AP European History Topic Reviews

AP European History Topic Reviews

* My lecture notes and Jeopardy Unit Reviews available on my web page

* Use this web site for notes, and practice quizzes

• Scroll down page – on left side you will find AP Euro section
• I recommend the giant EHAP student review sheet (created by an AP student)
• Take the quizzes on each unit section

I. The Renaissance

Main Themes:

1. Why was the Renaissance a turning point in the development of Western civilization? Why was
it a "rebirth"?
2. How was the Renaissance in Italy different from that in Northern Europe? How was it the same?
3. How did the Catholic Church loose the dominant position it had had during the medieval period
in the Renaissance?

I. The Renaissance as the bridge between the medieval and the modern world.

II. Major Upheavals of the Lat 14c-Early 15c --> Period of "creative breakup"
(The Calamitous 14c -- Barbara Tuchman)
A. Hundred years' War --> the rise of the modern nation-state.
B. Black Death --> economic and social upheaval.
C. Avignon papacy and the Conciliar Movement --> breakup of papal power.

III. Italian Renaissance:
A. "pagan" humanism
-- revival of interest in the Greek and Roman classics.
-- enjoyment of worldly pleasures.
-- vernacular literature --> Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, etc.
B. l'uomo universale --> concept of the universal, "Renaissance Person".
-- Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier
-- Leonardo Da Vinci
-- Michelangelo
-- Isabella d'Este
C. great Italian cities
-- Florence --> the "heart" of Italian Renaissance culture.
-- Venice --> the main center of Italian Renaissance trade.
-- Rome --> still spiritual capital of Christendom (corrupt popes -- ex., Alexander VI)
D. Italian politics --> Machiavelli's The Prince
-- the "merchant" princes (Medici family).
-- despots (Caesare Borgia).
-- machiavellianism and virtu.
E. Art --> Quattrocento and the High Renaissance
-- the different artistic styles of the two periods??
-- how did these styles and the artistic themes of the paintings and sculpture reflect the
philosophy of Renaissance humanism??
IV. The Northern Renaissance:
A. "Christian" humanism
-- Desiderius Erasmus --> In Praise of Folly
-- Thomas More --> Utopia
-- Rabelais --> Gargantua
-- Cervantes --> Don Quijote
-- Michel de Montaigne --> Essays (skepticism)
-- a trace of mysticism
-- criticisms of the Church, but WITHIN the Church.
B. Gutenberg --> printing press --> What were its effects on the spread of humanist ideas??
C. vernacular writing --> Shakespeare, Cervantes, Rabelais.
D. the arts:
-- differences in artistic style between Northern Europe and Italy??
-- the Flemish School --> Jan van Eyck, Hans Holbein, Rembrandt, etc.
V. The Decline of the Renaissance Church:
A. general symptoms of failure??
B. the rise of national churches in England, France, Spain, Italy, and the Germanies (as a
result of the breakdown in old feudal ties and obligations).
C. Conciliar movement.
D. indulgence controversy.

II. Reformation & Religious Wars

Main Themes:

1. Why do the ideas of the Protestant reformers reflect the ideas of the Christian humanists?
2. What were the basic tenants of each of the major Protestant faiths? How did these faiths differ
with Catholicism?
3. Why was there a stronger reformation in Germany and England than in the rest of Europe?
4. What were the long-term political and social effects of the Reformation on Europe?

I. The Reformation was the outgrowth of past ideas:

II. Causes of the Reformation:
A. dissatisfaction with wealth of Church; poor people believing bishops were of the wealthy
oppressive class.
-- much financial abuse in Church --> simony, benefices; 30% of land in Eur. under
Church control.
B. corruption in Church leadership (ex. Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia)
C. decline in papal influence --> nationalistic churches springing up.
-- "Babylonian Captivity"
-- Great Schism
-- Henry VIII of England's defiance of papal power.
-- conciliarism
D. Martin Luther's 95 Theses.
E. the middle class wished to run their religious affairs as they handled their new businesses.
-- they found Church bureaucracies still too medieval and rigid (view on usury, e.g.)
-- Calvinist church came largely from these ideas (Max Weber's thesis -- "Protestant
Work Ethic")
F. Great Peasant Revolt of 1520.

