AP Euro Period 3 Review (1815-1914)

1815–1914 Review: Industrialization, Nationalism, and Imperialism (AP Euro Units 6–7)

This page combines current AP European History Unit 6 and Unit 7 content for convenience; "Period 3" is not official College Board terminology in the current course framework.

In the current AP European History course, material from 1815 to 1914 is primarily covered in Unit 6 (Industrialization and Its Effects) and Unit 7 (19th-Century Perspectives and Political Developments). This page combines those topics into one review for convenience.

In the current AP European History framework, this era especially connects to seven course themes used across the exam: Interaction of Europe and the World (INT), Economic and Commercial Developments (ECD), Cultural and Intellectual Developments (CID), States and Other Institutions of Power (SOP), Social Organization and Development (SCD), National and European Identity (NEI), and Technological and Scientific Innovation (TSI). This review especially emphasizes industrialization, social change, nationalism, imperialism, and modern intellectual developments within those themes.

The following guide will be updated periodically with hyperlinks to excellent resources. As you are reviewing for this era, focus on the key concepts!

🇪🇺 Check the Fiveable calendar for this week's free AP Euro live stream!

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1815–1914 DATES TO KNOW

STUDY TIP: You are unlikely to be asked to identify an isolated date by itself, but knowing chronology and the order of events is very important for causation, comparison, and continuity/change questions. For this reason, we have identified the most important dates to know.

1830 - Revolutions in France, Belgium, & Greece

1848 - Liberal Revolutions

1848 - Marx & Engel publish Communist Manifesto

1861 - Kingdom of Italy proclaimed

1861 - Emancipation of Serfs in Russia

1870 - Italy completes unification with the annexation of Rome

1871 - Unification of Germany

1884 - Berlin Conference (Scramble for Africa)

1900 - Freud publishes Interpretation of Dreams

1905 - Russian Revolution of 1905 (Bloody Sunday, strikes, and the October Manifesto)

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Past Essay Questions from 1815–1914

STUDY TIP: Content from this era has appeared on essay questions many 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 format has changed over time, so older free-response questions may not perfectly match the current exam structure. You can still use them for content practice. On the current exam, students complete 55 multiple-choice questions in 55 minutes, 3 short-answer questions in 40 minutes, 1 document-based question in 60 minutes (including a 15-minute reading period), and choose 1 of 3 long essay questions in 40 minutes. The full exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes. All prompts from 1999-2015 can be found here.

For the short-answer section, students answer 3 questions total in 40 minutes: Question 1 and Question 2 are required, and students then choose either Question 3 or Question 4.

When reviewing these questions, practice the current AP Euro historical thinking skills from the College Board framework: identifying and explaining developments and processes; analyzing sourcing and situation; analyzing claims and evidence in sources; contextualization; making connections through comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time; and building a historically defensible argument with specific evidence.

2018 - LEQ 2: European colonies

2017 - SAQ 1: European families

2017 - LEQ 3: Waging war

2016 - SAQ 3: Railroads

2016 - SAQ 4: French workforce

2016 - DBQ: Bismarckian Conservatism

2015 - Free-Response Essay 4: Colonial Empires

2014 - Free-Response Essay 5: Factors for Urbanization

2014 - Free-Response Essay 6: Balance of Power

2013 - Free-Response Essay 3: Colonial Expansion

2012 - DBQ: Improving Work Conditions

2012 - Free-Response Essay 5: Family & Gender Roles

2011 - Free-Response Essay 5: Consumer Culture

2011B - Free-Response Essay 5: Socialism & Marx

2011B - Free-Response Essay 6: Conservative Movements

2011B - Free-Response Essay 7: Science & Tech

2010 - Free-Response Essay 5: Keeping Empires Together

2010 - Free-Response Essay 6: Feminism, 1st vs. 2nd Wave

2010 - Free-Response Essay 7: Darwin vs. Freud

2010B - DBQ: Italian National Identity

2010B - Free-Response Essay 7: Development of Socialism

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1815–1914 KEY CONCEPTS - REVIEW OUTLINE

The outline below is organized for review convenience and aligns broadly with current AP European History Unit 6 (Industrialization and Its Effects) and Unit 7 (19th-Century Perspectives and Political Developments). These section labels are not official College Board topic titles, but the content below reflects the major developments students are expected to know for the current AP Euro exam.

