AP Euro Unit 7 Progress Check MCQ

“Believe me, it is not in Russia’s interest to try and embroil Austria and Germany. You too often lose sight of the importance of being one of three on the European chessboard. That is the invariable objective of all the Cabinets, and mine above all. Nobody wishes to be in a minority. All politics reduces itself to this formula: to try to be one of three, so long as the world is governed by the unstable equilibrium of five Great Powers.

There was a time when [Russia] entertained the illusion of a close alliance with England. I wished then to enter that alliance as a third, and Austria would not have been necessary to me if that combination had been achieved. But I soon realized that it was a chimera. There is still too much antagonism [between Russia and Great Britain] in the East; you will need a great ‘Königgrätz’* one day in order to settle this great Asiatic dispute. Since that time, my favorite idea has been the Triple Alliance with [Russia and] Austria.”

* The decisive victory by Prussia over Austria in 1866

Letter from German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck to Russian Ambassador Saburov, 1880

The "unstable equilibrium" referred to by Bismarck in the first paragraph is best explained by which of the following developments in European politics?

A.) The effective withdrawal of Great Britain from engagement in conflicts on the European continent

B.) The creation of the Dual Monarchy recognizing Hungary’s status within the Austro-Hungarian Empire

C.) The unification of the German Empire under Prussian leadership

D.) The rise of new political parties favoring socialist policies and workers’ rights

C.) The unification of the German Empire under Prussian leadership

(The unification of Germany under Prussian leadership upset the diplomatic balance of Europe. In the Concert of Europe established at the Congress of Vienna, Prussia had been the weakest of the five Great Powers of Europe, whereas the unified Germany was clearly stronger than France or Austria-Hungary and possibly stronger than either Russia or Britain alone. This new configuration created the situation of unstable equilibrium that Bismarck refers to in the first paragraph.)

“Believe me, it is not in Russia’s interest to try and embroil Austria and Germany. You too often lose sight of the importance of being one of three on the European chessboard. That is the invariable objective of all the Cabinets, and mine above all. Nobody wishes to be in a minority. All politics reduces itself to this formula: to try to be one of three, so long as the world is governed by the unstable equilibrium of five Great Powers.

There was a time when [Russia] entertained the illusion of a close alliance with England. I wished then to enter that alliance as a third, and Austria would not have been necessary to me if that combination had been achieved. But I soon realized that it was a chimera. There is still too much antagonism [between Russia and Great Britain] in the East; you will need a great ‘Königgrätz’* one day in order to settle this great Asiatic dispute. Since that time, my favorite idea has been the Triple Alliance with [Russia and] Austria.”

* The decisive victory by Prussia over Austria in 1866

Letter from German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck to Russian Ambassador Saburov, 1880

Bismarck's approach to power politics as seen in the passage is best explained by his adoption of

A.) a realist and materialist worldview

B.) a romantic nationalist set of ideas

C.) a Marxist perspective

D.) an anarchist mindset

A.) a realist and materialist worldview

(Bismarck practiced what came to be known as "realpolitik," which based decisions on strictly material and realist interests. This is shown in the passage by Bismarck's willingness to abandon his alliance with Austria for one that he sees as more beneficial to Germany, despite the cultural and language ties between Austria and Germany.)

“Believe me, it is not in Russia’s interest to try and embroil Austria and Germany. You too often lose sight of the importance of being one of three on the European chessboard. That is the invariable objective of all the Cabinets, and mine above all. Nobody wishes to be in a minority. All politics reduces itself to this formula: to try to be one of three, so long as the world is governed by the unstable equilibrium of five Great Powers.

There was a time when [Russia] entertained the illusion of a close alliance with England. I wished then to enter that alliance as a third, and Austria would not have been necessary to me if that combination had been achieved. But I soon realized that it was a chimera. There is still too much antagonism [between Russia and Great Britain] in the East; you will need a great ‘Königgrätz’* one day in order to settle this great Asiatic dispute. Since that time, my favorite idea has been the Triple Alliance with [Russia and] Austria.”