III. The Reformation worked in Northern Europe because:
A. monarchies resented the Church for not paying any taxes to the nation, but collecting taxes
from citizens belonging to the Church and sending the money to Rome.
B. Luther appealed to nationalistic feelings in the German states
-- he denounced the Pope for involvement in politics as well as religion.
-- he backed the nobility in the Peasant Revolt.
C. The upper class saw an opportunity to confiscate church property.
D. Printing press in Germany spread Luther's ideas.
-- Bibles were made accessible to the populous in the vernacular.
-- individual interpretation of Sacred Scriptures.

IV. The Reformation did NOT work in Italy because?:
A. The Pope was in Rome and was Italian (use of Spanish Inquisition).
B. The Catholic Church was a source of wealth for Italy.
C. The Italian Renaissance made Italy prosperous. (money in art--a large part was
Church-sponsored)
D. Italian universities made the questioning of theological principles unheard of.
E. Germany was the home of Luther and of many new, more theologically "liberal" universities.

V. Lutheranism:
A. Salvation by faith alone.
B. No need for sacraments (except Baptism, Eucharist, & Confirmation) or good works.
C. Only true authority is the Bible.
D. Each person must deal with God directly -- each person is his/her own priest.
E. Consubstantiation.
F. No difference between the laity and the clergy.
G. Kept bishops for administrative purposes.
H. Refusal to recognize the authority of the Pope.
I. Married clergy.
J. Religious services in the vernacular.
K. The Church is subordinate to and the agent of civil authority.

VI. Calvinism:
A. Pessimistic about man; optimistic about God.
B. Predestination ("the elect").
C. Strict interpretation of the Bible. (literal)
D. Rejected Papal authority.
E. Scorned pleasures as the idle activities which allowed the devil to influence one's actions;
no smoking, drinking, gambling, blaspheming, dancing, music in religious services.
F. Only "sacraments" were Baptism and the Eucharist (were only a symbol of God's presence).
G. Consubstantiation.
H. Church elders administered to the congregation (presbyters).
I. Too much leisure time leads to sin.
J. Puritans in England; Huguenots in France; Presbyterians in Scotland.

VII. Anglicanism:
A. Henry VIII of England resented the church for not granting him a divorce of Catherine of Aragon.
-- he wanted church lands and property to add to his treasury.
B. the monarch of England now became the head of the Anglican Church as well.
C. Book of Common Prayer (Edward VI)
D. one had to be Anglican to hold a government job until the late 19c.
VIII. Social Significance of the Reformation:
A. Basic and lasting changes in education and the image and role of women.
B. It implemented the educational ideas of humanism. (study original sources in the original
language).
IX. After Effects of the Reformation:
A. Catholic "Counter"-Reformation
-- Council of Trent --> internal reforms and a clear listing of Church doctrines.
-- a conservative response to the spread of Protestantism.
-- "Men are to be changed by religion, not change it!."
-- reformed many of the previous abuses in the Church.
-- the Inquisition was resurrected (esp. strong in Spain --> expulsion of the Moors {Moriscos}
back to North Africa and the Jews {Maranos} to Italy and the Middle East).
-- new reform orders (Theatines, Capuchins, Ursulines, Modern Devotion, Oratorians).
-- mysticism movement (St. Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross).
-- The Index of Forbidden Books.
B. Religious Wars of the late 16c & Thirty Years' War (1618-1648)
-- SEE TREATIES PAGE for Peace of Augsburg (1555), Edict of Nantes (1598), and
Treaty of Westphalia (1648).

III. The Commercial Revolution

Main Themes:

1. Nations were looking for new trade routes which led to new explorations.
2. Nations sought new sources of wealth and new economic theories and practices to deal with
this new-found wealth.
3. Nations had the desire for increased world power through their colonial empires.

