing8
9915516121MesopotamiaLiterally "between the rivers"; the civilization that arose in the alluvial plain of the Tigris-Euphrates river valleys9
9915516122potter's wheelA technological advance in pottery making; invented circa 6000 B.C.E.; encouraged faster and higher-quality ceramic pottery products10
9915516123SumeriansPeople who migrated into Mesopotamia circa 4000 B.C.E.; created the first civilization within the region; organized area into city-states11
9915516124cuneiformA form of writing developed by the Sumerians using a wedge-shaped stylus and clay tablets12
9915516125city-stateA form of political organization typical of Mesopotamian civilization; consisted of agricultural hinterlands ruled by an urban-based king13
9915516126ziggurata massive tower building usually associated with Mesopotamian temple connections14
9915516127Babylonian EmpireUnified all of Mesopotamia circa 1800 B.C.E.; collapsed due to foreign invasion circa 1600 B.C.E.15
9915516128HammurabiThe most important Babylonian ruler; responsible for codification of the law16
9915516129PharaohThe term used to denote the kings of ancient Egypt; the term, "great house" refers to the palace of the pharaohs17
9915516130pyramidsMonumental architecture typical of Old Kingdom Egypt; used as burial sites for pharaohs18
9915516131hieroglyphsForm of writing developed in ancient Egypt; more pictorial than Mesopotamian cuneiform19
9915516132KushAfrican state that developed along the upper reaches of the Nile circa 1000 B.C.E.; conquered Egypt and ruled it for several centuries20
9915516133monotheismThe exclusive worship of one god; introduced by Jews into Middle Eastern civilization21
9915516134PhoeniciansSeafaring civilization located on the shores of the eastern Mediterranean; established colonies throughout the Mediterranean22
9915516135Harappa and Mohenjo DaroMajor urban complexes of Harappan civilization; laid out on planned grid pattern23
9915516136AryansIndo-European nomadic, warlike, pastorialists who replaced Harappan civilization24
9915516137Huanghe (Yellow) River BasinSite of the development of sedentary agriculture in China25
9915516138Shang1st Chinese dynasty (after the legendary Xia)26
9915516139OraclesShamans or priests in Chinese society who foretold the future through interpreting animal bones cracked by heat; inscriptions on bones led to Chinese writing27
9915516140ideographic writingPictograph characters grouped together to create new concepts; typical of Chinese writing28
9915516141Big GeographyA term that draws attention to the global nature of world history.29
9915516142PaleolithicThe period that ended about 3,000 years after the end of the last Ice Age, it lasted until about 10,000 years ago. (Old Stone Age) The period of the Stone Age associated with the evolution of humans. It predates the Neolithic period.30
9915516143Human migration during Paleolithic eramovement of humans from Africa to Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas31
9915516144eglitarianequality among people (no social levels)32
9915516145toolsHumans developed a wider range of ____ specially adapted to different environments from tropics to tundra33
9915516146Neolithic Revolutionperiod of change from hunter-gatherer lifesyle to agricultural lifestyles associated with domestication, farming, and settlement34
9915516147patriarchyfather based/male dominated society35
9915516148climatic changePermanent agricultural villages emerged first in the lands of the eastern Mediterranean, possibly as a response to what?36
9915516149weaponsPastoralists were often the developers and disseminators of of ____ and forms of transportation that transformed warfare in agrarian civilizations37
9915516150horsesname one mode of new transportation by the pastoralists38
9915516151artElites, both political and religious, promoted ____.39
9915516152record-keeping systems___ arose independently in all early civilization sand subsequently were diffused40
9915516153Nile RiverThis river flooded regularly.41
9915516154Tigris RiverThis river's floods were unpredictable.42
9915516155MesopotamianUnpredictable weather patterns affected the development of the _____ civilization.43
9915516156Egyptian_______art demonstrated little change for nearly 1000 years.44
9915516157Nubia and KushKingdoms upriver from Egypt.45
9915516160Standard of Ur46
9915516161Harappan King or Priest Figure47
9915516158JerichoOne of the earliest cities: located in modern Israel.48
9915516159Catal-HyoukOne of the earliest cities: located in modern Turkey.49

AP World History Economic Systems Flashcards

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8475891045Agricultural (8000 BCE)(cultivate crops) -domesticated plants and animals -iron tools -writing systems -constant development of society0
8475903705Pastoral Societies (8000 BCE)(domesticated animals) -domestication of horses and camels1
8475918143Foraging Societies (35000 BCE)(Hunting and gathering) -baskets used for gathering and storing hunting tools2
