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Representation of the People Acts

(Encyclopedia)Representation of the People Acts, statutes enacted by the British Parliament to continue the extension of the franchise begun by the Reform Bills (see under Reform Acts). As a result of the governmen...

Q, letter of the alphabet

(Encyclopedia)Q, 17th letter of the alphabet, corresponding to the koppa of western Greek alphabets. U must follow the letter in English (e.g., queen, question), and the combination properly represents a sound much...

Organization of the Islamic Conference

(Encyclopedia)Organization of the Islamic Conference: see Organization of Islamic Cooperation. ...

Armagnacs and Burgundians

(Encyclopedia)Armagnacs and Burgundians, opposing factions that fought to control France in the early 15th cent. The rivalry for power between Louis d'Orléans, brother of the recurrently insane King Charles VI, an...

Aberdeen, George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th earl of

(Encyclopedia)Aberdeen, George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th earl of ăbˌədēnˈ [key], 1784–1860, British statesman. He served (1813) as ambassador extraordinary at Vienna and helped arrange (1814) the peace terms at P...

Saint-Germain-en-Laye

(Encyclopedia)Saint-Germain-en-Laye săN-zhĕrmăNˈ-äN-lā [key], town (1990 pop. 41,710), Yvelines dept., N central France, on the Seine River, a residential suburb W of Paris. It is the last station on the expr...

Charles III, emperor of the West, king of the East Franks, and king of the West Franks

(Encyclopedia)Charles III or Charles the Fat, 839–88, emperor of the West (881–87), king of the East Franks (882–87), and king of the West Franks (884–87); son of Louis the German, at whose death he inherit...

Carloman, d. 754, mayor of the palace in the kingdom of Austrasia, brother of Pepin the Short

(Encyclopedia)Carloman, d. 754, mayor of the palace in the kingdom of Austrasia after the death (741) of his father, Charles Martel. Ruling with his brother, Pepin the Short, he carried on successful wars against t...

European Coal and Steel Community

(Encyclopedia)European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), 1st treaty organization of what has become the European Union; established by the Treaty of Paris (1952). It is also known as the Schuman Plan, after the Fren...

Eastern Question

(Encyclopedia)Eastern Question, term designating the problem of European territory controlled by the decaying Ottoman Empire in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th cent. The Turkish threat to Europe was checked by the H...