Oley Valley High School
Mr. Shawn M. Meals
AP European History: Course Syllabus
Course Description:
AP European History is a college-level survey course meant to challenge students using higher order
thinking skills to help them attain a greater understanding and knowledge of the basic chronology, major
events, and trends in European History from the Late Middle Ages to the present. Within this framework
students will explore a variety of themes such as 1) Political and Diplomatic History, 2) Social and
Economic History, and 3) Intellectual and Cultural History to gain a more comprehensive overview of
European History. Likewise, since this is an advanced course, students will be challenged to develop
skills and knowledge in the following methodological areas:
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time management, organization, and basic study skills
critical analysis of primary and secondary sources
construction and critical evaluation of historical interpretations
analysis and synthesis of cause and effect relationships
comparative analysis
the ability to analyze and express historical understanding orally and in writing.
Besides enhancing skills which will benefit students in their future educational endeavors, the course
will also prepare students for the AP European History Exam which is administered by the College Board
in May. This exam is three hours and five minutes in length. It consists of a 55-minute multiple-choice
section and a 130-minute free response section. The free-response section begins with a mandatory 15minute reading period. Students are then given 45 minutes to answer a document-based question (DBQ) Part A. In Part B, students are given 70 minutes to answer two thematic questions (FRQ’s). Students
choose one essay from each of two groups of three essays - they are advised to spend 5 minutes planning
and then 30 minutes writing each of their FRQ’s. Based on their performance on this exam, students have
the chance of gaining college credit. Students and parents can get more in-depth information pertaining to
the AP Exam by contacting the school’s Guidance Office, or by visiting the College Board AP homepage
at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html . Nevertheless, students taking this course
are definitely encouraged to take the exam.
Textbook:
Palmer, R.R., Joel Colton, and Lloyd Kramer. A History of the Modern World: Ninth Edition. Boston:
McGraw Hill. 2002.
Students will also be provided with document packets containing primary sources for evaluation and
analysis as we move through the various units of study.
Course Overview:
The following is a basic overview of the course as it will be taught during the course of the year. A
chronological listing of units of study is provided, as well as unit objectives, related readings, and unit
assignments/projects. Each unit will be concluded with an exam, which will include multiple-choice and
essay questions. Multiple-choice questions will be drawn from previously released AP exams and original
material. Regarding the essay questions, a selection of questions will be provided at the beginning of each
unit. At the time of the exam, students will have to choose two questions from amongst those previously
provided. Likewise, students will also be quizzed during the course of each unit to assess content and
thematic comprehension. Nevertheless, realize that the following is an overview – it is not meant to be a
detailed day-to-day planner.
1st Semester Unit I:
The Transition from Medieval to Modern Europe / Late Middle Ages and
the Renaissance (1300 – 1560)
Textbook Readings:
Palmer;
Ch. 1 – The Rise of Europe (pp. 9-46)
Ch. 2 – The Upheaval in Christendom, 1300-1560 (pp. 47-77)
Primary Source Readings:
Thomas Aquinas, Boccaccio, Lorenzo Valla, Petrarch, Petrus Paulus Vergerius,
Pico Della Mirandola, Baldassare Castiglione, Machiavelli, Erasmus
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
Introduction to the DBQ – Evaluation/Analysis of Renaissance Humanism
Unit Objectives:
 Describe and analyze the economic difficulties experienced in the late Middle Ages.
 Describe and analyze the psychological effects of repeated attacks of plague and
disease.
 Assess the validity of the statement: war is a catalyst for political, social, and economic
change. (An assessment of the Hundred Years' war in context)
 Describe and analyze the reasons for schism in the medieval church.
 Describe and analyze the effects of the schism on the lives of ordinary people.
 Describe and analyze the ways national literatures reflected political and social
developments
 Describe and analyze the conditions in Italy that led to the beginning of the Renaissance
there.
 Describe and analyze the ways the Renaissance was manifested in government, politics,
and society.