8475929541Agricultural (8000 BCE) LOCATIONMesopotamia river valleys, Nile river valley, India, China, MesoAmerica, Andes3
8475940995Pastoral societies(8000 BCE) LOCATIONSteppes, grasslands, deserts, mountain ranges4
8475945269Foraging Societies (35000 BCE) LOCATIONeverywhere until sedentary agricultural societies and then empires took over the most fertile areas5

AP World History: Chapter 12 Flashcards

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5503128804Indiansmisnomer created by Columbus when referring to indigenous New World peoples; still used to describe Native Americans.0
5503128805Toltec culturesucceeded Teotihuacan culture in central Mexico; strong militaristic ethic including human sacrifice; influenced large territory after 1000 C.E.; declined after 1200 C.E.1
5503128806Topiltzin"religious leader and reformer of the Toltecs in 10th century; dedicated to god Quetzalcoatl; after losing struggle for power, went into exile in the Yucatan peninsula."2
5503128807QuetzalcoatlToltec deity; feathered serpent; adopted by Aztecs as a major god.3
5503128808Tenochtitlanfounded circa 1325 on a marshy island in Lake Texcoco; became center of Aztec power.4
5503128809Tlalocmajor god of Aztecs; associated with fertility and the agricultural cycle; god of rain.5
5503128810HuitcilopochtliAztec tribal patron god; central figure of human sacrifice and warfare; identified with old sun god.6
5503128811Nezhualcoyotlleading Aztec king of the 15th century.7
5503128812chinampas"beds of aquatic weeds, mud, and earth placed in frames made of cane and rooted in lakes to create "floating islands"; system of irrigated agriculture used by Aztecs."8
5503128813pochtecamerchant class in Aztec society; specialized in long distance trade in luxury items.9
5503128814calpulliclans in Aztec society; evolved into residential groupings that distributed land and provided labor and warriors.10
5503128815PachacutiInca ruler (1438-1471); began the military campaigns that marked the creation of an Inca empire.11
5503128816ayllus"households in Andean societies that recognized some form of kinship; traced descent from a common, sometimes mythical ancestor."12
5503128817TwantinsuyuInca word for their empire; region from Colombia to Chile and eastwardinto Bolivia and Argentina.13
5503128818split inheritance"Inca practice of ruler descent; all titles and political power went to successor, but wealth and land remained in hands of male descendants for support of dead Inca's mummy."14
5503128820tambosway stations used by Incas as inns and storehouses; supply centers for Inca armies; relay points for system of runners used to carry messages.15
5503128821mitalabor extracted for lands assigned to the state and the religion; all communities were expected to contribute; an essential aspect of Inca imperial control.16
5503128822Inca socialisman interpretation describing Inca society as a type of utopia; image of the Inca empire as a carefully organized system in which every community collectively contributed to the whole.17
5503128823yanas"a class of people within Inca society removed from their ayllus to serve permanently as servants, artisans, or workers for the Inca or the Inca nobility."18
5503128824quipusystem of knotted strings utilized by the Incas in place of a writing system; could contain numerical and other types of information for censuses and financial records.19

Unit 3 600-1450 AP World History Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
7977137760Silk Roadsthe most famous of the trading routes established by pastoral nomads connecting the European, Indian, and Chinese; transmitted goods and ideas among civilizations0
7977137761Black DeathThe common name for a major outbreak of plague that spread across Asia, North Africa, and Europe in the mid-fourteenth century, carrying off vast numbers of persons.1
7977137762Indian Ocean trading networkThe world's largest sea-based system of communication and exchange before 1500 C.E., stretched from southern China to eastern Africa and included exchange of goods also ideas and crops.2
7977137763Angkor WatHindu then Buddhist, temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world.3
7977137764Swahili civilizationan East African civilization that emerged in the 8th century ce from a blending of Bantu, Islamic, and other Indian Ocean trade elements4
7977137765Great ZimbabweCity whose many stone structures were built between about 1250 and 1450, when it was a trading center and the capital of a large state.5
7977137766Ghana, Mali, SonghayCapitalizing on new Saharan trade these monarchies were established trading gold for salt and slaves6
7977137767Trans-Saharan slave tradeA fairly small-scale trade exporting West African slaves across the Sahara as household servants in Islamic North Africa7
7977137768Sui dynastyThe short dynasty between the Han and the Tang; built the Grand Canal, strengthened the government, and introduced Buddhism to China8