* The decisive victory by Prussia over Austria in 1866

Letter from German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck to Russian Ambassador Saburov, 1880

Bismarck's conclusion regarding the feasibility of an alliance between Britain and Russia in the second paragraph is best explained by which of the following?

A.) The expansion of the military and naval capabilities of European states

B.) The increasing divergence between the political institutions of Russia and Great Britain

C.) The growing imperial rivalries among European states

D.) The beginning of a Russian effort toward modernization and industrialization

C.) The growing imperial rivalries among European states

(The rivalry between Russia and Britain in Asia, known as the "Great Game," was a source of military and diplomatic tensions between the two nations prior to the First World War. These tensions prevented Great Britain and Russia from forming an alliance until after Bismarck had been forced from office in 1890 and German foreign policy became more aggressive under Kaiser Wilhelm II.)

The following question refers to the topic of nationalism in the nineteenth century.

Which of the following best explains how racialist ideology influenced nationalism in the late nineteenth century?

A.) It provided a justification for widening the voting franchise to reflect the popular will.

B.) It provided a supposedly scientific way of defining national cultures.

C.) It provided Romantic idealists support for their belief that emotional ties created nation-states.

D.) It provided a motive for incorporating colonized peoples into the nation.

B.) It provided a supposedly scientific way of defining national cultures.

(Racialism refers to a set of beliefs that assigns supposedly fixed and essential characteristics to different ethnic groups, allegedly connected to biological differences. Racialists typically imagine a hierarchy of races, with some superior and others inferior. Some nineteenth-century scientists became convinced that superficial differences among human beings could be connected to differences in behavior and culture. Such beliefs became popularized and provided a pseudo-scientific basis for nationalist ideas.)

The following question refers to the topic of nationalism in the nineteenth century.

Which of the following best explains how Zionism emerged as a response to nationalism in the late nineteenth century?

A.) Increasing anti-Semitism convinced some European Jews that the creation of their own nation was the logical response.

B.) Newly unified nations such as Germany extended citizenship and voting rights to Jews.

C.) Romantic nationalists looked to the emotional bonds of religious beliefs as justification for unifying nations.

D.) Jewish leaders were inspired by European empire-building in Asia and Africa to conquer their own territory.

A.) Increasing anti-Semitism convinced some European Jews that the creation of their own nation was the logical response.

(Zionism was the movement to create a Jewish homeland that began in the late nineteenth century. Zionism arose in response to various forms of anti-Semitism ranging from economic and social discrimination to outright physical attacks that occurred in nineteenth-century Europe. Theodor Herzl founded the Zionist Organization to encourage European Jews to emigrate to Palestine and create a Jewish homeland there. Herzl and others argued that the difficulties faced by Jews would be solved only when they had their own nation-state in a land historically associated with them.)

The following question refers to the topic of nationalism in the nineteenth century.

Which of the following best explains why the Habsburgs created the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1867 ?

A.) They sought to prevent the unification of Germany by emphasizing the shared language and culture of Austrians and Germans.

B.) They sought to create a shared national identity among all the ethnic groups of the empire.

C.) They sought to prevent nationalist fragmentation by recognizing the political rights of one of the empire's major ethnic groups.

D.) They sought to recognize Hungary's lead role in the empire's military campaigns against Napoleon's France and against the Prussians.

C.) They sought to prevent nationalist fragmentation by recognizing the political rights of one of the empire's major ethnic groups.

(Hungary had been ruled by the German-speaking Austrian Habsburgs since they took it from the Ottoman Empire in the late 1600s. Hungarian nationalist sentiment grew rapidly in the 1800s, and during the Revolutions of 1848, a major Hungarian nationalist uprising broke out against Habsburg rule. Although the uprising was put down, Austria's humiliating defeat by Prussia in 1866 provided Hungarian nationalists with another opportunity to press their demands. Fearful for the stability of their multiethnic state, the Habsburgs agreed to grant Hungary significant autonomy within the empire.)

