Key AP Euro History Events

A small grouping of key dates to know for the AP European History Test.

1492 (what happened)

The completion of the Spanish “Reconquista”/Beginning of the Spanish inquisition & Columbus discovers “New World”

1517 (What happened)

Martin Luther writes the 95 Theses & beginning of Reformation

1618-1648 ( What happened)

30 Year war - (starts with the battle of Prague, ends with the peace of Westphalia)

1713 (what happened)

Treaty of Utrecht ends War with the Spanish Succession

1776 (what happened 1st thing)

Declaration of Independence

1776 (what happened 2nd thing)

Adam Smith wrote “ The Wealth of Nations “ abt (capitalism, Laissez Faire)

1789 (what happened)

French Revolution Begins

1815 (what happened)

Defeat of Napoleon

1848 (what happened)

Revolutions of 1848/ Marx and Engels publish The Communist Manifesto

1870-71 (what happened)

Franco-Prussian War, completion of German and Italian unification

1914 (what happened)

Start of WWI

1919 (what happened)

Treaty of Versailles ends WWI

1939 (what happened)

Nazi- Soviet Pact, German invasion of Poland begins WWII in Europe

1945 (what happened)

End of WWII, creation of the United Nations

1989-91 (what happened)

Fall of Berlin Wall, revolutions in Eastern Europe, Collapse of Soviet Union

1347-1351 (what happened)

Black Death/ Bubonic Plauge

1992 (what happened)

Maastricht Treaty

1453 (what happened)

Fall of Constantinople

1347-1351 (why important/effect)

Reduced influence and authority of the Church

1453 (why important/effect)

Rise of the Ottoman Empire

1492 (why important/effect)

Columbian Exchange- changed all parts of the World, Hurt Spanish economy and intellectual life

1517 (why important/effect)

End of religious unity, beginning of 100 years of religious wars

1618-1648 (why important/effect)

End of religious wars, weakening of the Holy Roman Emperor, beginning of balance of power thinking

1713 (why important/effect)

Louis XIV’s ambition partially blocked, Spain is no longer a major power

1776 (why important/effect 1st)

Inspired revolutions around the world

1776 (why important/effect 2nd)

Changes how people think about economics - most influential economic book

1789 (why important/effect)

Ends the Ancien Regime, absolutism; Inspires change across Europe

1815 (why important/effect)

Restores conservative order in Europe

1848 (why important/effect)

Shows that people want change in every country (inspires revolutions)/ leads to growth of communist movement

1870-71 (why important/effect)

Two new countries, Germany upsets the balance of power

1914 (why important/effect)

Unprecedented destruction, new technology, weakening of Europe

1919 (why important/effect)

Reparations, leads to economic problems in Germany, WWII

1939 (why important/effect)

Largest and most destructive war in history, the Holocaust

1945 (why important/effect)

US and USSR as new superpowers, the Cold War

1989-91 (why important/effect)

End of European communism and end of Cold War

1992 (why important/effect)

Creates EU or European Union