These headings are organizational only and do not correspond to current official AP Euro topic numbers.

Topic A. Industrialization and Its Spread

1. Great Britain established the first industrial dominance.

   1. Britain had a natural supply of coal, iron ore, and other raw materials.
   2. British private initiative led the process of industrialization.
   3. Britain's relatively stable political system, protection of private property, commercial policies, and transport improvements created favorable conditions for industrialization.

2. Industrialization spread throughout continental Europe.

   1. France industrialized gradually, with government support.
   2. Prussia industrialized rapidly under government sponsorship.
   3. Industrialization proceeded more slowly in much of eastern and southern Europe because of factors such as the persistence of serfdom or rural labor systems, less developed transportation and capital markets, and uneven state support; however, industrial growth still occurred in selected regions.

3. Second Industrial Revolution sparked activity across Europe.

   1. Building on earlier mechanization and factory production, the Second Industrial Revolution was marked by major advances in steel, chemicals, electricity, petroleum, and new systems of corporate management and finance.
   2. New technologies such as electricity and new steel and chemical processes, along with expanded railroads, steamships, telegraphs, and telephones, contributed to a more integrated economy and increased urbanization.
   3. Corporations and governments managed the market through monopolies, banking practices, and tariffs.

🎥Live Stream Replay - The Industrial Revolution

Topic B. Social Effects of Industrialization

1. New social classes developed in industrial regions.

   1. Socioeconomic changes created divisions of labor (middle class).
   2. In less industrialized areas, agricultural elites continued to dominate.
   3. Social associations and trade unions reinforced class identity.

2. Rapid population growth and urbanization affected social classes.

   1. Population increased because of longer life expectancy, lower infant mortality, and increased production of food.
   2. Cities experienced overcrowding while rural areas suffered from the decline of labor.

3. Industrialization altered the family structure and class relations.

   1. Bourgeois families focused on the nuclear family and cult of domesticity.
   2. Although early industrialization often brought harsh working and living conditions, over the later 19th century many workers experienced gradual improvements through higher wages in some sectors, limits on child labor, public health measures, improved diets, and, in some places, expanding access to family-planning information.
   3. In many middle-class circles, ideals of marriage increasingly emphasized companionship and domestic affection, though economic considerations remained important, especially for working-class and rural families.
   4. Leisure time centered on activities for family (parks, beaches, theaters).

4. Second Industrial Revolution increased consumerism.

   1. Consumerism was increased because of mass marketing and industrial production for consumer goods.
   2. Better transportation created new industries, improved distribution of goods, and enhanced the quality of life (steamships, railroads, refrigerated rail cars, cars).

5. Less industrialized areas of Europe faced famine, debt, and land shortages.

   1. Hungry ‘40s, Irish potato famine, Russian serfdom

Topic C. Ideologies, Reform, and Political Responses

1. New ideologies developed in response to revolution and industrialization.

   1. Liberals emphasized popular sovereignty and individual rights, but debated which groups in society should actively participate (Bentham, Mill).
   2. Some democratic and working-class activists demanded universal male suffrage, while many liberals initially supported more limited suffrage based on property or tax qualifications; some reformers also argued for female suffrage.
   3. Conservatives supported traditional political and religious authorities based on the idea that human nature was not perfectible (Metternich).
   4. Socialists argued that resources and wealth should be redistributed (Marxism).
   5. Anarchists asserted that all forms of government were unnecessary.
   6. Nationalists encouraged loyalty to a nation in a variety of ways.
   7. Zionism (Jewish nationalism) developed in response to growing anti-semitism.

