Europe to 1815 Test Three Study Guide
Assembly of Notables- This was a gathering in 1787 of handpicked representatives from each of
the three estates. The expectation of this meeting was approval of new reform. However, the
assembly rejected proposals for tax reform and refused to accept that land taxes for the nobles
were an option, although some had been willing to accept these with institutional reform to
guarantee privileges. The assembly then convinced the king to remove the finance minister and
recommended that financial reform was so big of an issue that Estates General should handle it.
Calas Affair- This event in 1761 involved a Protestant father in France accused of murdering his
son for intending to convert to Catholicism. The local parlement convicted the father and had
him tortured to death. The decision was reversed a few years later. The event itself helped to put
the philosophes’ critique of religious tolerance into the limelight of public opinion, most notably
that of Voltaire as he staged a propaganda campaign against intolerant laws and practices.
Civil Constitution of the Clergy- This act in 1790 declared that bishops had to be elected by local
assemblies at the local level. The act redefined the relationship between the clergy and state by
essentially turning the church into a department of the state, thus creating a national church. In
addition, it altered the course of the French Revolution because it was widely resisted and
directly contributed to a growing counter-revolutionary movement.
Committee of Public Safety- This committee was created in 1793 during the Terror stage of the
French Revolution. It assumed the role of protecting France against domestic attacks and internal
rebellion. Its greatest notoriety came under the leadership of Robespierre. In its attempts to
protect France, the Committee killed thousands of people and imprisoned several hundred
thousand that it considered to be enemies of the French Revolution. The Committee also
increased government interference in the economy, which represented a break between the
Jacobins for state control and Girondins for economic freedom. The Committee experienced a
split in 1794 and turned on Robespierre, which culminated in his execution and later dissolution
of the committee with power going back to the Assembly.
Concordat- This was an agreement in 1801 between Napoleon and pope Pius VII. The agreement
declared Catholicism to be the religion of the majority of French citizens, required that the
church give up claims to lands seized at the beginning of the Revolution, and granted Protestants
and Jews state protection to practice their religion. The result was solidifying changes brought by
the Revolution and restoring ecclesiastical influence in France. It also helped to alienate some of
Napoleon’s more cautious supporters on the left and helped bring religious peace after turmoil.
Constitution of 1791- This new French constitution in 1791 imposed limitations on the power of
the monarch. The king retained his power of a suspending veto and could still direct foreign
policy and command the army. However, acts of war or peace required Assembly approval.
These new limitations represented a break with the Old Regime and a replacement of absolute
rule with a constitutional monarchy. In addition, there were other significant societal and
political changes with the abolition of nobility and reorganization of the French provinces.
Economic reform also took place with the implementation of economic liberalism.
Newton- Newton was a key English figure of the Scientific Revolution of the late seventeenth
and early eighteenth centuries. He suggested that the universe is infinite with no conceivable end
, and that a divine force called gravitation drove planet movement. He further argued the idea that
all things in the universe are governed by the same physical laws. However, some of his most
important achievements are the creation of calculus and the publishing of Principia, which laid
the foundations of a modern science that is based upon theory and experimentation.
Encyclopedia- This work compiled by Diderot was the most monumental work of the
Enlightenment. The work marked a departure from assumption that what man can learn is
limited and represented how the philosophes felt that knowledge is rational and follows the laws
of nature. Key ideas include social and political institutions being subject to rationality and
criticism. It also implicitly challenged monarchial authority with pieces about representative
government and popular sovereignty.
Flight to Varennes- This event in 1791 was where Louis XVI and the royal family tried to flee
France in an effort to secure the support of foreign enemies of the revolution. However, the
National Guard captured him at Varennes and prevented the king from continuing on to exile.
This event further turned public sentiment against Louis XVI and strengthened support for a
republic. Soon after, there was a petition to replace the king by all constitutional means.
Great Fear- This event in 1789 was in response to peasant rebellions that took place after the fall
of the Bastille. Peasants and townspeople feared that aristocrats would retaliate with a plot to
starve or burn them out. In reaction, they mobilized throughout France and formed units to
defend themselves and their harvests. This peasant response led to new local governments that
included those who previously had been excluded from political life. Peasant violence also
encouraged the National Assembly to meet and abolish seigneurial rights.
Ivan the Terrible- Ivan the Terrible was the first to be crowned czar of Russia. He sought to
assure himself a reliable military force and revenue. To achieve these means, he created a service
state where the nobles held their estates in exchange for agreeing to serve in an administrative or
military capacity. He also decimated noble families who were too powerful or slow to obey.
Notable territorial gains included the Volga basin and absorbing parts of Mongol states while
driving back the Muslim Tatars.
Galileo- Galileo was a key Italian figure of the Scientific Revolution during the early seventeenth
century. His empirical breakthroughs led him to conclude that terrestrial and celestial bodies are
subject to the same physical laws. He engaged in quantitative physics to form a mathematical
basis for the universe. To support his ideas, Galileo used a polemical form of argumentation such
as when he published Starry Messenger to reveal his findings on sunspots and when he published
Dialogue Concerning the Chief Two World Systems to support a heliocentric system. The latter
work resulted in Galileo being brought before the Roman Inquisition where he was sentenced to
house arrest for violating church ban on openly supporting a heliocentric system.
Copernicus- Copernicus was a key Polish figure of the Scientific Revolution during the first half
of the sixteenth century. He held many of the same ideas as his predecessors. Copernicus
believed that the universe was finite and composed of concentric spheres that had perfectly
circular orbits. However, he did have different ideas when he put the earth into a sphere in order
to better account for the speed of the other spheres and when he placed the sun near the center of
the universe. These new ideas disrupted the traditional hierarchy of the heavier and more
corruptive elements being drawn towards the center.
