8 min read•december 20, 2021
In AP European History, period 4 spans from 1914 to the present. The following guide will be updated periodically with hyperlinks to excellent resources. As you are reviewing for this era, focus on the key concepts!
STUDY TIP: You will never be asked specifically to identify a date. However, knowing the order of events will help immensely with cause and effect. For this reason, we have identified the most important dates to know.
1914-1918 - World War I
1917 - Russian Revolution
1918 - Treaty of Versailles ends WWI
1929 - Stock market crashes, Great Depression begins
1939-1945 - World War II in Europe
1945 - UN established
1949 - NATO formed
1957 - Sputnik launched
1961 - Berlin Wall built
1962 - Second Vatican Council
1968 - Prague Spring
1989 - Collapse of Berlin Wall
1991 - Breakup of Soviet Union
1992 - Maastricht Treaty created European Union
1999 - European currency introduced (the Euro)
2000 - Putin elected President of Russia
STUDY TIP: Content from the this era has appeared on the essays nineteen times since 2010. Take a look at these questions before you review the key concepts & vocabulary below to get a sense of how you will be assessed. Then, come back to these later and practice writing as many as you can!
*The AP European History exam was significantly revised in 2016, so any questions from before then are not representative of the current exam format. You can still use prior questions to practice, however DBQs will have more than 7 documents, the LEQ prompts are worded differently, and the rubrics are completely different. All prompts from 1999-2015 can be found here.
2018 - SAQ 2: Treaty of Versailles
2018 - SAQ 4: Policies of Lenin & Stalin
2017 - LEQ 4: Government & Economy
2015 - DBQ: French Identity Since 1960
2015 - LEQ 3: Soviet Union & Marxism
2014 - DBQ: Polish Workers’ Movement
2014 - LEQ 6: Totalitarianism & Art
2013 - LEQ 5: Paid Women in the Workforce
2013 - LEQ 6: Welfare State in Western Europe
2013 - LEQ 7: Right-Wing Regimes
2012 - LEQ 6: Nazi Foreign Policy
2011 - LEQ 7: European Integration
2011B - DBQ: Views on Immigration
2010B: LEQ 5: Changing Population
*The following outline was adapted from the AP European History Course Description as published by College Board in 2019 found here. This outline reflects the most recent revisions to the course.
1. World War I was caused by complex factors and resulted in immense loses.
Causes for WWI included militarism, webs of alliances, nationalism, and imperialism.
2. Post-WWI negotiations attempted to balance global peace with desire for retribution.
Idealism and revenge clashed at Versailles.
3. Between the wars, fascism, nationalism, and racism resulted in WWII.
Fascist states rearmed and expanded as they exploited deep distrust between nations, American isolationism, fears of another war.
4. The Cold War between the democratic West and communist East lasted from 1945-1991.
Europe was divided by the “iron curtain’.
5. Europe has been relatively peaceful since WWI with some exceptions.
Nationalist violence (Ireland, Chechnya), separatist movements (Basque, Flemish), and ethnic cleansing (Bosnian Muslims).
6. Decolonization through diplomacy and military action ended European rule globally.
Principles of self-determination after WWI influenced non-Europeans.
🎥 Live Stream Replay - World War I
🎥Live Stream Replay - Appeasement
🎥 Live Stream Replay - World War II
🎥Live Stream Replay - The Cold War
1. The Russian Revolution
WWI exacerbated long-term problems in Russia, which created support for change.
2. Rise of Fascism & Dictatorships
Dictators used technology and charismatic propaganda to promote and glorify war.
3. The Great Depression weakened international trade and undermined western democracy.
Economies worldwide were weakened by debt, tariffs, inflation, and overproduction.
4. After WWII, the welfare state expanded.
The Marshall Plan financed the rebuilding of Western and Central Europe after WWII.
5. Eastern European states were repressed until after the fall of the Soviet Union.
The populations of the Soviet bloc experienced central planning, suppression of freedoms, and constraints of emigration.
🎥 Live Stream Replay - The Russian Revolution
🎥 Live Stream Replay - Totalitarianism
1. Effects of anxiety after WWI
Europeans were confident in their science and technologies before WWI.
2. Science and technology had impressive benefits and disastrous consequences.
Scientists challenged norms in every field, leading to nuclear power.
3. Organized religion continued to play a role, despite modern secularism.
Christian churches responded in different ways to totalitarianism and communism.
🎥 Live Stream Replay - Modernism
1. The 20th century was characterized by large-scale suffering and tremendous improvements.
The Lost Generation after WWI fostered disillusionment and cynicism.
2. Women in the 20th Century
During the world wars, women became more involved in military, politics, and the labor force.
3. New voices in political, intellectual, and social discourse.
Green parties encouraged sustainable development to protect the environment.
4. Transnational unions grew in size in the second half of the 20th century.
Europe became more integrated economically through the EEC then the EU.
🎥 Live Stream Replay - European Integration
STUDY TIP: These are the concepts and vocabulary from period 4 that most commonly appear on the exam. Create a quizlet deck to make sure you are familiar with these terms!
