AP Euro Unit 1: Renaissance & Absolutism

AP Euro Unit 1: Renaissance - Western Absolutism

•  Unit covers the Renaissance period (roughly 1300-1600) and Western European Absolutism.

The Late Middle Ages (1300-1450)

• The Black Death (1347): Bubonic plague, killing half of Europe.
• The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453): Conflict between England and France, souring their relations.
• The Church was criticized for its failures and practices.
• The Babylonian Captivity (1309-1377): The Pope moved to France, weakening the Church's prestige.
• The Great Schism (c.1377-1417): A period with multiple popes, causing widespread confusion and weakening the Church.
• The Byzantine Empire fell (1453): The Ottoman Empire expanded into northeastern Europe.
• Scholars moved to Italy, escaping the growing Muslim rule.
• The Crusades (multiple periods): Attempts to reclaim the Holy Land ultimately ended in failure. However, increased trade and knowledge exchange between East and West occurred.

Renaissance (c.1300-1600)

• Rebirth of Roman and Greek arts, literature, and philosophy.
• Emphasis on human potential ("humanism").
• Focus less on religion and more on human experiences.
• Renaissance began in Italy and spread to Northern Europe later, affecting mainly the upper class.
• Italian city-states controlled trade and became centers of artistic and intellectual activity.
• Florence played a key role, dominated by the Medici family.
• The Sack of Rome (1527) ended the Italian Renaissance.

Humanism

• Revival of classical learning (Roman and Greek).
• Emphasis on the individual's potential and capabilities.
• Introduction of secular ideas and pursuits (though still religious sentiment remained).
• New approach to education, emphasizing history, rhetoric, and moral philosophy.
• Stressing critical thinking and rationalism .

Important Figures

• Petrarch: "Father of Humanism," wrote in Italian, vernacular
• Lorenzo Valla: Expert in Latin, exposed the Donation of Constantine as a fraud.
• Pico della Mirandola: Famous Renaissance writer, focused on the dignity of man.

Machiavelli & Castiglione

• Niccolò Machiavelli: Author of The Prince, a guide for rulers; emphasizing realism, effectiveness and practicality in politics.
• Baldassare Castiglione: Author of The Book of the Courtier, a guide for aristocrats, promoting Renaissance values like refinement and virtue.

Gutenberg's Printing Press

• Key invention (1440) that made producing written materials cheaper and quicker.
• This facilitated the broader spread of humanist literature and ideas across Europe.
• Promoted the Reformation as well.

Patronage

• Wealthy families and the Church commissioned artworks to glorify God and enhance their prestige.
• Influential patrons like Lorenzo de' Medici and the Fugger family played key roles in Renaissance art.
• Popes also served as major patrons, funding art & architecture projects.

Artistic Techniques

• Geometric perspective: Created depth and realism in paintings.
• Chiaroscuro: Contrast of light and shadow to create volume.
• Sfumato: Blurring lines, creating a soft hazy effect.

High Renaissance

• Peak of Renaissance art and architecture.
• Major artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo produced iconic works.

Northern Humanism

• Different focus on religious reform rather than solely classicism.
• Erasmus and Thomas More were pivotal figures, critiquing Church abuses.
• More idealized a utopian society.

Northern Renaissance Art

• Flemish style characterized by detailed works, emotional expression, and everyday themes - major artists like Jan Van Eyck and Pieter Bruegel.

Society of the 16th and 17th Centuries

•  Hierarchical structure
• "Long 16th Century": population growth (after plague)
•  Importance of family
•  Witch Hunts common until Scientific Revolution

Women in the Renaissance

• Decline in power and status in the Renaissance era.
• Christine de Pizan chronicled female accomplishments.
• Women were treated as property and wealth (dowries were important considerations during marriage).
• Witch hunts disproportionately targeted women.

The Reformation

•  A challenge to the Catholic Church.
•  Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin developed new religious ideas.
• Martin Luther challenged the sale of indulgences, advocated for sola fide (faith alone).
• Factors supporting the Reformation: the translation of the bible, printing press, and growing dissatisfaction with the Church's practices.
• The Protestant Reformation led to more religious divisions in Europe.

Anabaptists

• Religious group that rejected infant baptism and sought religious freedom.
• They experienced persecution and tragedy, marked by social upheaval during the 1500s and 1600s.

Ulrich Zwingli

•  Leader of the Reformation in Switzerland.
• Focused on the symbolic nature of the Eucharist.

John Calvin

- Strongly influential Protestant reformer.

• Developed the idea of predestination.

Calvinism

• Calvinist beliefs spread across Europe and impacted Protestantism globally.

English Reformation

• King Henry VIII's desire for an annulment led to the creation of the Church of England (Anglican Church).
• Act of Supremacy (1534) declared the English king the head of the Church.
• Religious upheaval and divisions continued with the reigns of Henry's children.

English Civil War (1642-49)

•  Conflict between Charles I and Parliament, rooted in religious and political differences.
•  Cavalier and Roundhead factions fought for control of the country.
•  Oliver Cromwell led the Roundheads to victory and established a republican government (the Commonwealth).

The Interregum (1649-1660), The Protectorate

• Era of rule without a monarch, and instead a strict Puritan-dominated government.
• Period after Civil War with Oliver Cromwell as ruler.

Charles II (r.1660-1685)

• Restoration of the monarchy.
• Clarendon Code targeted religious and political dissenters.

James II (r.1685-1688)

• Attempt to re-establish Catholicism.
• Contributed to the Glorious Revolution, the end of Stuart rule and establishment of William III and Mary II.

Absolutism in Western Europe (France: c.1589-1715)

• Key concept focused on absolute power of monarch.
• French absolutism focused on divine right.

Background of Absolutism

• Importance of a strong centralized monarchy to maintain societal stability
• Concept of divine right; Ruler is responsible to God only.
• Role of nobility, reduced influence for their own benefit and security.
• Richelieu and Mazarin played pivotal roles in advancing French Absolutism.
• Development of bureaucracy, reducing nobility power and strengthening the monarchy.

French Absolutism

•  French kings like Henry IV and Louis XIV consolidated power.
• The development of the Intendant system under Louis XIII.
• Conflicts concerning the succession and religious groups in the country.
• Cardinal Mazarin and Cardinal Richelieu strengthened centralized power.

Louis XIII (r.1610-1643)

• Strengthened the French monarchy through reforms and strategies to gain power.
• Important figure in the development of French absolutism.

Louis XIV (r.1643-1715)

• Best-known absolutist of France.
• "L'état, c'est moi" (I am the state).
• Strong centralized government and military.
• Construction of the Palace of Versailles.

French Economy/Mercantilism

• Focus on economic self-sufficiency.
• Mercantilist policies helped build wealth in France but could have caused problems due to class differences.
• Taxes in France were disproportionately levied on the lower classes, straining their resources.
• Colbert's administrative reforms boosted French trade and internal economy.

The Wars of Louis XIV

•  France's expansionist policies led to conflicts across Europe.
•  Wars of Devolution, the Dutch War, the Nine Years' War, and the War of the Spanish Succession.
•  Balance of power diplomacy developed in response, aiming to counter France.
•  These wars severely drained French resources and had significant long-term consequences for the nation's development and relationship with other European countries.

The Columbian Exchange

•  Transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) and the New World (Americas).

Thirty Years' War (1618-1648)

• Last major religious war in Europe.
• Involved major European powers.
• Ended in the Peace of Westphalia (1648).
• This ended the religious stage of the war in Europe, resulting in permanent differences in the belief and religious systems.