7977137769Tang dynasty618-907 CE. Dynasty that had the equal field system, a bureaucracy based on merit and a Confucianism education system. Trained strong armies to fight off nomadic powers from Asia. Cultural influence over Korea and Vietnam.9
7977137770Song dynasty960 - 1279 AD. Dynasty that had important inventions such as magnetic compass; had a navy; traded with India and Persia; paper money, gun powder;10
7977137771HangzhouCapital of later Song dynasty; located near East China Sea; permitted overseas trading; population exceeded 1 million.11
7977137772foot bindingPractice in Chinese society to mutilate women's feet in order to make them smaller; produced pain and restricted women's movement; made it easier to confine women to the household.12
7977137773tribute systemChinese method of dealing with foreign lands and people's that assumed the subordination of all non-Chinese authorities and required payment13
7977137774XiongnuA confederation of nomadic peoples living beyond the northwest frontier of ancient China. Chinese rulers tried a variety of defenses to ward off these 'barbarians,'14
7977137775KhitanNomadic peoples of Manchuria; militarily superior to Song dynasty China but influenced by Chinese culture; forced humiliating treaties on Song China in 11th century15
7977137776Silla DynastyKorean dynasty that resisted Tang for first time. Respected China, studied Buddhism/Confucianism16
7977137777bushido"the way of the warrior"; Japanese word for the Samurai life ; Samurai moral code based on loyalty, chivalry, martial arts, and honor until the death17
7977137778Chinese BuddhismEntered China from India through a series of cultural accommodations. At first supported by the state suffered persecution during the 9th century but continued to play a role in Chinese society.18
7977137779QuranThe holy book of Islam19
7977137780ummaThe community of all Muslims. Innovation where traditionally kinship rather than faith determined membership in a community.20
7977137781Pillars of IslamThe five core practices required of Muslims: a profession of faith, regular prayer, charitable giving, fasting during Ramadan, and a pilgrimage to Mecca (if physically and financially possible).21
7977137782hijraThe Migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in A.D. 622, marking the founding of Islam22
7977137783shariaBody of Islamic law that includes interpretation of the Quran and applies Islamic principles to everyday life23
7977137784jizyatax paid by Christians and Jews who lived in Muslim communities to allow them to continue to practice their own religion24
7977137785ulamaMuslim religious scholars. From the ninth century onward, the primary interpreters of Islamic law and the social core of Muslim urban societies.25
7977137786Umayyad Caliphate(661-750 CE) Islamic; established a capital at Damascus, conquered North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, Southwest Asia, and Persia; had a bureaucracy with only Arab Muslims able to be a part of it.26
7977137787Abbasid Caliphate(750-1258 CE) Islamic; after the Umayyads; focused on administration rather than conquering; bureaucracy any Muslim could be a part of.27
7977137788SufismA branch of Islam, defined by adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam;28
7977137789al-GhazaliIslamic theologian; struggled to fuse Greek and Qur'anic traditions; not entirely accepted by ulama29
7977137790Ibn Battuta(1304-1369) Morrocan Muslim scholar, the most widely traveled individual of his time. Wrote account of his visits to Islamic lands from China to Spain and the western Sudan.30
7977137791TimbuktuMali trading city that became a center of wealth and learning31
7977137792Mansa MusaRuler of Mali (r. 1312-1337). Extravagant pilgrimage through Egypt to Mecca in 1324-1325 established the empire's reputation for wealth in the Mediterranean world.32
7977137793al-AnadalusMuslim kingdom in southern Spain, established in 75633
7977137794madrassasFormal colleges for higher institutions in the teaching of Islam as well as in secular subjects founded throughout the Islamic world in beginning in the 11th century34
7977137795House of WisdomCombination library, academy, and translation center in Baghdad established in the 800s.35
7977137796Nubian ChristianityChristianity was introduced by traders and missionaries. Preserved Christianity for 600 years.36
7977137797Ethiopian ChristianityChristian island surrounded by Muslims sea; focused on banishing of evil spirits and amulets.37
7977137798Byzantine Empire(330-1453) The eastern half of the Roman Empire;survived after the fall of the Western Empire; capital was Constantinople, named after the Emperor Constantine.38
7977137799ConstantinopleA large and wealthy city that was the imperial capital of the Byzantine empire and later the Ottoman empire, now known as Istanbul39
7977137800JustinianByzantine emperor in the 6th century A.D.; reconquered territory previously ruled by Rome, initiated a building program , including Hagia Sofia, as well as a new legal code40
