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1400
Renaissance
The rebirth of the classical knowledge of the Greek and Romans. -
1434
Medici Family
Rulers of the city-state of Florence who made their fortune in trade and banking. -
1450
Northern Renaissance
The spread of humanism and other Renaissance ideas to Northern Europe. -
1450
Christian Humanism
A version of humanism prominent in the Northern Renaissance. There was an emphasis on Jesus as a mortal man. -
1455
War of the Roses
Civil wars in England between the houses of Lancaster and York which eventually led to the strong government of the Tudors. -
1457
Reign of Henry VII
King of England who ended the Wars of the Roses and founded the Tudor dynasty. -
1478
Spanish Inquistion
An attack on non-Catholic people started by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. -
1485
End of the War of the Roses
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1485
End of the reign of Henry VII
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1490
"High Renaissance"
The period of flourishing art techniques, beginning with Leonardo DaVinci's "The Last Supper". -
1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
An agreement between Spain and Portugal to settle conflicts over discovered and explored land. -
1509
Reign of Henry VIII
King of England who began the English Reformation by declaring himself head of the Church of England in order to get a divorce. -
1517
95 Theses
95 problems Martin Luther had with the Catholic church that sparked the Reformation. -
1519
Reign of Charles V
Holy Roman Emperor who tried to force Martin Luther to recant his teachings at the Diet of Worms. -
1524
German Peasants War
A war inspired by Martin Luther's teachings to end serfdom. The war horrified Martin Luther and he told the German princes to show no mercy on them. -
1525
End of the German Peasants War
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1527
Sack of Rome
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V attacked the city of Rome, joined by members of the Spanish Infantry. -
1527
End of "High Renaissance"
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1534
Act of Supremacy
English act of Parliament that declared Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church of England. -
1534
Act of Succession
Act rhat required subjects to accept King Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boelyn. -
1536
Calvin in Geneva
Reformer who was asked by the people of Geneva to rule over it after publishing his ideas on Predestination. -
1542
John Knox in Scotland
Used John Calvin's ideas to set up his own society in Scotland. -
1545
Counter Reformation
The catholic response to the reformation where some change occured but it was mostly just a resistance to the Orotestant reforms. -
1545
Council of Trent
A series of meetings responsible for the revival of the Roman Catholiv Church in parts of Europe. -
1547
End of the reign of Henry VIII
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Period: 1550 to
Scientific Revolution
Age of Scientific Discovery that began with Galileo and continued on to Isaac Newton. -
1555
Peace of Augsburg
A settlement that required each prince in Germany to define his principality as either Catholic or Lutheran. -
1556
End of the reign of Charles V
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1556
Reign of Phillip II
King of Spain who married Henry VIII's daughter Mary and could not produce an heir who could continue their Catholic policies. -
1558
Reign of Elizabeth I
Queen of England who made the country into a major power and tried to ease religious tensions during her reign. -
1559
Elizabethan Settlement
2 acts that made Elizabeth I the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and attempted to satisfy the citizens of England. -
1562
French Wars of Religion
Conflicts between the Catholics and Huguenots that was ended by the Edict of Nantes. -
1563
End of the Council of Trent
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1568
Dutch Revolt
A successful revolt of the Protestants in the Netherlands against the Catholic Spanish king Phillip II, which resulted in the establishment of the Protestant Dutch Republic. -
1572
St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
The massacre of French Huguenots in Paris, planned by Catherine de Medici. -
1581
United Provinces of the Netherlands
A federation of 7 states that, in it's time, was the only major European power to maintain a republic form of government throughout the 17th Century. -
War of the 3 Henry's
The last of the French wars of religion between Henry III, Henri I de Lorraine, and Henry of Bourbon. -
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
The defeat of Spain's navy by the English. -
End of the War of the 3 Henry's
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Reign of Henry IV
The first Bourbon king of France who passed the Edict of Nantes. -
End of the Reign of Phillip II
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End of the French Wars of Religion
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Edict of Nantes
A document that granted religious freedom to the Huguenots. -
End of Renaissance
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End of Northern Renaissance
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Baroque Art Period
Period of artisitic style created and sponsered by the Roman Catholic Church. -
End of the reign of Elizabeth I
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End of the Reign of Henry IV
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Reign of Louis XIII/Richelieu
Richelieu made Louis into an early absolute monarch. He also pushed France into the Thirty Years' War. -
Thirty Years War (Bohemian Phase)
The Habsburg nations of Spain and Austria devastated large areas of the Holy Roman Empire in order to defeat Bohemia and force them to be Catholic. They succeeded. -
End of the Bohemian Phase of the Thirty Years' War
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Thirty Years' War (Danish Phase)
Habsburg and Catholic victory against King Christian IV of Denmark. -
End of the Danish Phase of the Thirty Years' War
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Thirty Years' War (Swedish/Swedish-French Phase)
Conflict between the joined forces of Sweden and France against the Habsburgs, which led to a victory for the French. -
Period: to
Reign of Frederick William the Elector
An absolute monarch who built up his army in order to gain power. -
English Civil War
Conflict between supporters of the monarchy and Parliamentarians which eventually ended the British monarchy. -
