Deck 18: The Eighteenth Century: European States, International Wars, and Social Change

Question 1

A diplomatic revolution resulted when Austria succeeded in separating Prussia from which of its long-time allies?

A)England
B)Russia
C)France

Answer 1

France

Question 2

The War of Austrian Succession began in 1740 when Prussia attacked which of the following Habsburg provinces?

A)Transylvania
B)Bavaria
C)Silesia

Answer 2

Silesia

Question 3

Which of the following describes a frequent goal of wars in Europe?

A)Trying to place a family member on an important throne
B)Attempts to conquer the continent once and for all
C)Efforts to suppress wide-scale peasant revolts

Answer 3

Trying to place a family member on an important throne

Question 4

New European attitudes toward children are made visible in all EXCEPT which of the following?

A)Changes in the ordinary clothing of children
B)The production of more games and toys for children
C)A reinforcement of the custom of primogeniture

Question 5

Which of the following was a key financial advantage the British government enjoyed over French rulers in the eighteenth century?

A)Britain's capacity to borrow large sums of money at low rates of interest
B)A lower total amount of British government debt
C)A strong policy against state borrowing of any kind in Britain

Question 6

The enlightened legal reforms expressed by Catherine the Great in her Instruction met with which of the following results?

A)They accomplished little due to heavy opposition and were soon forgotten.
B)They succeeded in establishing an equal system of law for all Russian citizens.
C)They instigated changes in Russian government that sapped the power of the old nobility.

Question 7

All of the following contributed to the growth of population in the second half of the eighteenth century EXCEPT which one?

A)A decline in the death rate
B)New crops from America such as corn and potatoes
C)The eradication of typhus and smallpox

Question 8

Gustavus III of Sweden adopted which of the following policies?

A)He established freedom of religion, speech, and press.
B)He instituted a repressive new code of justice that reinforced the use of torture.
C)He increased tariffs and tolls.

Question 9

Catherine the Great of Russia adopted which of the following policies?

A)She followed a successful policy of expansion against the Turks.
B)She instigated enlightened reforms for the peasantry after the revolt of Emelyan Pugachev.
C)She weakened the nobility with her extensive enlightened reforms.

Question 10

During the eighteenth century, what fate did the idea of divine right enjoy?

A)It remained a strong basis for government.
B)It was gradually replaced by more republican ideas concerning government.
C)It was replaced by the idea of "enlightened absolutism" justified by utilitarian arguments.

Question 11

In a sincere effort to reform his domains typical of enlightened rulers, the Austrian emperor Joseph II issued which of the following?

A)Three new court circulars on improved operations for the imperial bureaucracy
B)6,000 decrees and 11,000 new laws
C)150 new ranks of imperial bureaucrats

Question 12

All of the following were persistent trends in the upper-class eighteenth-century European family EXCEPT which one?

A)Childhood being viewed more and more as a special phase in human development
B)The removal of children from foundling homes to board at state and municipal workshops
C)The decline in the total number of children per family

Question 13

During the eighteenth century, Spain experienced which of the following?

A)A temporary rejuvenation by the reforms of Philip V
B)A continual decline as its empire in the west collapsed
C)A series of successful wars against France

Question 14

How are the rulers associated with enlightened absolutism in the eighteenth century best described?

A)They could never completely overcome the political and social realities of the time.
B)They exhibited less concern for the power of their states than their predecessors.
C)They successfully undermined the interests of the European nobility.

Question 15

European warfare in the eighteenth century was characterized by which of the following?

A)The continued reliance on mercenary armies on the mainland
B)Ideological fervor leading to bloody battles
C)Limited objectives and elaborate maneuvers

Question 16

Politically, what change occurred during the period from 1715 to 1789?

A)The rise of the masses in politics as advocated by the philosophers
B)The waning of monarchical power
C)The continuing process of centralization in the development of nation-states

Question 17

European society in the eighteenth century experienced which of the following?