 Describe and analyze the philosophical and artistic hallmarks of the Renaissance
 Describe and analyze the ways the Renaissance affected the development of nation
states and the emergence of the "New Monarchs."
 Describe and analyze the similarities and differences of the Italian Renaissance and
Northern Renaissance
 Evaluate the appropriateness of the label Renaissance as applied to the period of
transition into the Modern Age of Europe
Unit II:
The Reformation
Textbook Readings:
Palmer;
Ch. 2 – The Upheaval in Christendom, 1300-1560 (pp. 77-96)
Primary Source Readings:
The Imitation of Christ, Johann Tetzel, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Henry VIII,
Council of Trent, Index of Prohibited Books, St. Ignatius Loyola
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
Movie Analysis – Evaluation of Luther
Unit Objectives:
 Describe and analyze the late medieval developments that paved the way for Protestant
thought.
 Describe and analyze the consequences of religious divisions.
 Describe and analyze the ways political and social developments affected and were
affected by the reformations.
 Describe and analyze the ways the ideas of Luther brought social, political, and
economic change.
 Describe and analyze the ways the ideas of Calvin affected Europe.
 Describe and analyze the ways the ideas of other Protestant leaders affected Europe.
 Describe and analyze the ways the Catholic church responded to the Protestant
movement.
Unit III:
The Age of Discovery/Exploration and Religious Wars
Textbook Readings:
Palmer;
Ch. 3 - Economic Renewal and Wars of Religion, 1560–1648
(pp. 97-118)
Primary Source Readings:
Michel de Montaigne, Christopher Columbus, Hernan Cortes, Eyewitness Account
– St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, Elizabeth I, Treaty of Westphalia, Thomas
Mun, Henry IV
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
Introduction to the FRQ – Religions Role in the Wars of Religion
Unit Objectives:
 Describe and analyze the factors that led to the European discovery and conquest of
other continents.
 Describe and analyze the immediate effects of overseas expansion on Europe and on
conquered societies.
 Describe and analyze the causes and consequences of the religious wars in France, the
Netherlands and Germany
 Describe and analyze the ways the religious crises of the 16th and 17th centuries
affected faith, literature, art, and the status of women and slaves.
Unit IV:
The Conflict Between Absolutism and Constitutionalism
Textbook Reading:
Palmer;
Ch. 4 – The Establishment of West-European Leadership
(pp. 143-186)
Ch. 5 – The Transformation of Eastern Europe, 1648-1740
(pp. 187-220)
Primary Sources:
James I, Hobbes, Locke, Bossuet, Jean Domat, Duc de Saint-Simon, Cromwell,
Statement of the Levellers, English Bill of Rights, Richelieu, John Milton, Colbert
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
Essay – Analysis and Evaluation of 17th Century Political Theories
FRQ – Comparison of Events in England and France in relation to the English
Civil War and the Fronde
Unit Objectives:
The Following objectives would fit HIS 125 Competency #1: Explain the development of
absolutism and constitutionalism in Europe.
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Unit V:
Describe and analyze constitutionalism and its development in seventeenth century
England and the Netherlands.
Describe and analyze the development of absolutism in France from the reign of Henry
IV to Louis XIV.
Evaluate the objectives, course, and outcome of the wars of Louis XIV.
Describe and analyze how and why rulers of Austria, Prussia, and Russia built powerful
absolute monarchies.
Compare and contrast the absolutist states of Eastern Europe with France.
The Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment
Text Readings:
Palmer;
Ch. 7 – The Scientific View of the World (pp. 265-293)
Ch. 8 – The Age of Enlightenment (pp. 295-342)
Primary Sources:
Galileo, Newton, Descartes, Bacon, Copernicus, Spinoza, Kant, Paine, Voltaire,
Rousseau, Catherine the Great, Joseph II, Frederick the Great, Montesquieu,
Beccaria, Wollstonecraft, Paine, Pugachev, Baron d’Holbach, Diderot
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
DBQ – Influence of the Scientific Revolution on the Enlightenment
Unit Objectives:
The Following objectives would fit HIS 125 Competency #2: Describe t he scientific revolution
and the Enlightenment.