“Everybody’s Friend,” cartoon in Punch, British satirical newspaper, 1878

German Chancellor Bismarck sits at a table covered with the map of Europe. On the wall behind him are a map of Russia (left) and the three emperors of the Three Emperors’ League (right), with the German emperor covering the faces of the Austrian and Russian emperors.

Which of the following best explains the cartoonist's apparent skepticism of Bismarck's diplomacy?

A.) Bismarck had established conventions for the division of Africa among the European imperial powers at the Berlin Conference.

B.) Russia and Great Britain were engaged in a series of colonial rivalries in Central Asia known as the Great Game.

C.) Britain had traditionally avoided diplomatic treaties that would commit it to military alliances with European powers.

D.) German unification created a military and economic power that was capable of challenging Great Britain’s dominance.

D.) German unification created a military and economic power that was capable of challenging Great Britain's dominance.

(The unification of Germany in 1871 under Prussian leadership created a populous, economically dynamic state with a strong military. Although Bismarck sought to avoid overt challenges to Great Britain, British commentators were aware that Germany had become a potential threat.)

“Everybody’s Friend,” cartoon in Punch, British satirical newspaper, 1878

German Chancellor Bismarck sits at a table covered with the map of Europe. On the wall behind him are a map of Russia (left) and the three emperors of the Three Emperors’ League (right), with the German emperor covering the faces of the Austrian and Russian emperors.

Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the cartoonist's choosing to portray Bismarck in a military uniform?

A.) The cartoonist was critiquing Bismarck’s employment of realpolitik to create his alliance system.

B.) The cartoonist was commenting on the fact that while Bismarck presented himself as a diplomat, he used military force to achieve his aims.

C.) The cartoonist was mocking the pretensions of German military power, seeing it as greatly inferior to Britain’s.

D.) The cartoonist was showing his opposition to the general European military buildup of the late nineteenth century.

B.) The cartoonist was commenting on the fact that while Bismarck presented himself as a diplomat, he used military force to achieve his aims.

(Prussia, under Bismarck's leadership, had achieved German unification largely through warfare and military pressure. Commentators outside of Germany, such as the cartoonist who created this image, often saw Bismarck's postunification efforts at diplomacy as little more than a cover for an aggressive, militaristic posture. The soldier's uniform, the sword, and the distinctive Prussian spiked helmet were likely chosen by the cartoonist to signal his distrust of Germany's and Bismarck's supposedly peaceful intentions.)

“Everybody’s Friend,” cartoon in Punch, British satirical newspaper, 1878

German Chancellor Bismarck sits at a table covered with the map of Europe. On the wall behind him are a map of Russia (left) and the three emperors of the Three Emperors’ League (right), with the German emperor covering the faces of the Austrian and Russian emperors.

Which of the following best explains why some members of the British public may have been sympathetic to Bismarck's foreign policy?

A.) Bismarck’s alliance system was designed to isolate France, which was also Britain’s longtime rival.

B.) Like Britain, Bismarck’s Germany also sought to acquire colonial territories in Africa.

C.) Bismarck’s dismissal from office would heighten diplomatic tensions among European states.

D.) Like Britain, Bismarck’s Germany had also undertaken significant industrial development and created a consumer economy.

A.) Bismarck's alliance system was designed to isolate France, which was also Britain's longtime rival.

(Although the cartoonist is satirizing what some observers saw as Bismarck's opportunistic foreign policy, one of the German leader's main aims in creating a network of alliances was to prevent France from gaining any powerful allies. France had been humiliated in the Franco-Prussian War, which ended with France's surrender of the eastern provinces of Alsace and Lorraine and the formal creation of the German Empire. Bismarck was aware of the hostility with which France regarded Germany and sought to isolate France diplomatically. At the same time, relations between Britain and France were often tense, and this tension, combined with the long history of Anglo-French wars, may have led people in Britain to be somewhat sympathetic to Bismarck's efforts.)