2. Governments responded to the problems created by industrialization.

   1. Liberalism shifted from laissez-faire to interventionist economic policies.
   2. Cities were transformed by modernizing infrastructure.
   3. Public education was promoted to advance nationalism and economic growth.
   4. States increasingly responded to social problems with reform legislation, including labor protections, public health measures, and early welfare programs; in Germany, Bismarck used measures such as health, accident, and old-age insurance both to reduce worker unrest and to strengthen loyalty to the state.

3. Political movements and social organizations responded to industrialization.

   1. Political parties emerged to promote reforms.
   2. Workers established labor unions to promote reforms.
   3. Feminists promoted legal, economic, and political rights for women.
   4. Religious movements assisted the poor and worked to abolish slavery and serfdom.

🎥Live Stream Replay - 19th Century ISMs

Topic D. Nationalism, Revolution, and State-Building

1. Concert of Europe sought to maintain the status quo.

   1. Metternich used the Concert of Europe to suppress nationalist & liberal revolutions.
   2. Conservatives re-established control and suppressed movements for change.
   3. Revolutionaries attempted to destroy the status quo (Decembrist revolt).
   4. Revolutions of 1848 triggered by economic hardship and political discontent.

2. The Concert of Europe weakened over time as great-power cooperation broke down, especially after the revolutions of 1848 and the Crimean War, creating opportunities for nationalism, state-building, and some liberal reforms.

   1. Crimean War created the conditions in which Italy and Germany could be unified.
   2. Conservative leaders such as Bismarck used nationalism pragmatically to strengthen the state and achieve unification under conservative leadership.
   3. Austria-Hungary developed a dual monarchy to stabilize the state.
   4. Russian rulers pursued limited reform and uneven modernization, but peasant grievances, labor unrest, autocratic repression, and defeat in the Russo-Japanese War contributed to the Revolution of 1905.

3. Unification of Italy & Germany transformed the European balance of power.

   1. Italy was unified through Cavour’s diplomacy and Garibaldi’s military campaigns.
   2. Germany was unified through Bismarck’s Realpolitik strategies.
   3. Bismarck created a complex system of alliances directed at isolating France.
   4. International tensions were heightened in 1890 after Bismarck’s dismissal.
   5. Tensions in the Balkans pulled the Great Powers into crises leading up to WWI.

🎥Live Stream Replay - Revolutions of 1848

🎥Live Stream Replay - Modernization & Unification

Topic E. Imperialism and Global Competition

1. Asia and Africa became increasingly colonized by European states.

   1. National rivalries and strategic concerns led to imperial expansion and competition.
   2. Search for materials & markets motivated Europeans to colonize Africa & Asia.
   3. Europeans used theories of cultural and racial superiority to justify imperialism.

2. Europeans strengthened control of global empires with new technologies. 

   1. Advanced weaponry ensured a military advantage for Europeans abroad.
   2. Communication and transportation technologies facilitated expansion.
   3. Medicinal advancements enabled European survival in Asia and Africa.

3. Imperialism affected society and culture in Europe, while also reshaping colonized societies and provoking resistance abroad.

   1. Imperialism created diplomatic tensions (Berlin Conference).
   2. Works of art and literature provoked debate over imperialism.
   3. Imperialism reshaped colonized societies by redirecting economies toward export production, imposing new administrative systems and borders, disrupting local political structures, and spreading European education and culture.
   4. These changes provoked a range of responses, from armed resistance to nationalist reform and modernization movements in places such as India, China, and Japan.
   5. European empires used both direct and indirect forms of rule, and colonized peoples often adapted European political, military, and educational ideas to resist or reform imperial domination.

🎥Live Stream Replay - Imperialism

Topic F. Culture, Science, and Modern Thought

1. Romanticism placed more emphasis on emotion.

   1. Romantic artists emphasized emotion, nature, and national histories.
   2. Romantic writers expressed similar themes and responded to current events.

2. Mid- to late-19th-century social upheaval, industrialization, and scientific developments encouraged realist and materialist world views.

   1. Positivism emphasized rational and scientific analyses.
   2. Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection transformed scientific thought; later thinkers distorted Darwin's ideas into Social Darwinism, which was used to justify racism, imperialism, and inequality.
   3. Marx provided a critique of capitalism and historical evolution.
   4. Realist and materialist attitudes were depicted through the lives of ordinary people.

3. The late 19th century is often described as an Age of Progress and Modernity.

   1. Many Europeans believed science, technology, and reform were improving life.
   2. Literacy and mass newspapers expanded.
   3. Cities developed department stores, cafés, sports, and other leisure activities.
   4. Mass politics broadened participation through political parties and, in some states, expanded suffrage.

4. Modernism in intellectual and cultural life reflected a loss of confidence in objectivity.

   1. Philosophy emphasized irrationality and impulse (Nietzsche).
   2. Freud emphasized the struggle between the conscious and subconscious.
   3. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, new scientific ideas—including early work that contributed to quantum theory and Einstein's theory of relativity—challenged older confidence in purely objective knowledge.
   4. Impressionism emphasized light, color, and fleeting visual perception, while later movements such as Cubism broke objects into geometric forms and challenged traditional representation.

🎥Live Stream Replay - Impressionism

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LIST OF CONCEPTS & VOCABULARY FROM 1815–1914

STUDY TIP: These are the concepts and vocabulary from this era that most commonly appear on the exam. Create a quizlet deck to make sure you are familiar with these terms!

• abolition
• Albert Einstein
• Alexander II of Russia
• anarchism
• Anti-Corn Law League
• Anti-imperialism
• anti-Semitism
• Berlin Conference (1884)
• Bessemer process
• Bismarckian System of Alliances
• bourgeoisie
• Boxer Rebellion
• British Labour Party
• Cavour
• Charles Darwin
• Charles Dickens
• Chartists
• Christian socialism
• Claude Monet
• Concert of Europe
• Congress of Berlin
• Congress System
• conservatism
• consumerism
• Crimean War
• Crystal Palace
• Cubism
• cult of domesticity
• Decembrist Revolt
• Dreyfus Affair
• Dual Monarchy
• economic liberalism
• Emmeline Pankhurst
• Factory Act
• factory system
• feminism
• First & Second Balkan Wars (1912–1913; useful as immediate pre-WWI context at the end of this period)
• First Industrial Revolution
• Friedrich Engels
• Friedrich Nietzsche
• German Unification
• Giuseppe Garibaldi
• Giuseppe Mazzini
• Great Powers
• Greek War of Independence
• imperialism
• Impressionism
• Indian Congress Party
• Irish Potato Famine
• Italian Unification
• Jeremy Bentham
• John Stuart Mill
• Jules Verne
• July Revolution
• Karl Marx
• labor-oriented political parties
• liberalism
• Marie Curie
• Marxism
• mass marketing
• mass production
• materialism
• Max Planck
• Meiji Restoration
• Metternich
• Metternich Conservatism
• middle class
• Mines Act
• monopolies
• Napoleon III
• nationalism
• new woman
• nuclear family
• Otto von Bismarck
• Pablo Picasso
• Polish Revolt
• popular sovereignty
• positivism
• proletariat
• realism
• Realpolitik
• Revisionism
• Revolutions of 1848
• Robert Owen
• romanticism
• scientific socialism
• secularization
• Second Industrial Revolution
• Sepoy Mutiny
• Sergei Witte
• Sigmund Freud
• social darwinism
• socialism
• suffrage
• Temperance Movement
• Ten Hours Act
• textiles
• Theodor Herzl
• Thomas Malthus
• trade unions
• Triple Alliance
• urbanization
• Vincent van Gogh
• Zionism