18th-20th Century European History: Economy, Politics, and Society
Key Concepts of the 18th Century
Old Regime: The economic, political, and social system of 18th-century Europe.
Guild: Association controlling all aspects of a trade.
Primogeniture: The eldest son’s inheritance of a noble estate.
Undivided Absolute Monarchy: Government where the king’s power is divinely ordained.
Parliamentary Monarchy: The king rules, but power is checked by an elected parliament.
Suffrage: Limited voting rights, typically to tax-paying men.
Mercantilism: National wealth is based on gold and silver reserves.
Physiocracy: National wealth is based on agricultural productivity.
Illustration (Enlightenment): Cultural movement emphasizing reason and human importance.
Enlightened Despotism: Absolute monarchs using their power for societal improvement.
National Sovereignty: The people’s power exercised through elected representatives.
Liberalism: Political theory emphasizing separation of powers and national sovereignty.
Economic Liberalism: Market driven by supply and demand; state imposes tariffs.
Class Society: Closed social groups with distinct laws and rights.
Division of Powers: Legislative (parliament), judicial (judges), and executive (head of state).
Anti-Semitism: Rejection of Jewish culture, race, or social influence.
Autarky: Economic policy of national self-sufficiency.
Pan-Germanism: Unification of all German-origin people into one state.
20th Century Concepts and Events
Global Organizations and Conflicts
International Monetary Fund: Established to prevent economic crises like the Great Depression.
UN (United Nations): Forum for human rights, peace, self-determination, and international cooperation.
Cold War: Diplomatic, political, ideological, and economic conflict between the USA and USSR.
Détente: Period of eased tensions and increased dialogue between superpowers.
Spain: 19th and 20th Centuries
Regenerationism: Intellectual movement advocating reforms after Spain’s 1898 defeat.
International Brigades: Foreign volunteers fighting for the Spanish Republic.
Popular Militia: Armed civilians defending the Republic.
Public Company: Company with capital divided into shares.
Cartel: Agreement between companies to fix prices and production.
Holding: Company owning other companies in unrelated activities.
Trust: Company owning multiple factories producing the same goods.
Proletariat: Wage-earning working class.
Nationalism: Doctrine advocating for a nation based on shared language, culture, religion, history, economics, and race.
Imperialism: Control of a territory or country by a European power.
Colony: Territory owned by a country in another continent.
Metropolis: Colonizing nation.
Protectorate: Territory exploited for resources in exchange for military protection.
Dominion: Granting of monopoly or exclusive trade power to a country.
Pronunciamiento: Military insurrection to change a political system.
Bourbon Restoration: Historical period in Spain from the return of the monarchy to the First Spanish Republic.
Turnismo: Peaceful alternation of Conservative and Liberal parties in Spanish government.
Cacique: Powerful individuals controlling rural votes.
Economic Concepts
Disentailment: Seizure and sale of state assets.
Speculation: Profiting from price changes.
Stock Exchange (Bolsa): Marketplace for buying and selling company shares.
Soviet: Worker and peasant organizations for protest and power seizure.
NEP (New Economic Policy): Soviet policy allowing limited private property to rebuild the economy.