“The tendency to social conduct is a product of evolution resulting from the survival of the group in which this instinct was most strongly developed and most rationally guided. . . . If we trace that evolution from the folk-lore and custom of the most barbarous groups up to the highest stages of civilization, we recognize no permanent code of moral action apart from our social relations. Moral conduct is social conduct, and immoral conduct is anti-social conduct. And what is social and what is anti-social depends upon the condition of the society with which we are dealing.”

Karl Pearson, “The Bearing of our Present Knowledge of Heredity upon Conduct,” lecture delivered in London, 1904

Which of the following describes a limitation of Pearson's argument?

A.) Social conduct is a concept that is difficult to measure or describe in precise terms.

B.) Humans have other instincts besides the instinct of sociability.

C.) A significant part of folklore concerns questions of morality and proper social behavior.

D.) Many fundamental elements of modern laws and law codes differ from those of ancient societies.

A.) Social conduct is a concept that is difficult to measure or describe in precise terms.

(Pearson's argument that groups with a more developed instinct to engage in social conduct are more likely to survive rests on the ability to reliably distinguish more and less social behavior. But social behavior can be defined in a number of ways, ranging from altruism to rational self-interest, making it difficult to establish a causal relationship between a group's behavior and its likelihood to survive.)

“The ancients had no conception of progress; they did not so much as reject the idea; they did not even entertain the idea. Asian nations are just the same now. Since history began they have always been what they are. Savages again, do not improve; they hardly seem to have the basis on which to build, much less the material to put up anything worth having. Only a few nations, and those of European origin, advance.

The strongest nation has always been conquering the weaker; sometimes even subduing it, but always prevailing over it. Every intellectual gain, so to speak, that a nation possessed was in the earliest times made use of—was invested and taken out—in war; all else perished. Each nation tried constantly to be the stronger, and so made or copied the best weapons; by conscious and unconscious imitation each nation formed a type of character suitable to war and conquest. Conquest improved mankind by the intermixture of strengths; the armed truce, which was then called peace, improved them by the competition of training and the consequent creation of new power. . . . All European history has been the history of the superposition of the more military races over the less military—of the efforts, sometimes successful, sometimes unsuccessful, of each race to get more military; and so the art of war has constantly improved.”

Walter Bagehot, British journalist, 1873

Which of the following is a major limitation of Bagehot's argument?

A.) His assumption that non-European nations are incapable of progress

B.) His assumption that warfare has been a frequent occurrence in European history

C.) His assumption that warfare led to technological progress

D.) His assumption that military capacities differed among nations

A.) His assumption that non-European nations are incapable of progress

(Bagehot's argument is limited by his view of European supremacy as an inevitable development, rather than a temporary occurrence resulting from industrialization. The argument that non-European countries cannot advance is incorrect, as demonstrated by the historical development of powers such as the Ottoman Empire, China, or others that at various times were technologically and militarily superior to Europe. Bagehot also criticizes ancient civilizations, saying they did not progress, but European advances, starting with the Renaissance, were based on engagement with sources and ideas from the Roman Empire and classical Greece. Bagehot did not use any evidence to support his claim of progress except that of military might, which is a distinctly limited view of a civilization's progress.)

“The ancients had no conception of progress; they did not so much as reject the idea; they did not even entertain the idea. Asian nations are just the same now. Since history began they have always been what they are. Savages again, do not improve; they hardly seem to have the basis on which to build, much less the material to put up anything worth having. Only a few nations, and those of European origin, advance.

The strongest nation has always been conquering the weaker; sometimes even subduing it, but always prevailing over it. Every intellectual gain, so to speak, that a nation possessed was in the earliest times made use of—was invested and taken out—in war; all else perished. Each nation tried constantly to be the stronger, and so made or copied the best weapons; by conscious and unconscious imitation each nation formed a type of character suitable to war and conquest. Conquest improved mankind by the intermixture of strengths; the armed truce, which was then called peace, improved them by the competition of training and the consequent creation of new power. . . . All European history has been the history of the superposition of the more military races over the less military—of the efforts, sometimes successful, sometimes unsuccessful, of each race to get more military; and so the art of war has constantly improved.”