7977137801caesarpapisma political-religious system where the secular ruler is also the head of the religious establishment (Byzantine Empire)41
7977137802Eastern Orthodox ChristianityBranch of Christianity that evolved following the division of the Roman Empire and development of the Byzantine Empire; Church recognized the primacy of the patriarch of Constantinople42
7977137803iconsA painting of Christ or another holy figure, used as an aid to devotion in the Byzantine and other Eastern Churches.43
7977137804Kievan RusMonarchy established in present day Russia in the 6th and 7th centuries. Ruled through loosely organized alliances with regional aristocrats from surrounding lands44
7977137805CharlemagneKing of the Franks (r. 768-814); emperor (r. 800-814). Through military conquests established the Carolingian Empire; all of Gaul and parts of Germany and Italy.45
7977137806Holy Roman EmpireA medieval and early modern central European Germanic empire, which consisted of hundreds of separate Germanic and Northern Italian states. So decentralized it played a role in perpetuating the fragmentation of central Europe.46
7977137807Roman Catholic churchOne of three major branches of Christianity; arose out of division of the Roman empire in the Western portion; pope is the head47
7977137808Western ChristendomOn the margins of world history for most postclassical era; Removed from world trade routes; Geography made political unity difficult; Coastlines and river systems facilitated internal exchange;48
7977137809CrusadesArmed pilgrimages to the Holy Land by Christians determined to recover Jerusalem from Muslim rule. These brought an end to western Europe's centuries of intellectual and cultural isolation.49
7977137810pastoralismA type of agricultural activity based on nomadic animal husbandry or the raising of livestock to provide food, clothing, and shelter.50
7977137811Turks6th-10th centuries C.E.; Pastoral ethnic group that originated in northern Eurasia and spread into Central Asia and the Middle East; cultural and political interactions with China, Persia, Byzantium; conversion to Islam 10th-14th centuries and diffused it throughout Middle East, India, Anatolia.51
7977137812Temujinleader of the largest Mongol clans; he united them all; receives title Genghis Khan(universal ruler)52
7977137813the Mongol worldEurasia, 13th-15th centuries; 50-year period conquests across Eurasia that created Mongol; Subjected huge populations to rule; Military strength allowed for rapid conquest; created interactions between diverse groups; diffused technology, culture, political and economic systems53
7977137814Yuan Dynasty(1279-1368 CE) The dynasty with Mongol rule in China; centralized with bureaucracy but structure is different: Mongols on top->Persian bureaucrats->Chinese bureuacrats.54
7977137815Kublai Khan(1215-1294) Grandson of Genghis Khan and founder of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty in China.55
7977137816HuleguRuler of the Ilkhan khanate; grandson of Chinggis Khan; responsible for capture and destruction of Baghdad in 125756
7977137817Kipchak KhanateName given to Russia by the Mongols after they conquered it and incorporated it into the Mongol Empire in the mid-thirteenth century; known to Russians as the "Khanate of the Golden Horde."57
7977137818TimurSometimes known as Tamerlane, Central Asian leader of a Mongol tribe who attempted to re-establish the Mongol Empire in the late 1300's. Empire included Persia.58
7977137819European Renaissancea "rebirth" of classical learning that is most often associated with the cultural blossoming of Italy is the period 1350-1500 and included Greek learning and growing secularism59
7977137820Ottoman EmpireIslamic state founded by Osman in northwestern Anatolia. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, it was based at Istanbul Encompassed lands in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, and eastern Europe.60
7977137821Seizure of ConstantinopleFell to army of Ottoman sultan Mehmed II in 1453, marking end of Christian Byzantium61
7977137822Songhay EmpireA state located in western Africa. From the early 15th to the late 16th century, it was one of the largest Islamic empires in history.62
7977137823MalaccaPort city in the modern Southeast Asian country of Malaysia, founded 1400 as a trading center on the Strait of Malacca.63
7977137824Bantu MigrationCauses spread of agriculture in Africa, spread of iron metallurgy, population growth and spread of the Bantu Language64
7977137825VikingsNorse raiders who terrorized Europe due to their own lack of resources; advanced ship technology; helped spread culture; kept Europe decentralized65
7977137826Technological Diffusion Examplesmagnetic compass; crops (fast growing rice, cotton, sugercane); horse collar; three field system; gunpowder66
7977137827Marco PoloVenetian merchant traveler who spent 20 years in China and wrote about his travels is a widely popular book67
7977137828Chinese influence on JapanBuddhism; bureaucracy; trade; Social Structure68