A)Earlier ages of marriage for both brides and grooms
B)The continued dominance of the nuclear family
C)The declining importance of the woman in the "family economy"

Question 18

How is European diplomacy during the eighteenth century best described?

A)It wholly repudiated dynastic interests in favor of reason of state.
B)It was shaped by the attempt to prevent one state from dominating the others.
C)It linked the concept of the balance of power with a desire for peace.

Question 19

How is the dismemberment of Poland in the late eighteenth century best described?

A)It occurred after decades of warfare between its neighbors.
B)It was reversed by the successful rebellion of General Kosciuszko.
C)It showed the necessity of a strong, centralized monarchy to defend a state in the period.

Question 20

Pugachev's rebellion broke out after which of the following?

A)A bad harvest caused massive starvation in Poland
B)Prussia successfully invaded Russia and seized half of the Ukraine
C)Catherine the Great's policies worsened conditions for the peasantry

Question 21

The Grand Tour refers to which of the following?

A)The travels of French philosophers through Britain to observe Britain's political and economic systems
B)The travels to ancient European sites that generally completed the proper education of an aristocrat's sons
C)The intense experience of serving in the colonies as a recently commissioned army officer before returning to Europe

Question 22

Why is the term "enlightened absolutism" no longer considered entirely useful?

Question 23

Which one of the following imported products allowed Irish peasants to survive on the small plots of land left to them by English landlords?

A)Potatoes
B)Tomatoes
C)Wheat

Question 24

What is enlightened absolutism?

Question 25

All are correct about trade and commerce in the eighteenth century EXCEPT which of the following?

A)International trade had become greater than trade within Europe.
B)Trade within Europe was still greater than overseas trade.
C)There was a dramatic increase in trade between European nations and their colonies.

Question 26

How was the civil service used to strengthen the Prussian monarchy?

Question 27

How did the French monarchy respond to Enlightenment changes?

Question 28

Which of the following is true of the European peasantry in the eighteenth century?

A)Peasants comprised nearly half of Europe's population.
B)Peasants were free from serfdom in all countries by 1789.
C)Peasants often owed extensive compulsory services to aristocratic landowners.

Question 29

Which of the following was a key financial innovation of the eighteenth century?

A)The creation of insurance policies
B)The circulation of paper banknotes compensating for a lack of coinage
C)The establishment of a new international currency to facilitate trade

Question 30

In the 1700s, how are the members of the British Parliament best described?

A)They were appointed by the king.
B)They were usually overseas and not actually in Parliament voting.
C)They were chosen in different ways in different districts.

Question 31

How is the problem of poverty in eighteenth-century Europe best described?

A)It was most severe in Great Britain, a country lacking a system of poor relief.
B)It was solved largely through the efforts of private and religious charities.
C)It was aggravated by the hostile feelings of government officials toward the poor.

Question 32

How is France in eighteenth century best described?

A)It thrived under the strong leadership of Louis XV and Louis XVI.
B)It suffered from severe economic depression throughout the century.
C)It lost an empire while acquiring a huge public debt.

Question 33

The special legal privileges of the European nobility included all EXCEPT which of the following?

A)Dividends from state revenues
B)Immunity from severe punishment
C)Exemptions from most forms of taxation

Question 34

What was the intent of Austria's reforms? What was the outcome?

Question 35

What was the role of ministers in the British state?

Question 36

Which of the following was a favorite type of private charity supported by the rich in eighteenth-century Europe?

A)The dowry fund for poor women
B)Neighborhood confraternities to support social welfare programs
C)Foundling homes for poor and abandoned children

Question 37

Which of the following cities did NOT benefit significantly from eighteenth-century Atlantic trade?

A)Bordeaux
B)Marseilles
C)Rome

Question 38

Which of the following statements BEST describes eighteenth-century European cities?

A)They were remarkably cleaner than the medieval city.
B)They were decreasing dramatically in population.
C)They were still filthy and lacked proper sanitation.