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Describe and analyze the medieval world-view that existed prior to the Scientific
Revolution.
List the factors that led to the development of the Newtonian world-view.
Evaluate and explain how the Newtonian world-view differed from the medieval worldview.
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Unit VI:
Discuss how the Newtonian world-view affected society, religion, the economy, and
politics.
Define the Enlightenment and explain its connection to the Scientific Revolution.
Describe and analyze the views of the major philosophes and their contributions to
European thought.
Evaluate the degree by which enlightened monarchs (enlightened absolutism) acted
according to enlightened principles.
The Struggle for Wealth and Empire in the 18th Century
Textbook Reading:
Palmer;
Ch. 5 – The Transformation of Eastern Europe, 1648-1740 (pp. 220-224)
Ch. 6 – The Struggle for Wealth and Empire (pp. 295-342)
Primary Sources:
Adam Smith, Colbert, Frederick the Great, Catherine the Great, Maria Theresa
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
Unit Objectives:
The Following objectives would fit HIS 125 Competencies #3 & 4: 3) Describe the European economy of the
eighteenth century & 4) Differentiate between the living conditions of the upper and lower social classes
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Unit VII:
Describe analyze the innovations in agricultural production in 17th and 18th century
Europe.
Describe the effects of the Enclosure Movement on 18th century European Society.
Describe and analyze the development of the cottage industry in 18th century Europe.
Describe and analyze the dramatic population increase in Europe during the 18th
century.
Discuss and analyze the living conditions of the people, and the changing attitudes
about marriage, pregnancy, diet, children, education, and women.
Explain how European nations developed world trade during the 18th century and the
consequences of European expansion for the common people.
Discuss and analyze the power shifts taking place as a result of 18th century
international commercial conflicts.
The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Age
Text Readings:
Palmer;
Ch. 9 – The French Revolution (pp. 343-387)
Ch. 10 – Napoleonic Europe (pp. 389-425)
Primary Source Readings:
Cahiers de Doleances, Abbe Sieyes, The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the
Citizen, Edmund Burke, Paine, Wollstonecraft, Olympe de Gouges, Robespierre,
Bonaparte, Napoleonic Code
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
Essay – Evaluation and assessment of the historiography of Napoleon
Unit Objectives:
The Following objectives would fit HIS 125 Competencies #5: Contrast the French and American
Revolutions.
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2nd Semester Unit VIII:
Discuss the analyze the conditions, short and long-term, for the French Revolution.
Discuss and analyze the reasons for the radicalization of the French Revolution.
Discuss and analyze the impact of the French Revolution on the status of women.
Compare and contrast the American and French Revolutions: Causes, Course, and
Consequences.
Discuss and analyze the role of Napoleon Bonaparte and his impact on the rest of
Europe during his reign.
Discuss the legacy of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era.
Industrialization, Romanticism, & Revolution (1815-1870)
Text Readings:
Palmer;
Ch. 11 – Reaction versus Progress, 1815-1848 (pp. 429-474)
Ch. 12 – Revolution and the Reimposition of Order, 1848-1870
(pp. 475-507)
Primary Source Readings:
Carlsbad Decrees, Metternich, Johann Gottfried von Herder, Hegel, The Holy
Alliance, Robert Owen, Charles Fourier, Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Mary
Shelley, Guizot
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
Essay – The Revolutions of 1848 (Causes, Course, and Reasons for Failure)
Unit Objectives:
The Following objectives would fit HIS 125 Competencies #6, 7, & 8: 6) Describe the Industrial Revolution in
Europe, and the new owning and working classes, 7) Identify the ideologies and upheavals of the first half of
the l9th Century, and 8) Indicate the living conditions and social situations in urban society.