7977137829Syncretismcombining of different beliefs (religions); ex. Ethiopian Christianity,69

World History Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
4740783812SumeriansIn mesopotamia, they were among the first groups to build a civilization. They were the first to develop a system of writing.0
4740783813Mandate of HeavenA legacy of the Zhou Dynasty. It is the concept that dynastic familiesrule by divine right. There can be only one legitimate dynasty at a time. When heaven mandates or orders a change the current dynasty will lose power and another dynasty will rise to legitimacy.1
4740783814ZigguratA form of temple common to the SumeriansBabylonians and Assyrian, of ancient Mesopotamia. Earliest are from 3rd mil. BCE to the 6th c BCE. Place for security/ used by priest.2
4740783815The Silk RoadA series of trade route that connected different empires of the ancient world- allowed the sharing of knowledge and ideas, customs and religious beliefs. It was protected by the Great Wall from nomadic groups from the north. High demand of silk. Made the Han dynasty very wealthy.3
4740801069Peloponnesian War431 - 404 BCE. Athens and Sparta went to war after fighting along each other in the Persian Wars. It involved almost the entire Greek world with Athens and Sparta as head of alliances. By 411 Athens was in turmoil. The economic cost of the war affected all of Greece, while Athens never regained it's prewar prosperity.4
4742844657LegalismChinese religion/ philosophy, men and women were innately bad and therefore required moral education and authoritarian control. Governed by a system of laws that rigidly prescribed punishment and awards for specific behaviors.5
4742855073Oligarchya small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.6
4742865601Central PowersWorld War two coalition that consisted primarily of the German Empire and Austria Hungary, the Central European States that were at war from August 1914 against France and Britain on the Western Front and against Russia on the Eastern front. Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria came in couple of months later.7
4742879870ConstantineEmperor of Rome from 306 BCE to 337 BCE. He inherited a policy of persecuting Christian but in 312 while he was fighting he saw a vision that made his soldier draw crosses in their shields and they won. In 313 he ended the persecution of all Christians and made it the official religion of the Roman Empire. Christianity spread as he gained power.8
4742901130Open Door policyStatement of principles initiated by the U.S in 1899 and 1900 for the protection of equal privileges among countries trading with China and in support of Chinese territorial and administration integrity.9
4743077136Rome's Collapse: CorruptionRome had become violent and greedy. The life of the rich and powerful was much better than the life of any other citizen. This led to unrest and rebellion as well as lack of faith in Roman leaders.10
4743106492Rome's collapse: Economic ProblemsThe Romans used military conquest to grow their economy and as time went on it depended less and less on internal production of goods by Roman citizens. With Rome's economy so bound to it's need to conquer and control other people, Romans found themselves outnumbered by the people they had conquered, plundered from, taxed11
4743747945The codes of HammurabiThis, the earliest known written legal code, was composed about 1780 B.C.E. by Hammurabi, the ruler of Bablyon. This text was excavated in 1901; it was carved on an eight foot high stone monolith. The harsh system of punishment expressed in this text prefigures the concept of 'an eye for an eye'. The Code lays out the basis of both criminal and civil law, and defines procedures for commerce and trade. This text was redacted for 1,500 years, and is considered the predecessor of Jewish and Islamic legal systems alike.12
4744975502Rome's Collapse: CurruptionRome had become violent and greedy, where the life of the rich and powerful was much better than the life of an average citizen. This led to unrest and rebellion as well as lack of faith in Roman leaders.13
4745020821Rome's Collapse: immigrationRome was initially successful because it could integrate outsiders. But by the time Barbarians had began moving south the Roman Empire could no longer absorb the massive influx of tribes. The failure to continue to make immigration a success led to ethnic tensions that eventually divided the military.14
4745113599Rome's Collapse: A weekend militaryThe army required an increased amount of wealth to support its soldiers. It was harder to integrate local soldiers whose loyalty was unclear. In its final days Rome lost its most powerful general and was left vulnerable to attack.15
4745125965NationalismSentiment based on common cultural characteristics that binds a population and often produces a policy of national independence or separatism. It can also cause intense competition among other nations.16
