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despotism

(Encyclopedia)despotism, government by an absolute ruler unchecked by effective constitutional limits to his power. In Greek usage, a despot was ruler of a household and master of its slaves. The title was applied ...

James II, king of Aragón and count of Barcelona

(Encyclopedia)James II, c.1260–1327, king of Aragón and count of Barcelona (1291–1327), king of Sicily (1285–95). He succeeded his father, Peter III, in Sicily and his brother, Alfonso III, in Aragón. James...

Waldemar II

(Encyclopedia)Waldemar II, 1170–1241, king of Denmark (1202–41), second son of Waldemar I. In the reign of his brother, Canute VI, he defended Denmark from German aggression and then extended Danish control ove...

Stein, Karl, Freiherr vom und zum

(Encyclopedia)Stein, Karl, Freiherr vom und zum kärl frīˈhĕr fəm o͝ont tso͝om shtīn [key], 1757–1831, Prussian statesman and reformer. Rising through the Prussian bureaucracy, he became minister of commer...

Schleswig-Holstein

(Encyclopedia)Schleswig-Holstein shlĕsˈvĭkh-hôlˈshtīn [key], state (1994 pop. 2,595,000), c.6,050 sq mi (15,670 sq km), NW Germany. Kiel (the capital and chief port), Lübeck, Flensburg, and Neumünster are t...

Frederick IX, king of Denmark

(Encyclopedia)Frederick IX, 1899–1972, king of Denmark (1947–72), son and successor of Christian X. He married (1935) Princess Ingrid of Sweden. Because he did not have a son the constitution was amended in 195...

Conrad III, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire

(Encyclopedia)Conrad III, c.1093–1152, German king (1138–52), son of Frederick, duke of Swabia, and Agnes, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV; first of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. He joined his brother Frede...

Cornelius, Peter von

(Encyclopedia)Cornelius, Peter von, 1783–1867, German painter. He studied at Düsseldorf and in Rome, where he joined the German Nazarene group and collaborated with other members in the decoration of the Casa Ba...

Stanislaus II

(Encyclopedia)Stanislaus II, 1732–98, last king of Poland (1764–95). He was born Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski. His mother was a member of the powerful Czartoryski family, which furthered Stanislaus's career....

Matthias Corvinus

(Encyclopedia)Matthias Corvinus kôrvīˈnəs [key], 1443?–1490, king of Hungary (1458–90) and Bohemia (1478–90), second son of John Hunyadi. He was elected king of Hungary on the death of Ladislaus V. Holy R...
 

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