Walter Bagehot, British journalist, 1873

Which of the following is another major limitation of Bagehot's argument?

A.) His assertion that modern technology was more advanced than earlier technology

B.) His assertion that military progress equates with overall progress

C) His assertion that some technological progress resulted from nations adopting technology from other nations

D.) His assertion that nations often used periods of peace to improve their military capability

B.) His assertion that military progress equates with overall progress

(Bagehot makes the claim that military progress is synonymous with overall progress, but this assertion does not explain certain examples of progress that have occurred regardless of military strength. These examples include robust economies based on production of manufactured goods, medical improvements, communication technology, and other, non-military, advances.)

The following question refers to the topic of progress and modernity in the nineteenth century.

Which of the following best describes the shift to modernism in late-nineteenth-century European cultural and intellectual life?

A.) A renewed faith in traditional authorities together with a return to religiosity

B.) A revived belief that science alone produces knowledge

C.) A new relativism in values together with a loss of confidence in objective knowledge

D.) A new belief that progress is inevitably achieved through rationality

C.) A new relativism in values together with a loss of confidence in objective knowledge

(Cultural modernism was a response to the rapid scientific and technological changes of the late nineteenth century. The mental dislocations caused by new capabilities such as rapid communication and transportation as well as the social dislocations connected with urbanization led many intellectuals to question the fixed values of earlier generations and to undermine the notion of objective truth.)

The following question refers to the topic of progress and modernity in the nineteenth century.

Which of the following contributed most significantly to the late-nineteenth-century European philosophical belief that conflict and struggle led to progress?

A.) Conservatism

B.) Darwinism

C.) Positivism

D.) Utopian socialism

B.) Darwinism

(Darwin's theory that species adapted and progressed through individuals' never-ending struggle for existence was formulated to explain the vast variety of life-forms found in nature. For many intellectuals of the late nineteenth century, it became a powerful explanatory mechanism in such fields as history, economics, and anthropology.)

The following question refers to the topic of progress and modernity in the nineteenth century.

Which of the following developments most directly undermined the Newtonian view of the universe?

A.) Darwin’s theory of evolution

B.) Einstein’s theory of relativity

C.) Freud’s theory of the subconscious

D.) Pasteur’s germ theory of disease

B.) Einstein's theory of relativity

(Newton's formulation of a series of mathematical laws that describe the motions and interactions of objects and the actions of light offered a picture of the world as a predictable mechanism. Einstein's research established that neither space nor time are fixed properties and that at extreme velocities or levels of energy, Newton's formulas could not accurately predict the results of physical interactions.)

Source 1

“It was becoming obvious that in many parts of the world Britain would no longer enjoy the free hand that it had been able to take for granted for so long. . . . By the 1880s assumptions that, because of Britain’s absolute naval supremacy, the only serious threats to the empire would be from powers able to attack British colonies overland no longer seemed valid. . . . In 1897, in spite of a great expansion of the British fleet, the battleships of the other powers outnumbered the Royal Navy by ninety-six to sixty-two. Britain had lost its naval monopoly. Thus from the 1880s other powers were acquiring the means to support probes into areas where Britain had not faced serious competition before, especially in the Far East and in Africa. . . . To many British people, the more active roles being played by the French, Germans, and Russians outside Europe were symptoms of much deeper changes on the continent itself.”