I. The Economy of the Commercial Revolution:
A. mercantilism --> the colony existed for the benefit of the mother country; a monopolistic global economic system.
B. bullionism --> the accumulation of precious metals by governments was seen as very important to the
prestige and power of a modern nation.
C. capitalism --> private ownership of the means of production and distribution; capital is invested in
order to produce more capital.
D. Emergence of a new eco. system:
-- new No. European banking interests --> Fugger family.
-- charter banks --> Bank of Amsterdam (1609); bank of London (1694).
-- stock exchange --> Bourse at Antwerp.
-- insurance companies --> Lloyd's of London (maritime -- ship catalogs/classifications).
-- joint-stock companies.
E. Development of the Domestic System:
-- increased specialization of skills within a more efficient system of over-all production.
-- farm families can supplement their incomes.
-- the accumulation of capital in the hands of the entrepreneur made possible the purchase of raw material in greater bulk.
-- the capitalist entrepreneur could now operate without the restrictions imposed by the urban guilds.

II. The Age of European Discovery:
A. Columbus and the first conquistadores.
-- ecological exchange and its effects on both the Americas and Europe and Africa.
-- destruction of Amer-Indian cultures.
B. Establishment of European Colonial Empires in the Americas and Asia.
-- encomienda system (Latin America).
-- Portuguese/Dutch/British/French trade in Southeast Asia.

III. Effects of the Commercial Revolution:
A. inflation --> "price revolution".
B. population increase --> emergence of the middle class.
C. increase in world trade.
D. shift from the old market ports of the Mediterranean to the trans-Atlantic trade.
E. new trade restrictions (ex.: East India Co. --> royal monopolies).
F. economic depression at the end of the 16c.
G. African slave trade established (Triangle Trade).
H. changes in the social structure (role of the nobility, esp.) in Eastern and Western Europe.

IV. The Age of Absolutism

Main Themes:

1. The During the 17c and 18c, Britain, France, Austria, Prussia, and Russia were able to establish or
maintain a strong monarchy, standing army, efficient tax structures, large bureaucracy, and a more
or less domesticated, divided or loyal nobility so that this period is known as the "Age of Absolutism."
2. England and France experienced very different political and social developments in the late 17c.
3. French culture and political power dominated Europe in the 18c.
4. One of the major reasons for the strong position of England from 1685-1763 lies in the supremacy of
a parliament dominated by landowners and nobles of similar interests. The 18c became known
as the "Age of the Aristocracy". Therefore, this supremacy of Parliament provided Britain with the
kind of unity sought elsewhere through absolutism.
5. This period saw the beginnings of two long-term conflicts--Britain and France over trade and
overseas empire and Austria and Prussia over the leadership of Germany.

I. Differing Concepts of Absolutism:
A. Thomas Hobbes --> pro-absolutism; pro-"divine-right" monarchy.
B. John Locke
-- rejected absolute governments.
-- basic human rights that no government can take away: life, liberty, and property.
-- the right of the citizen to rebel against a government that violated these basic human rights.

II. 17c England: (see notes on the sheet regarding the evolution of Parliament)
A. James I (1603-1625) -- supported absolute divine-right.
B. Charles I (1625-1649)
-- fought openly with Parliament and the Puritans over money for his wars with Spain.
-- arbitrary abuse of power (quartering troops, ship money, arbitrary arrests, etc.)
-- Long Parliament (1640-1660)
C. Civil war (1642-1649): Roundheads versus Cavaliers
D. the Commonwealth (1649-1660) under the Cromwell’s.
-- Puritan Republic.
-- Ulster Plantation.
-- unpopular military dictatorship. (Lord Protector)
E. Charles II (1660-1685) --> Stuart Restoration
-- he learned the lessons of his predecessors (Don't mess with Parliament!)
-- religious toleration, but leaned toward the Catholics.
-- Test Act (1673).
-- Habeas Corpus Act (1679).
-- he launched bold new foreign policy ventures challenging the Dutch for the commercial
leadership of Europe.
F. James II (1685-1688)
-- became unpopular because of his open Catholicism and return to absolute rule.
G. William & Mary --> "Glorious Revolution" (1688); a bloodless coup.
-- Parliament now reigned supreme.
-- never again would British kings be as powerful as Parliament.
-- English Bill of Rights (1668-1689) --> it settled all of the major issues between the kings and
Parliament (** see your notes for further details **)
H. development of the modern British political system:
-- Whigs and Tories (distinctions between political party).
-- evolution of the Cabinet system.
-- Prime Minister (Robert Walpole, first P. M.)

