Know all of these events and have a basic understanding of the what each is. You don’t need to memorise the actual date just know where it falls in the timeline and what is it. If you need more notes on any of these, here’s the full study guide : https://knowt.com/note/c301c06c-a9f3-4ec5-9031-1255c2979927/AP-European-History-Ultimate-Guide

Period One

• 1453 - Hundred Years’ War Ends

• 1455 - Invention of the Printing Press

  • invented by Johannes Gutenberg

  • led to increase in literacy rates & contributed to Renaissance

  • increased distribution of bible, Shakespeare, Galilei, MLK and Gutengerg

• 1492 - Columbus' Voyage to the New World

• 1517 - Protestant Reformation

  • sparked by Martin Luther

• 1555 - Peace Treaty of Augsburg

  • Treaty between the Holy Roman Empire and the Schmalkaldic League

  • Marked the end of religious warfare in Germany and the beginning of a period of relative stability

• 1572 - St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre

• 1598 - Edict of Nantes

  • granted religious toleration to the Huguenots and ended the wars

  • ended St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre

• 1600 - Establishment of the Dutch East India Company

• 1643-1715 - Louis XIV's Reign in France

  • He centralized power by establishing a highly centralized bureaucracy and a system of royal patronage that rewarded loyalty to the king

  • He also weakened the power of the nobility by requiring them to live at the Palace of Versailles and participate in the king's daily routines.

  • He promoted economic growth by supporting the development of French industry and trade.

• 1648 - Signing of the Treaty of Westphalia

  • ended the Thirty Years’ war and established the principle of state sovereignty.

Period Two

• 1688 - Glorious Revolution in England

  • It was triggered by the fear of a Catholic succession to the English throne.

  • It had a significant impact on English politics and society. It established the principle of parliamentary sovereignty and limited the power of the monarch.

  • William of Orange, James II’s flight

• 1688 - Enactment of the English Bill of Rights

  • established the supremacy of Parliament over the monarch and guaranteed certain rights to English citizens, such as the right to bear arms and the right to a fair trial.

• 1756-1763 : The Seven Years’ War

  • fought between two alliances: the Kingdom of Great Britain, Prussia, and Hanover against the Kingdom of France, Austria, and Russia.

• 1763 - End of the Seven Years’ War with the Treaty of Paris

  • saw Britain emerge as the dominant colonial power.

• 1776 - Start of the American Revolutionary War

  • a political upheaval during which the thirteen American colonies broke away from British rule and formed the United States of America.

  • causes : taxation without representation, proclamation of 1763, Boston massacre, Intolerable Acts

• 1789-1799 - Era of the French Revolution

• 1799 - Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

  • the first consul of France in 1799 and later declared himself emperor in 1804

  • Conquered much of Europe and implemented a series of reforms known as the Napoleonic Code

  • Defeated in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo and exiled to the island of Saint Helena, where he died in 1821

• 1815 - Congress of Vienna and the Age of Metternich

  • Its aim was to restore stability and order to Europe after the upheavals of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.

  • The Congress established a new balance of power in Europe that lasted until the outbreak of World War I.

Period Three

• 1848 - Spread of Liberal Revolutions

• 1861 - Italy's Unification

  • led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, Camillo di Cavour, and Victor Emmanuel II.

  • had a significant impact on European politics and paved the way for the rise of Italian nationalism.

• 1861 - Emancipation of Serfs in Russia

• 1871 - Germany's Unification

  • Otto von Bismarck : goal was to unify Germany under Prussian leadership.

  • Wilhelm I of Prussia became the first German Emperor.

  • Germany became an industrial and military powerhouse, leading to tensions with other European powers.

• 1884 - Berlin Conference and the Scramble for Africa

• 1905 - Russian Revolution

Period Four

• 1914-1918 - World War I

  • causes : imperialism, nationalism, militarism, alliances, assassination of archduke

  • military advancements : tanks, poison gas, airplanes, machine guns, submarines, trench warfare

  • know the major battles

• 1917 - Bolshevik Revolution

  • Response to the widespread poverty, inequality, and political repression

  • The Russian government responded to this growing unrest with repression, censorship, and political persecution

• 1918 - Treaty of Versailles Marks WWI End

  • Germany was forced to accept full responsibility for the war and pay reparations to the Allies.

  • Led to the redrawing of national borders and the creation of new countries.

  • The League of Nations was established to prevent future wars, but it ultimately failed to do so.

• 1929 - Great Depression Begins with Stock Market Crash

  • causes : stock market crash of 1929, bank failures, overproduction, protectionism

  • impact in Europe : unemployment, political instability, economic decline

  • rise of extremism

• 1939-1945 - World War II in Europe

  • The Allies emerged victorious, with Germany and Japan surrendering in 1945.

• 1945 - Establishment of the United Nations

  • replaced the ineffective League of Nations

• 1949 - Formation of NATO

• 1957 - Launch of Sputnik

• 1961 - Construction of the Berlin Wall

  • The Soviet Union built a wall to separate East and West Berlin, symbolizing the division of Europe.

  • Symbolised end of Cold War

• 1989 - Fall of the Berlin Wall

• 1991 - Soviet Union Collapse

• 1992 - Creation of the Maastricht Treaty and the European Union

• 1999 - Introduction of the European currency, the Euro

• 2000 - Vladimir Putin's Election as President of Russia

review the economic theories in period 4