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AP European History: Renaissance to the French Revolution

AP Euro review covering the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution, absolutism, the Enlightenment and the French Revolution through 1815.

by Kill h.17 questionsCreated Nov 8, 2026, 08:03 PM

European History· Reformation#apeuro#europeanhistory#apexam#reformation

17 questions

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1
Machiavelli's The Prince (1513) is notable for arguing that a ruler should:
- A
  Govern according to Christian morality above all
- B
  Share power with an elected parliament
- Do whatever is necessary to keep power and the state secure, even if it is immoral
- D
  Rule by divine right granted by the pope
Machiavelli separated politics from traditional morality: it is safer to be feared than loved. That secular realism is what made the book revolutionary.
2
Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses (1517) were mainly a protest against:
- The sale of indulgences
- B
  The doctrine of predestination
- C
  The power of the Holy Roman Emperor
- D
  The translation of the Bible into German
Luther attacked the sale of indulgences, preached by Johann Tetzel. Predestination is associated with John Calvin, and Luther himself later translated the Bible into German.
3
The Peace of Augsburg (1555) allowed each German prince to choose:
- A
  Any Christian faith, including Calvinism
- Lutheranism or Catholicism for his territory
- C
  Whether to remain in the Holy Roman Empire
- D
  The next Holy Roman Emperor
The principle was cuius regio, eius religio ('whose realm, his religion'). Calvinism was excluded until the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, a common trap.
4
Which doctrine is most closely associated with John Calvin?
- A
  Transubstantiation
- Predestination
- C
  Papal infallibility
- D
  Salvation through good works
Calvin taught that God had already chosen the elect for salvation. Transubstantiation and the role of good works were Catholic positions reaffirmed at the Council of Trent.
5
Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy (1534):
- Made the English monarch head of the Church of England
- B
  Restored Catholicism in England
- C
  Allowed Puritans to worship freely
- D
  Limited the monarch's power over Parliament
Henry broke with Rome after the pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Catholicism was briefly restored later under Mary I.
6
The Council of Trent (1545-1563) responded to the Protestant Reformation by:
- A
  Accepting justification by faith alone
- B
  Abolishing the papacy's political power
- Reaffirming Catholic doctrine while reforming clerical abuses
- D
  Allowing priests to marry
Trent was the core of the Catholic Reformation: it fixed the sale of indulgences and clerical abuses but kept doctrine such as the seven sacraments and the role of tradition.
7
The Peace of Westphalia (1648) is often seen as the beginning of the modern state system because it:
- A
  United Germany under Prussia
- B
  Ended the Hundred Years' War
- C
  Created the Holy Roman Empire
- Recognized the sovereignty of states to control their own affairs, including religion
Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War, recognized Calvinism and weakened the Holy Roman Emperor. German unification under Prussia came in 1871.
8
Galileo was put on trial by the Roman Inquisition in 1633 mainly for supporting:
- A
  The geocentric model of Ptolemy
- The heliocentric model of Copernicus
- C
  Newton's laws of motion
- D
  Protestant theology
Galileo defended Copernican heliocentrism, which the Church had condemned. Newton's Principia came later, in 1687.
9
Louis XIV of France is the classic example of:
- A
  Constitutional monarchy
- B
  Enlightened despotism
- Absolutism based on divine right
- D
  Republicanism
Louis XIV ('the Sun King') centralized power, built Versailles to control the nobility and never called the Estates-General. Enlightened despots came later, such as Frederick the Great and Catherine the Great.
10
England's Glorious Revolution (1688) resulted in:
- A
  The execution of Charles I
- B
  Oliver Cromwell's rule as Lord Protector
- The English Bill of Rights and a constitutional monarchy under William and Mary
- D
  The restoration of Catholicism as the state religion
James II was replaced without major bloodshed, and the 1689 Bill of Rights limited royal power. Charles I's execution (1649) and Cromwell's rule came out of the earlier English Civil War.
11
John Locke argued that people have natural rights to:
- Life, liberty and property
- B
  Liberty, equality and fraternity
- C
  Peace, order and good government
- D
  Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
Locke's Two Treatises of Government named life, liberty and property, and justified revolution against governments that violate them. Jefferson adapted the phrase to 'pursuit of happiness.'
12
Which Enlightenment thinker argued for separating government into legislative, executive and judicial branches?
- A
  Rousseau
- B
  Hobbes
- C
  Voltaire
- Montesquieu
Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws (1748) influenced the US Constitution. Rousseau wrote about the 'general will,' and Voltaire championed religious toleration and free speech.
13
In The Social Contract, Rousseau argued that legitimate government is based on:
- A
  The divine right of kings
- B
  Free markets
- C
  A strong absolute ruler
- The general will of the people
Rousseau's 'general will' expresses the common good of the community. An absolute ruler to escape the state of nature is Hobbes's argument in Leviathan.
14
In the Tennis Court Oath (June 1789), members of the Third Estate:
- Swore not to separate until they had written a constitution for France
- B
  Agreed to execute Louis XVI
- C
  Declared war on Austria
- D
  Abolished the Catholic Church
Locked out of their meeting hall, the newly declared National Assembly swore this oath, one of the first revolutionary acts. Louis XVI was executed in 1793.
15
The Reign of Terror (1793-1794) was directed mainly by:
- A
  Napoleon Bonaparte
- Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety
- C
  Louis XVI and the royalists
- D
  The Directory
The Committee used mass executions to defend the revolution. The Directory came after the Terror ended with Robespierre's own execution in July 1794.
16
The Napoleonic Code (1804) did all of the following EXCEPT:
- A
  Establish equality of men before the law
- B
  Protect property rights
- Grant women equal legal rights with men
- D
  Create a uniform legal system across France
The Code kept many revolutionary gains for men but placed women and children under the authority of husbands and fathers.
17
The main goals of the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815), led by Metternich, were to:
- A
  Spread liberal and nationalist revolutions across Europe
- Restore legitimate monarchies and a balance of power after Napoleon
- C
  Unify Italy and Germany
- D
  Punish France with heavy reparations and occupation forever
The Congress restored rulers such as the Bourbons and redrew borders to contain France. It opposed liberalism and nationalism, and its relatively mild treatment of France helped keep peace.