III. The Age of Louis XIV: (the "Sun King")
A. Henry IV of Navarre (1589-1610)
-- first to establish the Bourbon family.
-- he began to curtail the privileges of the Fr. nobility.
-- he issued the Edict of Nantes (** see treaties sheet **)
B. Louis XIII (1616-1643)
-- Cardinal Richelieu (Machiavellian pragmatist)
-- he committed Fr. to the Protestant side in the Thirty Years' War.
C. Louis XIV (1643-1715)
-- goals:
-- make France the strongest country in Europe.
-- make France the intellectual and political "light" to the rest of the world.
-- L'etat, c'est moi! [I am the State!]
-- government and administration:
-- firm and uniform administration (intendants)
-- war became an activity of the state (the armed forces were formerly in private hands).
-- strengthened the army.
-- built Versailles (keep the nobles under his watchful eyes!)
-- never called the Estates-General.
-- economic and financial policies
-- costly, inefficient methods of tax collecting (nobility not taxed)
-- Colbert, finance minister.
-- mercantilism.
-- monopolies abroad (ex: French East India Company)
-- religion
-- Protestants suffered.
-- religious unity considered necessary to strengthen his rule.
-- revoked the Edict of Nantes.
-- vigorous foreign policy (** see 5-page sheets on Commercial & Dynastic Wars **)
-- War of the League of Augsburg.
-- War of the Spanish Succession.
-- War of Devolution.
-- effects of his reign:

• he tried to make France more powerful.
• he centralized the Fr. government.
• he improved Fr. militarily.
• he made Fr. a commercial rival of Britain.
• he tamed the Fr. aristocracy.
• he made the King and the State oneand the same.

• he taxed the peasants, not the nobility.
• he was too extravegent (he put France into great debt).
• the court at Versailles was too removed from the lives and problems of the common people.

IV. Eastern Europe:
A. Hapsburgs vs. Hohenzollerns
-- growing competition in the Germanies.
-- Pragmatic Sanctions (Maria Theresa).
-- Hapsburg interests --> Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, Ottoman Empire (Balkans).
-- Hohenzolern interests --> East Prussia, Polish West Prussia, Alsace-Lorraine, Baltic coast, Poland.
B. policies of Leopold II, Maria Theresa, Joseph II --> "Enlightened Despots"
C. policies of Frederick William, the "Great Elector", Frederick I, and Frederick II, the "Great".
D. Russia in the 17c and early 18c:
-- Peter the Great --> "Westernization of Russia". ("Windows to the West")
-- Catherine the Great --> expansion of Russian borders in SW; solidifying the power of the Czars;
sometimes seen as an "Enlightened Despot" (this is questionable).

V. The Scientific Revolution

Main Themes:

1. The Renaissance and Reformationn paved the way for the new science and philosophy of the
17c and 18c.
2. The transition from the Middle Ages to early modern times represented a shift in emphasis
from authoritative truth to factual truth.

I. The Scientific Revolution:
A. Basic questions were asked: Who am I? What is my purpose in life? How can science and natural laws be applied to society? What is the nature of the good society?
B. Rene Descartes --> deductive method; systematic doubting (I think, therefore I am.) --> Cartesian dualism
C. Sir Francis Bacon --> inductive reasoning.
D. Changing views of the universe:
-- classical and medieval view --> geocentric theory (Ptolemaic view).
-- Copernicus --> heliocentric theory.
-- Kepler --> Laws of Planetary Motion (elliptical orbits).
-- Galileo --> perfected the telescope; analyzed the nature of motion.
-- Newton --> Law of Universal Gravity; the universe is seen as one great "machine" operating according to unalterable universal laws and principles.