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Describe and analyze the factors that allowed Great Britain to be the early leader in
industrialization.
Explain the effects of the Industrial Revolution on the people of Europe.
Analyze the positive and negative outcomes of the Industrial Revolution.
Describe and analyze the goals of the Congress of Vienna.
Describe and analyze how the "isms" affected society.
Describe and analyze how artists and philosophers of the Romantic Movement reflected
change.
Describe and analyze the causes and effects of the Revolutions of 1830.
Describe and analyze the causes and effects of the Revolutions of 1848.
Describe and analyze how the emergence of urban industrial society affected the rich,
the poor, and those in-between.
Unit IX:
The Era of National Unification (1859-1871)
Text Readings:
Palmer;
Ch. 13 – The Consolidation of Large Nation-States, 1859-1871
(pp. 509-549)
Primary Source Readings:
Mazzini, Bismarck, Cavour, the Ems Telegram, Garibaldi, Moltke
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
Unit Objectives:
The Following objectives would fit HIS 125 Competencies #9: Contrast the development of nationalism in
France, Germany, Italy, and Russia.
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Unit X:
Describe and analyze how and why nationalism dominated 19th century Europe
Describe and analyze how nationalism evolved to appeal to all groups in society.
Describe and analyze how nationalism brought unification to Italy and Germany.
Describe and analyze the effect of the Augsleich on minority national groups within the
Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Evaluate the process of liberalization experienced in Russia under Alexander II
Europe on the Eve of the Great War / Social, Cultural, Political Trends
(1871-1914)
Text Reading:
Palmer;
Ch. 14 – European Civilization, 1871-1914: Economics and Politics
(pp. 551-588)
Ch. 15 – European Civilization, 1871-1914: Society and Culture
(pp. 589-612)
Primary Source Readings:
Darwin, Engels, Marx, Spencer, Nietzsche, Theodor Herzl, Pope Pius IX, Pope Leo XIII
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
DBQ – Impact of English Feminism
Unit Objectives:
 Describe and analyze how changes in thought and science reflected and influenced this
society
 Describe and analyze the development of modern racism and anti-semitism.
 Describe and analyze the effects of Europe's "democratization."
 Describe and analyze the effects of Marxism and socialism.
 Compare and Contrast Marxism and Darwinism.
 Describe and analyze the growth of feminism in the latter 19th century.
Unit XI:
Imperialism, The Great War, and the Russian Revolution
Text Reading:
Palmer;
Ch. 16 – Europe’s World Supremacy, 1871-1914 (pp. 613-656)
Ch. 17 – The First World War (pp. 657-696)
Ch. 18 – The Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union (pp. 697-742)
Primary Source Readings:
Kipling, Spenser, The Berlin Conference, Contemporary perspectives on Imperialism,
Wilhelm II, Lenin, Bethmann Hollweg, Austrian Ultimatum to Serbia, Fourteen Points, Treaty
of Brest-Litovsk, Versailles Treaty, Stalin, Joseph Conrad
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
Essay – Evaluation and assessment of the historiography of culpability for the start of
WWI
Unit Objectives:
The Following objectives would fit HIS 125 Competencies #10 & 11: 10) Describe the growth of
European imperialism and the "World Economy ,” and 11) Discuss the causes and consequences
of World War 1.
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Unit XII:
Describe and analyze how the dynamic expansion of the West affected the rest of the
world from 1870-1914.
Describe and analyze shifts in population.
Describe and analyze motives for and effects of Western Imperialism
Describe and analyze the various responses to Western Imperialism.
Describe and analyze the causes of World War I.
Describe and analyze how the war led to revolution.
Describe and analyze the reasons war and revolution had such destructive
consequences.
Describe and analyze the ways the war years have shaped today's world.
Describe and analyze how and why the peace settlements failed.