Assembly of Notables- This was a gathering in 1787 of handpicked representatives from each of
the three estates. The expectation of this meeting was approval of new reform. However, the
assembly rejected proposals for tax reform and refused to accept that land taxes for the nobles
were an option, although some had been willing to accept these with institutional reform to
guarantee privileges. The assembly then convinced the king to remove the finance minister and
recommended that financial reform was so big of an issue that Estates General should handle it.
Calas Affair- This event in 1761 involved a Protestant father in France accused of murdering his
son for intending to convert to Catholicism. The local parlement convicted the father and had
him tortured to death. The decision was reversed a few years later. The event itself helped to put
the philosophes’ critique of religious tolerance into the limelight of public opinion, most notably
that of Voltaire as he staged a propaganda campaign against intolerant laws and practices.
Civil Constitution of the Clergy- This act in 1790 declared that bishops had to be elected by local
assemblies at the local level. The act redefined the relationship between the clergy and state by
essentially turning the church into a department of the state, thus creating a national church. In
addition, it altered the course of the French Revolution because it was widely resisted and
directly contributed to a growing counter-revolutionary movement.
Committee of Public Safety- This committee was created in 1793 during the Terror stage of the
French Revolution. It assumed the role of protecting France against domestic attacks and internal
rebellion. Its greatest notoriety came under the leadership of Robespierre. In its attempts to
protect France, the Committee killed thousands of people and imprisoned several hundred
thousand that it considered to be enemies of the French Revolution. The Committee also
increased government interference in the economy, which represented a break between the
Jacobins for state control and Girondins for economic freedom. The Committee experienced a
split in 1794 and turned on Robespierre, which culminated in his execution and later dissolution
of the committee with power going back to the Assembly.
Concordat- This was an agreement in 1801 between Napoleon and pope Pius VII. The agreement
declared Catholicism to be the religion of the majority of French citizens, required that the
church give up claims to lands seized at the beginning of the Revolution, and granted Protestants
and Jews state protection to practice their religion. The result was solidifying changes brought by
the Revolution and restoring ecclesiastical influence in France. It also helped to alienate some of
Napoleon’s more cautious supporters on the left and helped bring religious peace after turmoil.
Constitution of 1791- This new French constitution in 1791 imposed limitations on the power of
the monarch. The king retained his power of a suspending veto and could still direct foreign
policy and command the army. However, acts of war or peace required Assembly approval.
These new limitations represented a break with the Old Regime and a replacement of absolute
rule with a constitutional monarchy. In addition, there were other significant societal and
political changes with the abolition of nobility and reorganization of the French provinces.
Economic reform also took place with the implementation of economic liberalism.
Newton- Newton was a key English figure of the Scientific Revolution of the late seventeenth
and early eighteenth centuries. He suggested that the universe is infinite with no conceivable end
, and that a divine force called gravitation drove planet movement. He further argued the idea that
all things in the universe are governed by the same physical laws. However, some of his most
important achievements are the creation of calculus and the publishing of Principia, which laid
the foundations of a modern science that is based upon theory and experimentation.
Encyclopedia- This work compiled by Diderot was the most monumental work of the
Enlightenment. The work marked a departure from assumption that what man can learn is
limited and represented how the philosophes felt that knowledge is rational and follows the laws
of nature. Key ideas include social and political institutions being subject to rationality and
criticism. It also implicitly challenged monarchial authority with pieces about representative
government and popular sovereignty.
Flight to Varennes- This event in 1791 was where Louis XVI and the royal family tried to flee
France in an effort to secure the support of foreign enemies of the revolution. However, the
National Guard captured him at Varennes and prevented the king from continuing on to exile.
This event further turned public sentiment against Louis XVI and strengthened support for a
republic. Soon after, there was a petition to replace the king by all constitutional means.
Great Fear- This event in 1789 was in response to peasant rebellions that took place after the fall
of the Bastille. Peasants and townspeople feared that aristocrats would retaliate with a plot to
starve or burn them out. In reaction, they mobilized throughout France and formed units to
defend themselves and their harvests. This peasant response led to new local governments that
included those who previously had been excluded from political life. Peasant violence also
encouraged the National Assembly to meet and abolish seigneurial rights.
Ivan the Terrible- Ivan the Terrible was the first to be crowned czar of Russia. He sought to
assure himself a reliable military force and revenue. To achieve these means, he created a service
state where the nobles held their estates in exchange for agreeing to serve in an administrative or
military capacity. He also decimated noble families who were too powerful or slow to obey.
Notable territorial gains included the Volga basin and absorbing parts of Mongol states while
driving back the Muslim Tatars.
Galileo- Galileo was a key Italian figure of the Scientific Revolution during the early seventeenth
century. His empirical breakthroughs led him to conclude that terrestrial and celestial bodies are
subject to the same physical laws. He engaged in quantitative physics to form a mathematical
basis for the universe. To support his ideas, Galileo used a polemical form of argumentation such
as when he published Starry Messenger to reveal his findings on sunspots and when he published
Dialogue Concerning the Chief Two World Systems to support a heliocentric system. The latter
work resulted in Galileo being brought before the Roman Inquisition where he was sentenced to
house arrest for violating church ban on openly supporting a heliocentric system.
Copernicus- Copernicus was a key Polish figure of the Scientific Revolution during the first half
of the sixteenth century. He held many of the same ideas as his predecessors. Copernicus
believed that the universe was finite and composed of concentric spheres that had perfectly
circular orbits. However, he did have different ideas when he put the earth into a sphere in order
to better account for the speed of the other spheres and when he placed the sun near the center of
the universe. These new ideas disrupted the traditional hierarchy of the heavier and more
corruptive elements being drawn towards the center.