P. J. Marshall, historian, “1870–1918: The Empire under Threat,” in The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire. Reprinted in Samson, The British Empire: A Reader, 2001

Source 2

“Perhaps the most astonishing element of this formal imperial expansion was the division and conquest of almost all of Africa—the so-called scramble for Africa. Prior to the 1870s, the sections of this vast continent controlled by outside powers were limited to small enclaves. . . . Formal European imperialism in Africa was in recession in the late nineteenth century, and no new imperial push was in sight. In fact, in 1865 a British Parliamentary Committee recommended withdrawing from West Africa entirely in light of anti-imperial popular opinion and a lack of economic motivation. Nor did any other European governments seem to want the costs associated with an African empire. By 1914, this situation was entirely reversed. In the intervening half-century, almost all of Africa had been claimed as colonies or protectorates by European powers . . . Although many Africans still denied and even fought against colonial domination, the often violent process of ‘pacifying’ local populations was well under way.”

Trevor Getz and Heather Streets-Salter, historians, Modern Imperialism and Colonialism: A Global Perspective, 2011

Which of the following best explains the "symptoms of much deeper changes" described by the author of Source 1?

A.) The growing industrial and military power of rival European states

B.) The growth of national unification and independence movements across Europe

C.) The spread of liberal ideas across Europe after the Revolutions of 1848

D.) The changes in art and culture resulting from imperial contacts with non-European peoples

A.) The growing industrial and military power of rival European states

(The expansion of navies described by Marshall was enabled by the industrial and economic development of European countries on the Continent. The increased naval and military capabilities of European states fueled greater rivalries and international tensions both within Europe and beyond.)

Source 1

“It was becoming obvious that in many parts of the world Britain would no longer enjoy the free hand that it had been able to take for granted for so long. . . . By the 1880s assumptions that, because of Britain’s absolute naval supremacy, the only serious threats to the empire would be from powers able to attack British colonies overland no longer seemed valid. . . . In 1897, in spite of a great expansion of the British fleet, the battleships of the other powers outnumbered the Royal Navy by ninety-six to sixty-two. Britain had lost its naval monopoly. Thus from the 1880s other powers were acquiring the means to support probes into areas where Britain had not faced serious competition before, especially in the Far East and in Africa. . . . To many British people, the more active roles being played by the French, Germans, and Russians outside Europe were symptoms of much deeper changes on the continent itself.”

P. J. Marshall, historian, “1870–1918: The Empire under Threat,” in The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire. Reprinted in Samson, The British Empire: A Reader, 2001

Source 2

“Perhaps the most astonishing element of this formal imperial expansion was the division and conquest of almost all of Africa—the so-called scramble for Africa. Prior to the 1870s, the sections of this vast continent controlled by outside powers were limited to small enclaves. . . . Formal European imperialism in Africa was in recession in the late nineteenth century, and no new imperial push was in sight. In fact, in 1865 a British Parliamentary Committee recommended withdrawing from West Africa entirely in light of anti-imperial popular opinion and a lack of economic motivation. Nor did any other European governments seem to want the costs associated with an African empire. By 1914, this situation was entirely reversed. In the intervening half-century, almost all of Africa had been claimed as colonies or protectorates by European powers . . . Although many Africans still denied and even fought against colonial domination, the often violent process of ‘pacifying’ local populations was well under way.”

Trevor Getz and Heather Streets-Salter, historians, Modern Imperialism and Colonialism: A Global Perspective, 201

Which of the following changes described in both sources had the most significant political effect on late nineteenth-century Europe?

A.) Mass political parties became increasingly important in many European states.

B.) Political organizations dedicated to combating imperialism began to form within many European states.

C.) People from colonized territories began to migrate to Europe.

D.) Political tensions increased between the European powers as imperial conflicts strained alliances.

D.) Political tensions increased between the European powers as imperial conflicts strained alliances.

(European competition for overseas territory was driven by the economic considerations of securing export markets and access to raw materials, as well as by questions of national prestige. The heightened competition led to increased political tensions among European states.)