Between the Wars, Totalitarianism, and World War II
Text Reading:
Palmer;
Ch. 19 – The Apparent Victory of Democracy (pp. 743-772)
Ch. 20 – Democracy and Dictatorship (pp. 773-800)
Ch. 21 – The Second World War (pp. 801-832)
Primary Source Readings:
Keynes, Hitler, Balfour Declaration, T.S. Eliot, Kellogg-Briand Pact, Mussolini,
Chamberlain, Munich Agreement, Churchill, Daladier, Roosevelt, Molotov, The Wansee
Protocol, Tehran Declaration, The Breton Woods Agreement, the Potsdam Declaration,
the Yalta Declaration
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
DBQ – Causes of WWII
Movie Analysis – The Wansee Conference
Unit Objectives:
The Following objectives would fit HIS 125 Competencies #12, 13, & 14: 12) Identify the social, scientific, and economic
developments between the world wars, 13) Describe the development of fascism in Europe, and 14) Discuss the causes
and consequences of World War II.
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Unit XIII:
Describe and analyze the ways World War I affected art, literature, psychology,
philosophy, and science
Describe and analyze the ways leaders tried to re-establish political and economic
stability
Describe and analyze the reasons these leaders failed.
Describe and analyze the causes and effects of the Great Depression
Describe and analyze the nature of totalitarian governments and differences between
modern totalitarianism and conservative authoritarianism
Describe and analyze the ways these governments affected people in the most extreme
states: Italy, Germany, and the Soviet Union.
Describe and analyze how this resulted in another world war.
Describe and analyze the methods used to defeat the Axis powers.
Postwar Challenges, Collapse of Communism, and Present Challenges
Text Reading:
Palmer;
Ch. 22 – The Postwar Era: Cold War and Reconstruction (pp. 833-880)
Ch. 23 – Empires into Nations: the Developing World (pp. 881-949)
Ch. 24 – A World Endangered: Coexistence and Confrontation in the Cold
War (pp. 951-986)
Ch. 25 – A World Transformed (pp. 987-1056)
Primary Source Readings:
U.N. Charter, Churchill, Testimony at Nuremberg, the Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine,
the N.A.T.O. Treaty, the Warsaw Pact, Khrushchev, Kennedy, de Gaulle, Brezhnev
Doctrine, Gorbachev, Reagan, the Dayton Accords, Milosevic
Assignments / Projects:
Unit Discussion Questions & Identification Sheet
FRQ – The Collapse of Communism
Unit Objectives:
The Following objectives would further fit HIS 125 Competencies #14: Discuss the causes and consequences of
World War II.
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Describe and analyze the causes of the Cold War.
Describe and analyze the reasons Western Europe recovered so quickly and
successfully from World War II.
Describe and analyze the way this recovery affected social change in the West.
Describe and analyze Eastern Europe's recovery
Describe and analyze the reasons for the collapse of European empires and the
independence of Asian and African peoples.
Describe and analyze the reasons for the reversals in the world economy after years of
steady growth.
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Describe and analyze the most recent political developments in the Western world.
Describe and analyze the factors that led to the collapse of communism and
dictatorships in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
Describe and analyze the political and diplomatic developments since the fall of
communism.
Describe and analyze the process of European integration including recent attempts at
unified currency.
Course Grading:
60%
35%
5%
Exams & Quizzes
Assignments & Projects
Class Participation
*20% of your overall grade will be based on Semester Exams
Students will receive 2 comprehensive Semester Exams during the course of the year. These
exams will be similar to the unit exams in format. However, a Critical Book Review will also be
due at the time of these exams and will count as 40% of the Semester Exam grade.
Critical Book Review
At some point during each semester students will write a CBR of a book of their own
choosing. This book however must be pre-approved (Books must be related to those units being
covered during each semester). The CBR is considered a formal writing assignment and will be
worth 40% of the Semester Exam grade. (Specific instructions will be provided at the time the
CBR assignment is given.). The CBR can be turned in at any time during the semester, but it
will not be accepted after the date of the Semester Exam.