Advanced Placement (AP) European History Practice Exam

Which of the following best describes a continuity in the political relationships between European states at the end of the seventeenth century and at the beginning of the nineteenth century?

1. European states expanded their empires aggressively

2. European states collaborated to support revolutionary movements

3. European states came together to restrain French attempts to dominate Continental Europe

4. Political alliances were marked by longstanding rivalries

The correct answer is: European states came together to restrain French attempts to dominate Continental Europe

The choice that best illustrates a continuity in the political relationships between European states at the end of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century is the effort of these states to restrain French attempts to dominate Continental Europe. At the end of the seventeenth century, Europe's major powers were engaged in conflicts such as the War of the Spanish Succession, which was largely motivated by fears of French hegemony under Louis XIV. This war, much like subsequent conflicts in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, including the Napoleonic Wars, saw various coalitions formed among other European states to counterbalance France’s power. In the aftermath of the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon, numerous alliances were created among European states, such as the coalition forces that came together to oppose France. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 further exemplified this continuity, as diplomats from across Europe worked together to establish a balance of power that would limit French expansionism and prevent any single state from becoming too powerful. In contrast, other choices present ideas that do not capture the same historical continuity. For instance, while European states did participate in imperial expansion, this was not a unifying theme across both time periods, as the focus shifted significantly during the