GLOSSARY

Our European glossary contains important terms that will help you understand the development of European history. Consult this channel to learn important terms.

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Witenagemot

Witenagemot , in Anglo-Saxon England, the council that advised the king. It was a predecessor of the British Parliament.

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  • How Cave Dwellers Work
    How Cave Dwellers Work

    Hairy, heavy-browed, dim-witted: This is our vision of a caveman. But the cavepeople created amazing art -- and cave dwelling didn't stop with the Neanderthals. See more »

  • How Dictators Work
    How Dictators Work

    Hitler, Kim Jong-Il, Saddam Hussein: Dictators come hand-in-hand with violence and controversy. But what makes a dictator different from any other leader? See more »

  • How did the East India Company change the world?
    How did the East India Company change the world?

    The East India Company didn't just cause the Boston Tea Party -- it forged new nations and established drug trade. So why is it the basis for modern corporations? See more »

  • How Fascism Works
    How Fascism Works

    In fascism, the state is all that matters, and constant conquest is necessary to glorify that state. But how do you convince people to support a philosophy that denies their personal value? Is fascism really still alive today? See more »

  • How the Berlin Wall Worked
    How the Berlin Wall Worked

    The Berlin Wall splintered a city and divided a country, but it may also have prevented nuclear war. Why block off a city with concrete, barbed wire and land mines? See more »

  • How the Enlightenment Worked
    How the Enlightenment Worked

    The Age of Enlightenment was based on reason and science and featured some very heavy hitters: Voltaire, Descartes and Kant among them. But it took two Revolutions to truly test its principles. See more »

  • How the Great Train Robbery Worked
    How the Great Train Robbery Worked

    In 1963, criminals pulled off the largest train robbery in Britain's history. How did 15 men stop a train, and why did it take a Monopoly board to catch them? See more »

  • How the Spanish Inquisition Worked
    How the Spanish Inquisition Worked

    Did anyone expect the Spanish Inquisition? It began with religious intolerance and ended with torture, with false accusations and unfair trials in between. How did this period of cruelty come to be? See more »

  • What was the impact of the Age of Enlightenment?
    What was the impact of the Age of Enlightenment?

    The ideas of the Age of Enlightenment turned to action when the U.S. broke from King George III and British rule. How did 18th century intellectual ideals incite revolution? See more »

  • Renaissance
    Renaissance

    Renaissance, in a broad sense, the culturally fruitful period of transition from the medieval era into the beginning of modern civilization in Europe. See more »

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