AP European History : War and Civil Conflict

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP European History

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #581 : Ap European History

Before the reign of Peter the Great Russia had no port city that was open and free from ice year round. Peter strove for many years to gain such a port. What nation did he fight in an attempt to gain such a port?

Possible Answers:

China

The Ottoman Empire

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Sweden

Correct answer:

The Ottoman Empire

Explanation:

The Ottoman Empire controlled the whole of the Black Sea, which remained free of ice in the winter, and could therefore host a port for Russia that could connect them to the world through the whole year. Peter fought unsuccessfully with the Ottomans through his entire reign to gain territory on the Black Sea.

Example Question #582 : Ap European History

Which Northern European nation did Peter the Greats Russia fight against in the Great Northern War?

Possible Answers:

Lithuania

Poland

Sweden

Denmark-Norway

Correct answer:

Sweden

Explanation:

Sweden was one of the foremost powers in Europe at the time of the Great Northern War. Russia sought to establish itself as a power to be reckoned with and therefore sought to defeat Sweden and take a significant chunk of its territory in what is modern day Latvia and Estonia. The Great Northern War began in 1700 and lasted until 1721.

Example Question #583 : Ap European History

Following Russian Victory in the Great Northern War, Russia annexed territory from Sweden along the Baltic Sea. After this Peter decided to build a new capital city for Russia in this territory. What was the name of this new city?

Possible Answers:

Tallin

Murmansk

St. Petersburg

Riga

Correct answer:

St. Petersburg

Explanation:

St. Petersburg was built on swampland on the shoreline of the Gulf of Finland. it was meant to be the new, modern, capital of Russia. It was also meant to be the major port for Russia, as it would be free from ice for more of each year than any other Russian port, as Peter had failed to take a warm water port from the Ottomans.

Example Question #585 : Ap European History

What major goal of Peter the Great did Catherine the Great finally see realized?

Possible Answers:

Westernizing Russia

Conquering Poland

Defeating Sweden

Winning a warm water port from the Ottomans

Correct answer:

Winning a warm water port from the Ottomans

Explanation:

In the First Russo-Turkish War, Russia won a large portion of territory on the Black Sea, including the port city of Azov.

Example Question #586 : Ap European History

In the late 1700's Catherine the Great participated, along with Prussia and Austria, in the partition of which nation?

Possible Answers:

Poland

Hungary

Ukraine

Sweden

Correct answer:

Poland

Explanation:

The Partitions of Poland took place from 1772-95, dividing the nation of Poland between these three more powerful nations.

Example Question #584 : Ap European History

Catherine the Great was Czar of Russia from 1762-1796. How did she become Czar?

Possible Answers:

She was the eldest child of the late Czar and inherited the throne

She had her husband (the Czar) killed

Her father died without a son and so she inherited the throne

the Romanov line ended without an heir, and she was invited to rule since she was the Czars cousin.

Correct answer:

She had her husband (the Czar) killed

Explanation:

Catherine did not have a good relationship with her husband. She was also very hungry for power, and therefore she helped a group of guards and nobles who similarly disliked the Czar, to overthrow him, force him to abdicate, and ultimately killed him, leaving Catherine to inherit the throne.

Example Question #585 : Ap European History

The Deluge of 1655 refers to what events occurring in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth?

Possible Answers:

Invasions by both Russia and Sweden

A major food shortage 

Sudden economic decline

Awful flooding that destroyed cities

Correct answer:

Invasions by both Russia and Sweden

Explanation:

The Second Northern War saw Russia and Sweden ally with the purpose of defeating the Commonwealth. By the end of 1655 all but a small portion of the nation was occupied by either Sweden or Russia.

Example Question #41 : War And Civil Conflict

Which of the following was not a consequence of the Polish-Lithuanian victory over the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Grundwald (1410)?

Possible Answers:

It created the conditions for Prussia to rise up to fill the void of powerful Germanic nation-state

It made the Polish-Lithuanian Union the predominant power in Eastern Europe

It signaled the decline of the Teutonic Knights

It drew Russian attention and caused Russia to perceive the Polish-Lithuanian Union as a threat

Correct answer:

It drew Russian attention and caused Russia to perceive the Polish-Lithuanian Union as a threat

Explanation:

The Battle of Grunwald was the first nail in the coffin of the Teutonic Knights. The conditions of the peace that followed were so severe that the Order was never able to recover. Eventually it declined to the point that the nation disappeared and was replaced by Prussia. It also was a sign to Europe that the Teutonic Order no longer ruled over Eastern Europe, and the Polish-Lithuanian Union was the new major power in the region.

Example Question #587 : Ap European History

The Battle of Grunwald (1410) was fought between what two groups?

Possible Answers:

Hungary and Austria

Prussia and Russia

Prussia and Sweden

The Teutonic Knights and the Polish-Lithuanian Union

Correct answer:

The Teutonic Knights and the Polish-Lithuanian Union

Explanation:

The Battle of Grunwald is often seen as the turning point in the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War. The decisive victory by Poland and Lithuania caused so much damage to the Teutonic Order that it would never return to being a major power in Eastern Europe.

Example Question #591 : Ap European History

What nation laid siege to Vienna in 1683?

Possible Answers:

Russia

The Ottoman Empire

Prussia

Poland

Correct answer:

The Ottoman Empire

Explanation:

The Ottoman Empire sought to continue its advance into Europe by taking Vienna, which was the capital of the Austrian Empire. They ultimately failed due to the arrival of Austria's ally, Poland.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors