AP European History : The Modern State

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP European History

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Example Questions

Example Question #21 : Political History

Economic recession in Europe in the 1970s was primarily caused by __________.

Possible Answers:

The Oil Embargo of 1973

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

The Suez Canal Crisis

Declining prices of basic crops caused by the integration of several third world countries into the global economy

The Vietnam War

Correct answer:

The Oil Embargo of 1973

Explanation:

In the 1970s, the various Western European countries relied on oil imports from the Middle East for the vast majority of their oil. When the Arab-Israeli War broke out in 1973, many Arab nations began to stop selling oil to European nations who supported Israel, leading to the Oil Embargo of 1973. This greatly damaged the economies of most Western European nations and plunged the continent into a recession.

Example Question #21 : The Modern State

Who was the first President of the Russian Federation following the collapse of the Soviet Union?

Possible Answers:

Nikita Khrushchev

Mikhail Gorbachev

Boris Yeltsin

Dimitri Medvedev

Vladimir Putin

Correct answer:

Boris Yeltsin

Explanation:

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian Federation was formed from the territory that had once comprised Tsarist Russia. The first President of the Russian Federation was Boris Yeltsin.

Example Question #22 : The Modern State

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was formed by which of the following three countries in the wake of the demise of the Soviet Union?

Possible Answers:

Russia, Latvia, and Lithuania

Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus

Russia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan

Yugoslavia, Romania, and Hungary

Turkey, Bulgaria, and Georgia

Correct answer:

Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus

Explanation:

The Commonwealth of Independent States was formed in 1991 by Russia, the Ukraine, and Belarus. It has since grown to include countries like Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Uzbekistan. It is meant to function as more than simply a symbolic organization, but all the countries within the group are autonomous and rarely act in unison with one another.

Example Question #23 : The Modern State

Which of the following individuals is a Serbian leader who was prosecuted for war crimes committed during the Balkan Crisis of the 1990s?

Possible Answers:

Boris Yeltsin

Lech Walesa

Tito

Slobodan Milosevic

Nikola Tesla

Correct answer:

Slobodan Milosevic

Explanation:

Slobodan Milosevic was President of Serbia for much of the 1990s and was eventually indicted by United Nation’s International Tribunal for war crimes committed in the Kosovo War. He was charged with encouraging the forced deportation of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo and the genocidal extermination of at least tens of thousands of other Albanians living in Kosovo. He is also charged with encouraging genocide in Bosnia and Croatia.

Example Question #24 : The Modern State

Which of these countries experienced a bloodless revolution in transitioning from communism to capitalism in 1989?

Possible Answers:

Hungary

East Germany

Czechoslovakia

Poland

All of the other answer choices are correct.

Correct answer:

All of the other answer choices are correct.

Explanation:

All of these countries experienced a relatively peaceful transition from communism to capitalism in 1989 and the early 1990s. The only major country where the transition of power was not peaceful was Romania, where brutal fighting marked the fall of communism.

Example Question #26 : Political History

The European Court of Justice, the highest court in the European Union, is located in which country?

Possible Answers:

Spain

Germany

France

Norway

Luxembourg

Correct answer:

Luxembourg

Explanation:

The European Court of Justice is located in Luxembourg. It was established in 1952.

Example Question #283 : Ap European History

The gap between the nations of Europe and the Third World continues to rise, in large part, because __________.

Possible Answers:

of frequent European attempts to reestablish colonial dominance over countries in South America, Africa, and Asia.

the population growth of the third world is dramatically sharper than that of Europe.

European countries refuse to provide aid to their former colonial possessions.

of the conflict between Islamic fundamentalism and Western militaristic intervention.

capitalism prevails in few places outside of Europe, leading to European and American dominance over the free market.

Correct answer:

the population growth of the third world is dramatically sharper than that of Europe.

Explanation:

In the years since decolonization, the population of the Third World has exploded to unprecedented levels, while the population of most major European nations has grown slowly or not at all. Massive increases in population put a strain on developing economies, as children and their parents require medical and social care. 

Example Question #25 : The Modern State

Who is the current reigning British Monarch?

Possible Answers:

Charles III

William II

Victoria II

Edward I

Elizabeth II

Correct answer:

Elizabeth II

Explanation:

Elizabeth the II is the current reigning monarch. Though she is just a figurehead since Britain's current political system is Parliamentary, she still holds the love and adoration of all the people of the British Commonwealth, recognized as the monarch of all Britain's territories and dominions including Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, and Canada.

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