Abstract Expressionism
8 min read•december 20, 2021
In AP European History, period 4 spans from 1914 to the present. The following guide will be updated periodically with hyperlinks to excellent resources. As you are reviewing for this era, focus on the key concepts!
STUDY TIP: You will never be asked specifically to identify a date. However, knowing the order of events will help immensely with cause and effect. For this reason, we have identified the most important dates to know.
1914-1918 - World War I
1917 - Russian Revolution
1918 - Treaty of Versailles ends WWI
1929 - Stock market crashes, Great Depression begins
1939-1945 - World War II in Europe
1945 - UN established
1949 - NATO formed
1957 - Sputnik launched
1961 - Berlin Wall built
1962 - Second Vatican Council
1968 - Prague Spring
1989 - Collapse of Berlin Wall
1991 - Breakup of Soviet Union
1992 - Maastricht Treaty created European Union
1999 - European currency introduced (the Euro)
2000 - Putin elected President of Russia
STUDY TIP: Content from the this era has appeared on the essays nineteen times since 2010. Take a look at these questions before you review the key concepts & vocabulary below to get a sense of how you will be assessed. Then, come back to these later and practice writing as many as you can!
*The AP European History exam was significantly revised in 2016, so any questions from before then are not representative of the current exam format. You can still use prior questions to practice, however DBQs will have more than 7 documents, the LEQ prompts are worded differently, and the rubrics are completely different. All prompts from 1999-2015 can be found here.
2018 - SAQ 2: Treaty of Versailles
2018 - SAQ 4: Policies of Lenin & Stalin
2017 - LEQ 4: Government & Economy
2015 - DBQ: French Identity Since 1960
2015 - LEQ 3: Soviet Union & Marxism
2014 - DBQ: Polish Workers’ Movement
2014 - LEQ 6: Totalitarianism & Art
2013 - LEQ 5: Paid Women in the Workforce
2013 - LEQ 6: Welfare State in Western Europe
2013 - LEQ 7: Right-Wing Regimes
2012 - LEQ 6: Nazi Foreign Policy
2011 - LEQ 7: European Integration
2011B - DBQ: Views on Immigration
2010B: LEQ 5: Changing Population
*The following outline was adapted from the AP European History Course Description as published by College Board in 2019 found here. This outline reflects the most recent revisions to the course.
1. World War I was caused by complex factors and resulted in immense loses.
Causes for WWI included militarism, webs of alliances, nationalism, and imperialism.
2. Post-WWI negotiations attempted to balance global peace with desire for retribution.
Idealism and revenge clashed at Versailles.
3. Between the wars, fascism, nationalism, and racism resulted in WWII.
Fascist states rearmed and expanded as they exploited deep distrust between nations, American isolationism, fears of another war.
4. The Cold War between the democratic West and communist East lasted from 1945-1991.
Europe was divided by the “iron curtain’.
5. Europe has been relatively peaceful since WWI with some exceptions.
Nationalist violence (Ireland, Chechnya), separatist movements (Basque, Flemish), and ethnic cleansing (Bosnian Muslims).
6. Decolonization through diplomacy and military action ended European rule globally.
Principles of self-determination after WWI influenced non-Europeans.
🎥 Live Stream Replay - World War I
🎥Live Stream Replay - Appeasement
🎥 Live Stream Replay - World War II
🎥Live Stream Replay - The Cold War
1. The Russian Revolution
WWI exacerbated long-term problems in Russia, which created support for change.
2. Rise of Fascism & Dictatorships
Dictators used technology and charismatic propaganda to promote and glorify war.
3. The Great Depression weakened international trade and undermined western democracy.
Economies worldwide were weakened by debt, tariffs, inflation, and overproduction.
4. After WWII, the welfare state expanded.
The Marshall Plan financed the rebuilding of Western and Central Europe after WWII.
5. Eastern European states were repressed until after the fall of the Soviet Union.
The populations of the Soviet bloc experienced central planning, suppression of freedoms, and constraints of emigration.
🎥 Live Stream Replay - The Russian Revolution
🎥 Live Stream Replay - Totalitarianism
1. Effects of anxiety after WWI
Europeans were confident in their science and technologies before WWI.
2. Science and technology had impressive benefits and disastrous consequences.
Scientists challenged norms in every field, leading to nuclear power.
3. Organized religion continued to play a role, despite modern secularism.
Christian churches responded in different ways to totalitarianism and communism.
🎥 Live Stream Replay - Modernism
1. The 20th century was characterized by large-scale suffering and tremendous improvements.
The Lost Generation after WWI fostered disillusionment and cynicism.
2. Women in the 20th Century
During the world wars, women became more involved in military, politics, and the labor force.
3. New voices in political, intellectual, and social discourse.
Green parties encouraged sustainable development to protect the environment.
4. Transnational unions grew in size in the second half of the 20th century.
Europe became more integrated economically through the EEC then the EU.
🎥 Live Stream Replay - European Integration
STUDY TIP: These are the concepts and vocabulary from period 4 that most commonly appear on the exam. Create a quizlet deck to make sure you are familiar with these terms!
Abstract Expressionism
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