End of the Thirty Years' War
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End of the Reign of Louis XIII/Richelieu
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Reign of Louis XIV/Mazarin
Mazarin ruled for the first part of Louis XIV's reign, but later Louis became an excellent absolute monarch and immersed France in war. -
End of the Dutch Revolt
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End of Counter Reformation
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Peace of Westphalia
A series of Peace Treaties signed to end the 30 Years' War that reconstructed European borders. -
Fronde
A series of wide-ranging, uncoordinated revolts against Louis XIV's mother and Cardinal Mazarin. -
Death of Charles I
Charles was beheaded for treason after a trial controlled by his enemies found him guilty. -
End of English Civil War
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Reign of Oliver Cromwell
He ruled as "Lord Protector" of England , Scotland, and Ireland. -
End of Fronde
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End of the Reign of Oliver Cromwell
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Period: to
Reign of Charles II
The last monarch of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty who died childless, causing the War of Spanish Succession -
Period: to
Reign of Peter the Great
An enlightened absolutist who expanded Russia's Navy and bettered the education system. -
Siege of Vienna
Turkish attempt to defeat Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I. -
Edict of Fountainebleau
The revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which granted religious rights to Hueguenots. -
Period: to
The Enlightenment
The age of reason where philosophes began to seek laws of human nature. -
Period: to
Glorious Revolution
A bloodless revolution that led to Parliament having more power and meeting annually. -
Age of Montesquieu
inspired by Montesquieu who believed in separation of powers. -
Age of Voltaire
inspired by Voltaire who ridiculed the government and the Church and believed in Enlightened monarchy. -
Period: to
War of Spanish Succession
Conflict after the death of Charles II, who had no children, over who would take the Spanish throne. -
Age of Rousseau
Inspired by Rousseau who was committed to the idea of individual freedom. -
Pragmatic Sanction
A document created to ensure that the Austrian throne would be inherited by Maria Theresa. -
End of the reign of Louis XIV/Mazarin
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End of Medici Rule
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Period: to
War of Austrian Succession
Invasion of Austria by the army of Frederick II of Prussia. -
Period: to
Reign of Maria Theresa
An enlightened absolutist who worked to reform her government and military. -
Period: to
Reign of Frederick the Great
Enlightened monarch who expanded Prussia's territories with his strong military. -
Period: to
Touissaint L'Ouverture
Leader of the Haitian independence movement during the French Revolution. -
End of Baroque Art Period
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Period: to
Seven Years' War
War on both the colonies and Europe between France and Britain in the colonies and Prussia, Austria, France, Russia, and Sweden in Europe. -
Period: to
Reign of Catherine the Great
An enlightened absolutist who expanded Russia's territory and attempted social reform. -
Period: to
Reign of Joseph II
An attempted enlightened ruler who could never pass his reforms. -
Period: to
Pugachev Rebellion
Rebellions in Russia that took place after Catherine the Great took the throne. -
Period: to
Reign of Louis XVI
The last king of France who was stripped of his title and guillotined. -
Estates General is called
Louis XVI calls the meeting of the 3 Estates because France is running out of money. -
Tennis Court Oath
Members of the National Assembly vowed to not stop meeting until they had written a constitution for France. -
Storming of the Bastille
Citizens of France retaliating against Louis XVI's troops placed in Paris by storming the prison and stealing weapons, starting chaos. -
Period: to
French Revolution
The period of chaos and unrest in France after the uprooting of the French monarchy. -
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
A law passed that enabled the new French government to take over the Church. -
Flight to Varennes
The attempted flight of Louis XVI and his family from Paris which failed. -
Committee of Public Safety
The dictatorship ruling over France during the Reign of Terror. -
Period: to
War of the First Coalition
The attempt by Spain, Holland, Austria, Prussia, England and Sardinia to stop the French forces. -
Period: to
Reign of Terror
Period of uncertainty and death intended to protect France from traitors or invaders. -
Thermidorian Reaction
The parliamentary revolt that led to the fall of Maximilien Robespierre and the end of the Reign of Terror. -
End of the United Provinces of the Netherlands
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Period: to
The Directory
A group of five men who held the executive power in France. -
Coup d'Etat
The overthrowing of the Directory, which was replaced by the French Consolate. -
Period: to
Consulate Era
The period of time where the executive power in France consisted of 3 consuls, but Napoleon had all the real power. -
Period: to
Empire Period
Period of time where Napoleon was conquering large amounts of Europe and making France an empire. -
Concordat of 1801
An agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII that defined the status of the Roman Catholic Church in France. -
Battle of Trafalgar
A naval battle between England and France that France lost. -
Battle of Austerlitz
A major victory for Napoleon against Russia and Austria. -
Period: to
War of the Fourth Coalition
The defeat of Austria, Prussia, and Russia. -
Treaty of Tilsit
Agreements that France signed with Russia and with Prussia at Tilsit, northern Prussia, after Napoleon destroyed them. -
Russian Campaign
Napoleon's invasion of Russia which led to the destruction of his Grande Armee -
Battle of Leipzig
The coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Sweden, led by Tsar Alexander I of Russia defeated the French army. -
Congress of Vienna
The assembly that reorganized Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. -
Hundred Days
The 100 day period between Napoleon's return to France and the restoration of the French monarchy. -
Battle of Waterloo
Napoleon's final defeat by Britain. -
End of the Spanish Inquisition