Navigating the Fin de Siècle: Society, Culture, and Politics (1850–1914)

Romanticism

An artistic movement emphasizing emotion and individualism, which preceded Realism.

Realism

An artistic and literary movement focused on the depiction of everyday life and social issues.

Positivism

A philosophical theory asserting that only scientific knowledge is of real value.

Impressionism

An art movement that captures fleeting moments using light and color, often painted en plein air.

Post-Impressionism

A movement building on Impressionism while emphasizing form and emotional expression.

Natural Selection

Darwin's theory describing the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Social Darwinism

The application of natural selection concepts to human societies, often used to justify imperialism and inequality.

Psychoanalysis

A therapeutic method developed by Freud, focusing on the unconscious mind's influence on behavior.

Miasmatic Theory

The belief that diseases were caused by bad odors or 'miasmas'.

Germ Theory of Disease

The theory that microorganisms are the cause of many diseases.

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections.

Haussmannization

The transformation of Paris under Napoleon III, characterized by modern urban planning and sanitation improvements.

Liberal Party

The political party in Britain that evolved to support social welfare and progressive taxation.

Constituional change

Legal reforms sought by Suffragists to achieve women's voting rights through peaceful means.

Militant tactics

Aggressive actions used by Suffragettes to advocate for women's rights, including protests and hunger strikes.

Alfred Dreyfus

A Jewish French army captain falsely accused of treason, whose trial divided France.

Dreyfus Affair

A political scandal in France that highlighted anti-Semitism and led to significant political reforms.

Urban Planning

The process of designing and regulating the use of space in urban areas.

Scientific Revolution

The period of major advances in scientific thought, instrumental in undermining traditional views of the universe.

Environmental Determinism

The theory that the physical environment shapes social and cultural development.

Millicent Fawcett

A leading British suffragist who advocated for peaceful means of achieving women's voting rights.

Emmeline Pankhurst

The founder of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in Britain, advocating militant suffrage tactics.

Classical Marxism

The original theories of Marx that predicted inevitable revolution and class struggle.

Revisionism

The evolutionary approach proposed by Eduard Bernstein, suggesting gradual changes through democratic means.

Public Health Act of 1848

Legislation in Britain aimed at improving sanitary conditions in response to the Germ Theory.

State socialism

Bismarck's policies in Germany that included social welfare programs to counteract socialism.