4745433210French Revolution: Rifts in the AssemblyA rift slowly grew between the radical and moderate assembly members. The moderate Girondins took a stance in favor of keeping constitutional monarchy while radical Jacobins wanted the king completely out. Austria- Prussia feared the Revolution would spread and issued the declaration of Pillnite insisting King Louis XVI to the throne. France took it as hostile and declared war.17
4745505615French Revolution: Storm of BastilleThe national assembly's revolutionary spirit galvanized France manifesting in many ways. Citizens stormed the longest prison in Bastille in pursuit of of Arms. Followed by many rural attacks dubbed the "Great Fear" shortly after the assembly released the declaration of the rights of man and of citizen which established a proper judicial code and autonomy of the French people.18
4745555510French Revolution:Feudalism and Financial crisisFrance collects large debt and due to years of feudalism it was on brink of revolution. Charles de Calone appointed by Louie XVI to fix the economy. The assembly of notables asked those whose were exempted of taxes to pay and they refused. Nobility refused his taxation plan. The enlightenment caused a division and questioned religious justification to rule.19
4745576565French Revolution: Estates General 1789There are three estates. The clergy, nobility and the rest of French society. The estates general was a call for each estate to vote on the matter. The third estate counted as one regardless of the size and was overridden. The third estate took advantage of its massive size and protested and broke away from the estates general and proclaimed itself the national assembly. It granted control of taxation and others joined.20
4745585932Tennis court Oathvowing "not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established." It was a pivotal event in the early days of the French Revolution.They will remain indissoluble until they created a new national constitution. The king tried to intimidate the group, however due to its size was forced to accept.21
4745654868Reign of terrorThe national convention abolished Monarchy and declared France a republic and in 1793 King Louis was executed. Maximilian Robespierre took control however became paranoid of counter revolution and began the reign of terror. 1500 people were killed. He was later arrested and executed but were taken over by Napoleon through a coup. The revolution ended and entered a fifteen year period of military rule.22
4745669782Germany Under HitlerIn 1938, Germany was a total dictatorship under the Nazi Party and Chancellor Adolf Hitler. Although the 1919 Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I had imposed strict disarmament terms on Germany, by the late 1930s, Hitler had dropped all pretense of observing the terms of the treaty. He began not only to rebuild his military rapidly, but also to speak openly of Germany's need for lebensraum , or "living space."23
4745681746The German AgressionThe war in Europe began in September 1939, when Germany, under Chancellor Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland. Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany but took little action over the following months. In 1940, Germany launched its next initiative by attacking Denmark and Norway, followed shortly thereafter by attacks on Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. All of these nations were conquered rapidly.24
4745682740Battle of britainLater in the summer of 1940, Germany launched a further attack on Britain, this time exclusively from the air. The Battle of Britain was Germany's first military failure, as the German air force, the Luftwaffe, was never able to overcome Britain's Royal Air Force.25
4745683422Greece and north AfricaAs Hitler plotted his next steps, Italy, an ally of Germany, expanded the war even further by invading Greece and North Africa. The Greek campaign was a failure, and Germany was forced to come to Italy's assistance in early 1941.26
4745683959The USSRLater in 1941, Germany began its most ambitious action yet, by invading the Soviet Union. Although the Germans initially made swift progress and advanced deep into the Russian heartland, the invasion of the USSR would prove to be the downfall of Germany's war effort. The country was just too big, and although Russia's initial resistance was weak, the nation's strength and determination, combined with its brutal winters, would eventually be more than the German army could overcome. In 1943, after the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, Germany was forced into a full-scale retreat. During the course of 1944, the Germans were slowly but steadily forced completely out of Soviet territory, after which the Russians pursued them across eastern Europe and into Germany itself in 1945.27
