Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Revolution c.1682-1815

What Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Revolution c.1682-1815 covers

Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Revolution c.1682-1815 is examined in Unit 1, the period study — one of eight options, of which a student takes one. It covers Peter the Great's reform of government and society, the Church, the economy and the armed forces under Peter the Great, westernisation and the building of St Petersburg, the Great Northern War and Peter the Great's foreign policy, Frederick the Great's accession and the Prussian inheritance, Frederick the Great's domestic reforms, Frederick the Great as an enlightened despot, France under Louis XV and the ancien régime, the structure of the French state: crown, finance and Church, Louis XVI and the causes of the French Revolution, the Baltic and the Great Powers after the Great Northern War, the War of the Austrian Succession and the Diplomatic Revolution, the Seven Years War and the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and the balance of power.

The 14 subtopics

Each one has its own page. WJEC AS History students sit this topic in the first year.

• Peter the Great's reform of government and societyPrikazy and what replaced them, peter's reorganisation of provincial government and table of Ranks and when was it issued.Open →
• The Church, the economy and the armed forces under Peter the GreatTwo indirect taxes or monopolies Peter used to raise money, possessional serfs and main features of Peter's mercantilism.Open →
• Westernisation and the building of St PetersburgRussia's first printed newspaper and its date, human cost of building the new capital and central argument against calling Peter's changes a true modernisation.Open →
• The Great Northern War and Peter the Great's foreign policyRecall questions on the alliance against Sweden, the early defeat and what was learned from it, the battle that reversed the war, the settlement of 1721 and the Baltic coast it secured.Open →
• Frederick the Great's accession and the Prussian inheritanceArmy did Frederick inherit, canton system and general Directory.Open →
• Frederick the Great's domestic reformsFrederick's first significant legal reform, ultimate outcome of the codification Frederick began and miller Arnold case.Open →
• Frederick the Great as an enlightened despotEnlightened despotism, frederick's relationship with Voltaire and frederick's attitude to representative institutions.Open →
• France under Louis XV and the ancien régimeJohn Law's system and desacralisation of the French monarchy.Open →
• The structure of the French state: crown, finance and ChurchThree estates of the realm in France, gabelle and why was it hated and corvée royale.Open →
• Louis XVI and the causes of the French RevolutionDiamond Necklace Affair, day of Tiles and cahiers de doléances.Open →
• The Baltic and the Great Powers after the Great Northern WarSwedish Age of Liberty, poland-Lithuania's constitutional weakness and war of the Polish Succession.Open →
• The War of the Austrian Succession and the Diplomatic RevolutionRecall questions on the Pragmatic Sanction and the seizure that tested it, the course of the fighting, the settlement of 1748, and the realignment of alliances that followed.Open →
• The Seven Years WarFrederick's strategic position in the war, rossbach and why did it matter and miracle of the House of Brandenburg.Open →
• The Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and the balance of powerDeclaration of Pillnitz, significance of Valmy and levée en masse.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Revolution c.1682-1815 further

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Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Great Northern War vs Seven Years War

  Great Northern War: the conflict begun in 1700 by Russia, Denmark-Norway and Saxony-Poland against Charles XII of Sweden, which ended in 1721 with Swedish power in the Baltic broken. Seven Years War: the conflict begun in 1756 when Frederick invaded Saxony, setting Prussia against Austria, France and Russia until 1763.

• Treaty of Nystad vs Treaty of Hubertusburg

  Treaty of Nystad: the settlement of 1721 giving Russia Livonia, Estonia, Ingria and part of Karelia, in return for the restoration of most of Finland and a large cash payment. Treaty of Hubertusburg: the settlement of 1763 ending the German fighting on the pre-war frontiers, so that Prussia kept Silesia and Austria gained nothing.

• Senate vs Holy Synod

  Senate: the small standing council created in 1711 with authority over justice, revenue and administration while the tsar was away at war. Holy Synod: the committee of clergy that replaced the patriarchate in 1721 and ran the Church as a department of state under regulations written for the tsar.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   In what circumstances did Peter come to the throne in 1682?

   Model answer

   He was proclaimed joint tsar with his sickly half-brother Ivan V while still a boy, with his half-sister Sophia governing as regent.

2. 2

   When did Peter become the effective sole ruler of Russia?

   Model answer

   From 1689, when Sophia's regency was overthrown, and beyond dispute after Ivan V died in 1696.

3. 3

   What was the streltsy revolt of 1698 and how did Peter respond?

   Model answer

   A mutiny of the Moscow musketeer regiments while he was abroad; he returned, had over a thousand executed after torture and disbanded the corps.

4. 4

   Why did Peter regard the streltsy as a political problem as well as a military one?

   Model answer

   They were a hereditary Moscow garrison with trading interests, ties to the Old Believers and a record of intervening in succession disputes.

5. 5

   What body did Peter create in 1711 to govern in his absence?

   Model answer

   The Senate, a small standing council with authority over justice, revenue and administration while the tsar was at war.

6. 6

   What official was appointed in 1722 to supervise the Senate?

   Model answer

   The Procurator-General, first held by Pavel Yaguzhinsky and described as the eye of the tsar, who reported directly to Peter on the Senate's conduct.

What is inside Levo

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Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Revolution c.1682-1815 revision questions

Is Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Revolution c.1682-1815 examined at AS in WJEC History?

Yes. It sits in AS Unit 1, which you take in the first year, so it is on the AS paper as well as counting towards the full A level.

What does Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Revolution c.1682-1815 cover in WJEC AS-Level History?

14 subtopics: peter the great's reform of government and society, the church, the economy and the armed forces under peter the great, westernisation and the building of st petersburg, the great northern war and peter the great's foreign policy, frederick the great's accession and the prussian inheritance, frederick the great's domestic reforms, frederick the great as an enlightened despot, france under louis xv and the ancien régime, the structure of the french state: crown, finance and church, louis xvi and the causes of the french revolution, the baltic and the great powers after the great northern war, the war of the austrian succession and the diplomatic revolution, the seven years war and the revolutionary and napoleonic wars and the balance of power. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Revolution c.1682-1815 organised?

By the WJEC 601-5817-7 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.