Source 1

“It was becoming obvious that in many parts of the world Britain would no longer enjoy the free hand that it had been able to take for granted for so long. . . . By the 1880s assumptions that, because of Britain’s absolute naval supremacy, the only serious threats to the empire would be from powers able to attack British colonies overland no longer seemed valid. . . . In 1897, in spite of a great expansion of the British fleet, the battleships of the other powers outnumbered the Royal Navy by ninety-six to sixty-two. Britain had lost its naval monopoly. Thus from the 1880s other powers were acquiring the means to support probes into areas where Britain had not faced serious competition before, especially in the Far East and in Africa. . . . To many British people, the more active roles being played by the French, Germans, and Russians outside Europe were symptoms of much deeper changes on the continent itself.”

P. J. Marshall, historian, “1870–1918: The Empire under Threat,” in The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire. Reprinted in Samson, The British Empire: A Reader, 2001

Source 2

“Perhaps the most astonishing element of this formal imperial expansion was the division and conquest of almost all of Africa—the so-called scramble for Africa. Prior to the 1870s, the sections of this vast continent controlled by outside powers were limited to small enclaves. . . . Formal European imperialism in Africa was in recession in the late nineteenth century, and no new imperial push was in sight. In fact, in 1865 a British Parliamentary Committee recommended withdrawing from West Africa entirely in light of anti-imperial popular opinion and a lack of economic motivation. Nor did any other European governments seem to want the costs associated with an African empire. By 1914, this situation was entirely reversed. In the intervening half-century, almost all of Africa had been claimed as colonies or protectorates by European powers . . . Although many Africans still denied and even fought against colonial domination, the often violent process of ‘pacifying’ local populations was well under way.”

Trevor Getz and Heather Streets-Salter, historians, Modern Imperialism and Colonialism: A Global Perspective, 201

Which of the following best explains how European education systems in colonial areas began to facilitate the resistance alluded to at the end of Source 2?

A.) Western-educated colonial subjects were able to emigrate to other countries.

B.) Western-educated colonial subjects were able to purchase advanced weaponry to fight European colonizers.

C.) Western-educated colonial subjects began to question colonial powers’ supposed commitment to economic uplift and social reform in the colonies.

D.) Western-educated colonial subjects began to adopt the racial ideas of European Social Darwinists.

C.) Western-educated colonial subjects began to question colonial powers' supposed commitment to economic uplift and social reform in the colonies.

(European colonial powers generally claimed to be acting in the best interests of the colonized populations by bringing economic improvements and social reforms. As some members of the colonial populations acquired European education and a broader outlook, some of them began to critique this claim, noting that the benefits of colonialism went mostly to Europeans and that European principles of liberalism conflicted with many colonial practices.)

Vincent van Gogh, Dutch painter working in France, The Exercise Yard, or The Convict Prison, 1890

Van Gogh's choice of subject matter in this painting provides most effective evidence for which of the following?

A.) Neoclassical artists’ desire to convey an idealized form of patriotism

B.) Realist artists’ concern with calling attention to social issues

C.) Romantic artists’ attempts to break from rational constraints

D.) Baroque artists’ efforts to convey intense religious feeling

B.) Realist artists' concern with calling attention to social issues

(Artists in the late nineteenth century began to focus more on the depiction of the conditions of the poor and other outcast members of society. By portraying a group of convicts, as van Gogh does here, or other marginalized people, artists could draw attention to social issues of the time.)

Vincent van Gogh, Dutch painter working in France, The Exercise Yard, or The Convict Prison, 1890

Van Gogh's painting technique in this picture best provides evidence for which of the following tendencies in late-nineteenth-century European art?

A.) The increasing interest in the artistic traditions and methods of non-European cultures

B.) The resistance to new artistic movements by conservative critics

C.) The growing affordability of images resulting from cheaper means of reproduction

D.) The abandonment of strictly representational forms in favor of more expressive styles

D.) The abandonment of strictly representational forms in favor of more expressive styles

(The layer of abstraction shown in the image demonstrates the artistic trend away from realist depiction in favor of more expressive styles that showed the emotional state of the artist and/or the subject.)