4745684982The Normandy invasionIn June 1944, British and American forces launched the D-Day invasion, landing in German-occupied France via the coast of Normandy. Soon the German army was forced into retreat from that side as well. Thus, by early 1945, Allied forces were closing in on Germany from both east and west. The Soviets were the first to reach the German capital of Berlin, and Germany surrendered in May 1945, shortly after the suicide of Adolf Hitler.28
4745685757Pearl HarberThe war in the Pacific began on December 7, 1941, when warplanes from Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. By this time, Japan had already been at war with China for several years and had seized the Chinese territory of Manchuria. After the Pearl Harbor attack, Japan began a massive campaign of expansion throughout the Southeast Asia-Pacific region.29
4745686673Battle of MidwayAlthough the Pearl Harbor attack provoked a declaration of war by the United States on Japan the very next day, it would be several months before U.S. forces would get seriously involved militarily. In late spring of 1942, the United States and Japan engaged in a series of naval battles, climaxing in the Battle of Midway on June 3-6, 1942, in which Japan suffered a catastrophic defeat.30
4745687416The Solomon Islands and GuadalcanalFor the next year, the United States engaged Japan in a protracted struggle for the Solomon Islands, which lay near vital Allied shipping routes. Between August 1942 and February 1943, Allied forces carried out an invasion on the island of Guadalcanal—the beginning of a long series of Allied offensives that would eventually force the Japanese out of the Solomons and then pursue them from various other Pacific island chains that the Japanese had earlier seized. In the meantime, British and Indian forces were combating Japanese troops in Burma.31
4745688286The Approach to JapanFighting continued throughout the Pacific in 1944 and early 1945, including major battles at Leyte, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. By the late spring of 1945, most of Japan's conquests had been liberated, and Allied forces were closing in on the Japanese home islands. As they neared Japan proper, the Allies began heavy bombing campaigns against major Japanese cities, including Tokyo. This process continued through the summer of 1945 until finally, in early August, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Stunned by the unexpected devastation, Japan surrendered a few days later.32
4745699628Causes of the enlightenmentOn the surface, the most apparent cause of the Enlightenment was the Thirty Years' War. This horribly destructive war, which lasted from 1618 to 1648, compelled German writers to pen harsh criticisms regarding the ideas of nationalism and warfare. These authors, such as Hugo Grotius and John Comenius, were some of the first Enlightenment minds to go against tradition and propose better solutions. At the same time, European thinkers' interest in the tangible world developed into scientific study, while greater exploration of the world exposed Europe to other cultures and philosophies. Finally, centuries of mistreatment at the hands of monarchies and the church brought average citizens in Europe to a breaking point, and the most intelligent and vocal finally decided to speak out.33
4745700543Pre-Enlightenment DiscoveriesThe Enlightenment developed through a snowball effect: small advances triggered larger ones, and before Europe and the world knew it, almost two centuries of philosophizing and innovation had ensued. These studies generally began in the fields of earth science and astronomy, as notables such as Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei took the old, beloved "truths" of Aristotle and disproved them. Thinkers such as René Descartes and Francis Bacon revised the scientific method, setting the stage for Isaac Newton and his landmark discoveries in physics. From these discoveries emerged a system for observing the world and making testable hypotheses based on those observations. At the same time, however, scientists faced ever-increasing scorn and skepticism from people in the religious community, who felt threatened by science and its attempts to explain matters of faith. Nevertheless, the progressive, rebellious spirit of these scientists would inspire a century's worth of thinkers.34
4745702847The enlightenment in EnglandThe first major Enlightenment figure in England was Thomas Hobbes, who caused great controversy with the release of his provocative treatise Leviathan (1651). Taking a sociological perspective, Hobbes felt that by nature, people were self-serving and preoccupied with the gathering of a limited number of resources. To keep balance, Hobbes continued, it was essential to have a single intimidating ruler. A half century later, John Locke came into the picture, promoting the opposite type of government—a representative government—in his Two Treatises of Government (1690). Although Hobbes would be more influential among his contemporaries, it was clear that Locke's message was closer to the English people's hearts and minds. Just before the turn of the century, in 1688, English Protestants helped overthrow the Catholic king James II and installed the Protestant monarchs William and Mary. In the aftermath of this Glorious Revolution, the English government ratified a new Bill of Rights that granted more personal freedoms.35