Question 39

How is Europe's unequal social organization in the eighteenth century best described?

A)It was determined by the division of society into traditional orders.
B)It was deemed contrary to Christian teaching.
C)It was least apparent in Prussia.

Question 40

The domestic system of textile production in France and Britain is known as which of the following?

A)The workshop system
B)The putting-out system
C)The mercantile system

Question 41

Why did George III attempt to assert royal power in England? What results did his efforts have? Why?

Question 42

Why did the European population grow during the 1700s?

Question 43

Describe the life of a typical European aristocrat.

Question 44

What was the result of the Seven Years' War?

Question 45

By the eighteenth century, the Dutch Republic experienced which of the following?

A)It suffered a decline in economic prosperity.
B)It saw the power of the oligarchy considerably reduced.
C)It continued its great economic prosperity of the sixteenth century.

Question 46

What is cottage industry, and how did it work?

Question 47

Why were reforms largely unsuccessful in Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and Denmark? Did reforms fail mostly because of internal or external factors?

Question 48

Describe the decline of Sweden in the 1600s and 1700s.

Question 49

In what ways did European events influence events across the globe?

Question 50

What role did allegedly absolutist monarch take in promoting Enlightenment values and practices? What were the limits of these initiatives?

Question 51

Describe Poland's government in the 1600s and 1700s.

Question 52

Describe the life of a typical member of the bourgeoisie.

Question 53

How were women's lives shaped by their social class in the 1700s?

Question 54

What was the purpose of war in eighteenth-century European international relations?

Question 55

What is public debt?

Question 56

Describe the life of a typical European peasant.

Question 57

Who among the following was the prime minister who furthered British imperial ambitions by acquiring Canada and India?

A)Robert Walpole
B)William Pitt the Elder
C)Lord Bute

Question 58

How did European armies reflect European social structures?

Question 59

How were Prussian, Austrian, and Russian reforms similar? How did they differ? In which state were they most successful?

Question 60

What effect did the availability of new, high-nutrient foods have on European population?

Question 61

Describe the idea of war in Europe. What was its purpose, and how was it supposed to be fought? What were legitimate and illegitimate objects of war?

Question 62

Why were Europeans so often at war in the eighteenth century? What was a more important catalyst of these conflicts, dynastic affairs or religion? Why do you think so?

Question 63

How was the life of a typical peasant different across Europe?

Question 64

The Austrian emperor Joseph II followed which of the following policies?

A)He reversed the enlightened reforms of his mother, Maria Theresa.
B)He provoked general discontent due to his enlightened but radical reforms.
C)He permanently stripped the nobility of its power.

Question 65

Under the reign of Frederick William I, Prussia experienced which of the following changes?

A)It saw the size of its army diminish.
B)It reduced the size and scope of government.
C)It developed a civil service staffed by middle-class officials.

Question 66

What was the most important cause of the Seven Years' War? What was the most significant outcome?

Question 67

How did changes to fiscal institutions, economic policy, and money affect industry? Together, did they cause enough change to explain the beginning of the industrial revolution? Why or why not?

Question 68

Which of the following was a continuing trend in eighteenth-century Prussia?

A)The uncontrollable growth of the royal state bureaucracy
B)The social and military dominance of the Junker nobility
C)An avoidance of military entanglements, especially under Frederick the Great

Question 69

How appropriate is it to refer to an agricultural revolution in eighteenth-century Europe? Why?

Question 70

What was the idea of the "family economy," and how did this shape the lives of women? How did class affect different women's approaches to family planning and management?

Question 71

How was the life of a typical member of the bourgeoisie different across Europe?

Question 72

Under Frederick II of Prussia, the most important offices in the government usually went to whom?

A)High-ranking Lutheran churchmen
B)Members of the nobility
C)University-educated bureaucrats

Question 73

How was the life of a typical aristocrat different across Europe?