Vincent van Gogh, Dutch painter working in France, The Exercise Yard, or The Convict Prison, 1890

The fact that, when first introduced, paintings in the Impressionist style like this image sold poorly and were harshly attacked by critics is evidence of the continued influence of which of the following ideas?

A.) The idea that art should convey shared ideals such as beauty and patriotism

B.) The idea that art should be reserved for the enjoyment of the upper classes

C.) The idea that art should be a purely subjective expression of the artist’s mental and emotional state

D.) The idea that art should focus on scenes of everyday life

A.) The idea that art should convey shared ideals such as beauty and patriotism

(Impressionism marked a break from the tradition of realistic depictions of landscapes and people that emphasized beauty or a shared national aesthetic. The early Impressionist exhibitions were harshly condemned in the press, and the paintings of van Gogh and other Impressionists sold poorly until the time period closer to the First World War.)

“If I am asked what our policy in China is, my answer is very simple—it is to maintain the Chinese Empire, to prevent it falling into ruins, to invite it into the paths of reform, and to give it every assistance which we are able to give it to perfect its defense and increase its commercial prosperity. By so doing we shall be aiding its cause and our own.”

Lord Salisbury, British Foreign Minister, public speech, 1898

Salisbury's expression of Britain's concern for the stability of the Chinese Empire is best explained by which of the following features of late-nineteenth-century European diplomacy?

A.) Establishment of a system of interlocking alliances among European states

B.) Rivalries among European powers seeking to expand their overseas empires

C.) Fear of rebellion in British colonies in Asia

D.) The continued hostility between France and Germany as a result of the Franco-Prussian War

B.) Rivalries among European powers seeking to expand their overseas empires

(European leaders feared that a collapse of China's central government would trigger a scramble for Chinese territory similar to the Scramble for Africa, leading to conflict between European states. Britain was concerned that its existing economic and political influence within China would be challenged by French, German, Russian, and other rivals, possibly triggering a broader European war.)

“If I am asked what our policy in China is, my answer is very simple—it is to maintain the Chinese Empire, to prevent it falling into ruins, to invite it into the paths of reform, and to give it every assistance which we are able to give it to perfect its defense and increase its commercial prosperity. By so doing we shall be aiding its cause and our own.”

Lord Salisbury, British Foreign Minister, public speech, 1898

Which of the following best explains the economic interest in China that Salisbury expresses in the passage?

A.) The greater wealth per capita of industrialized countries such as Britain compared to countries such as China

B.) The dependence of industrialized countries on their colonies as sources of raw materials

C.) The need for industrialized countries to secure export markets for their products

D.) The transfer of European technologies such as railroads and steamships to non-European countries

C.) The need for industrialized countries to secure export markets for their products

(Britain's primary interest in China was as a market for exports, both manufactured in Britain and exported from colonies. British financial interests also invested heavily in China during this period and were concerned about losses resulting from political instability.)

“If I am asked what our policy in China is, my answer is very simple—it is to maintain the Chinese Empire, to prevent it falling into ruins, to invite it into the paths of reform, and to give it every assistance which we are able to give it to perfect its defense and increase its commercial prosperity. By so doing we shall be aiding its cause and our own.”

Lord Salisbury, British Foreign Minister, public speech, 1898

Which of the following British actions is most consistent with Salisbury's stated position regarding the Chinese Empire?

A.) The sending of an expeditionary force to fight the Boxer Rebellion, which sought to end foreign influence in China

B.) The sale of British weapons and weapon designs to Japan

C.) The expansion of the territory of Hong Kong through a treaty with the Chinese imperial government

D.) British missionaries’ condemnation of the production and use of opium in China

A.) The sending of an expeditionary force to fight the Boxer Rebellion, which sought to end foreign influence in China

(To maintain the integrity of the Chinese government and its economic interests in China, Britain was one of the powers that sent an expeditionary force to put down the rebellion by the Boxers. The rebels sought to remove foreign influence from China and had besieged the European embassies in Beijing, prompting a combined force of European, Japanese, and American troops to intervene.)