4745703352Enlightenment in FranceMany of the major French Enlightenment thinkers, or philosophes, were born in the years after the Glorious Revolution, so France's Enlightenment came a bit later, in the mid-1700s. The philosophes, though varying in style and area of particular concern, generally emphasized the power of reason and sought to discover the natural laws governing human society. The Baron de Montesquieu tackled politics by elaborating upon Locke's work, solidifying concepts such as the separation of power by means of divisions in government. Voltaire took a more caustic approach, choosing to incite social and political change by means of satire and criticism. Although Voltaire's satires arguably sparked little in the way of concrete change, Voltaire nevertheless was adept at exposing injustices and appealed to a wide range of readers. His short novel Candide is regarded as one of the seminal works in history. Denis Diderot, unlike Montesquieu and Voltaire, had no revolutionary aspirations; he was interested merely in collecting as much knowledge as possible for his mammoth Encyclopédie. The Encyclopédie, which ultimately weighed in at thirty-five volumes, would go on to spread Enlightenment knowledge to other countries around the world.36
4745704862RomanticismIn reaction to the rather empirical philosophies of Voltaire and others, Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote The Social Contract (1762), a work championing a form of government based on small, direct democracy that directly reflects the will of the population. Later, at the end of his career, he would write Confessions, a deeply personal reflection on his life. The unprecedented intimate perspective that Rousseau provided contributed to a burgeoning Romantic era that would be defined by an emphasis on emotion and instinct instead of reason.37
4745705947SkeptismAnother undercurrent that threatened the prevailing principles of the Enlightenment was skepticism. Skeptics questioned whether human society could really be perfected through the use of reason and denied the ability of rational thought to reveal universal truths. Their philosophies revolved around the idea that the perceived world is relative to the beholder and, as such, no one can be sure whether any truths actually exist. Immanuel Kant, working in Germany during the late eighteenth century, took skepticism to its greatest lengths, arguing that man could truly know neither observed objects nor metaphysical concepts; rather, the experience of such things depends upon the psyche of the observer, thus rendering universal truths impossible. The theories of Kant, along with those of other skeptics such as David Hume, were influential enough to change the nature of European thought and effectively end the Enlightenment.38
4745706491The end of the enlightenmentUltimately, the Enlightenment fell victim to competing ideas from several sources. Romanticism was more appealing to less-educated common folk and pulled them away from the empirical, scientific ideas of earlier Enlightenment philosophers. Similarly, the theories of skepticism came into direct conflict with the reason-based assertions of the Enlightenment and gained a following of their own. What ultimately and abruptly killed the Enlightenment, however, was the French Revolution. Begun with the best intentions by French citizens inspired by Enlightenment thought, the revolution attempted to implement orderly representative assemblies but quickly degraded into chaos and violence. Many people cited the Enlightenment-induced breakdown of norms as the root cause of the instability and saw the violence as proof that the masses could not be trusted to govern themselves. Nonetheless, the discoveries and theories of the Enlightenment philosophers continued to influence Western society for centuries.39
4745739235The Balkan CrisisThis crisis started when Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia. Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia because they wanted to expand their empire into the Balkans. Serbia were annoyed by this because they wanted Bosnia to become part of a 'Greater Serbia' as there were a lot of Slavic people living in Bosnia. Russia backed up Serbia as it saw itself as the protector of the Slavic people that Serbia sought to protect. Serbia and Russia had to back down because Germany backed up Austria-Hungary, in accordance with the Triple Alliance of 1882. Germany's army was far stronger than Russia's, and so backing down was their only option, however Russia did begin to modernize her armed forces and increase the speed of their mobilization, in addition, Russia was determined not to back down again.40

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