AP® European History

Calvinism was one of the most groundbreaking movements of the reformation, and is a crucial part of European History. This long-standing religious movement was founded by the theologian and preacher John Calvin. His beliefs, associated with the denomination of Calvinism, are summed up by the acronym TULIP, or sometimes seen just Tulip. As an AP® Euro student, you need to be prepared to answer either a free response or multiple-choice question about the Calvinistic Tulip, and this guide will help you do so.

Even though we live in a world where kings and queens typically hold more symbolic power than actual political authority, we still seem to be a little obsessed with the monarchical system. Whether it’s the next royal wedding in Great Britain or Lewis Carroll’s character The Queen of Hearts, screaming “off with her head!,” we still keep our eyes fixed on the happenings of those wearing crowns.

AP® European History is full of significant and memorable wars that shaped the direction of Europe and, by extension, the world. One of these wars is the Thirty Years War. Perhaps your course did not emphasize this war, or maybe you just don’t remember it!

As part of our AP® European History crash course, let’s compartmentalize and explain many of the important –isms for the AP® European History exam. The –isms that I refer to are basically nominalized versions of the ideals behind certain defining terms of movements in art, history, politics, and religion. These –isms, like Modernism, Capitalism, or Despotism for example, all represent the entire system of thought and the practices inherent in their respective movements.

Otto Von Bismarck is someone you are going to want to get to know during your AP® Euro review sessions. He was a central figure in the unification of modern Germany as we know it today. But that’s not all. His entire political career represented the ongoing political changes and national unifications swept through the entirety of Europe during the 19th century.

This AP® European History Crash Course will prepare you for questions about the French Revolution on your upcoming AP® European History Exam. Though the French Revolution itself lasted only about a decade, its influence on European politics, culture, economics, and thought is hard to measure. You will encounter questions about the French Revolution on your AP® Euro Exam, so let’s get started on the review!

This AP® European History crash course will explain the concept of Humanism as it relates to the AP® European History exam and where it fits into your review for AP® Euro. Humanism is defined as a “system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values, and dignity predominate…” and, in philosophy specifically, “a variety of ethical theory and practice that emphasizes reason, scientific inquiry, and human fulfillment in the natural world and often rejects the importance of belief in God” (dictionary.com).

Enlightened Absolutism may come across as almost an oxymoronic term, and you wouldn’t be too far off assuming this. It was one of those bizarre instances of historical contradiction, where an era that was concerned with freedom and individual liberty crashed into one simultaneously obsessed with despotic rulers concerned with their absolutist political control. Oxymoronic or not, the AP® European History Exam loves to test on complicated topics such as this one.

The 89 years between the commencement of the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis in 1559 and the end of the Thirty Years’ War in 1648 were marred by true holy wars. The last truly dynastic war of the 1500s, the Hapsburg-Valois Wars, ended in 1559 and made way for a series of conflicts fought in a large part over religion.