AP European History Exam Review

Renaissance Florence derived most of its wealth from:

Banking. (Renaissance Florence was a banking capital dominated by the Medici family and their connections to the Catholic Church in Rome.)

The doctrine of indulgence rests on all of the following principles EXCEPT:

Belief in salvation by faith alone. ("Salvation by faith alone" contradicts the belief in indulgences as one could buy salvation rather than receive it through the grace of God.)

Which Renaissance text best exemplifies the Renaissance ideal of the multi-talented, well-trained individual with sprezzatura?

Castiglione's The Courtier (Baldassare Castiglione wrote the Courtier and discusses the importance of sprezzutra and multi-talented individuals in Renaissance court life.)

Some short extracts are given below from Petrarch's letters to Boccaccio, and from his Life of Solitude, written to Philip de Cabassolles, Bishop of Cavaillon, Vaucluse, where Petrarch composed this work (1346). "To Boccaccio- I do not belittle the authority of prophecy. What comes to us from Christ must indeed be true. Truth itself cannot lie. But I venture to question whether Christ was the author of this particular prophecy, whether it may not be, as often happens, a fabrication attributed to him in order to insure its acceptance. For it is an old and much-used device to drape one's own lying inventions with the veil of religion and sanctity, in order to give the appearance of divine sanction to human fraud... I might commend to you, in your perplexity, the reflections of Virgil, as not only helpful but as the only advice to be followed at this juncture...This prohibition against poetry filled me with much more astonishment than the first part of the dying man's message. I cannot understand why such advice should be given to an educated person in the full possession of his faculties, one who realizes what can be derived from such studies for the fuller understanding of natural things, for the advancement of morals and of eloquence... Believe me, many things are attributed to gravity and wisdom which are really due to incapacity and sloth. Men often despise what they despair of obtaining. It is in the very nature of ignorance to scorn what it cannot understand, and to desire to keep others from attaining what it cannot reach. Yet, neither exhortations to virtue nor the argument of approaching death should divert us from literature; for in a good mind it excites the love of virtue, and dissipates, or at least diminishes, the fear of death." Based on the above passage, which of the following was NOT a contributing factor to the development of Renaissance humanism by Petrarch?

Disillusionment with Medieval ecclesiastical education. (There was very little famine throughout the Renaissance era as a result of the demographic shifts throughout Europe caused by the Black Plague.)

According to the doctrine of predestination:

God has foreordained who will be saved and who will be damned.

The Christian Humanism of Erasmus led him to:

Make a new critical edition of the Greek New Testament. (Erasmus, the father of "Christian Humanism", wrote the Greek edition of the New Testament.)

All of the following contributed to the crisis of faith and a sense of dissatisfaction with the official church at the beginning of the 16th century EXCEPT the:

Priests working in the countryside were too educated for the peasants to understand. (One of the main reforms that needed to be addressed by the church was priest education.)

Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement about the Renaissance depiction of the human form?

Realism and nudity shocked most contemporaries. (Because of the return to Classicism, nudity did not shock many art contemporaries of the Renaissance period.)

Which of the following best describes the political and economic environment of much of Fifteenth century Italy:

A few large states dominated by a wealthy landed nobility. (Most Italian city-states were ruled by wealthy merchant oligarchies or despots.)

Martin Luther wrote his letter entitled "Ninety-Five Theses" to Archbishop Albert in response to:

A new campaign to sell indulgences. (Martin Luther had a great disdain for the Church's sale of indulgences, as he did not believe that salvation could be bought or sold.)

The emergence of humanism during the Italian Renaissance, reflected in Petrarch's writings, can best be characterized by all of the following statements EXCEPT:

A newly established position that God controls all aspects of human behavior. (As a result of the Black Plague, the Renaissance caused people to look elsewhere for answers to life's big questions, moving from the Church to the secular realm, including rationalism, natural philosophy, and a revival of Classical scientific explanations.)

According to the McKay text, Catholic historians have tended to view the Reformation as:

A radical break from the past. (Brethren of the Common Life was an earlier reform movement taking place within the Church.)

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Italian Renaissance art reflected in the above painting (Raphael's "School of Athens")?

Abstract expression (Renaissance art is not abstract, particularly not the School of Athens, by Raphael.)

The Renaissance involved all of the following EXCEPT

An awareness among contemporaries that they were living in a new modern era. (Renaissance Humanism was an intellectual movement away from Medieval Scholasticism.)

Luther's ideas about Roman exploitation of Germany:

Appealed to the political aspirations of German princes. (As German princes realized that a religious break from Rome also meant an economic and political break from the Church and even the HRE, many princes began to look to Luther.)

All of the following are true of Renaissance art EXCEPT:

Art tended to be abstract and formulaic. (Renaissance art was not abstract and not formulaic.)

Which statement regarding 15th century Renaissance art is FALSE?

Artwork became more symbolic. (Renaissance art had very little symbolism or abstraction, but portrayed humans in very realistic and idealized forms.)

According to the McKay text, how have Protestant historians tended to view the Reformation?

As primarily driven by politics.

The Protestant Reformation in Germany:

Compounded problems that had existed since the Middle Ages. (The problems were whether or not the HRE could make decisions for the local princes and their subjects, as well as the rise of the merchant class in these areas. The Reformation gave spiritual power to the local princes after 1555 and thus allowed for individuals to make spiritual decisions for themselves.)

Ferdinand and Isabella were able to do all of the following EXCEPT:

Conquer and annex parts of southern France. (Ferdinand and Isabella did not attempt to conquer southern France, but instead consolidated their power, using religious unity, throughout the Iberian Peninsula.)

All of the following were ways that Renaissance art differed from Medieval art EXCEPT:

Depicting religious scenes instead of scenes from mythology. (While Renaissance art did use religious scenes as subjects, it also used Greek and Roman mythology.)

During the Renaissance, wealthy women:

Did not gain any significant loosening of restrictions placed on them. (Again, despite the "window of opportunity" for women, very little changed with their social and political status, particularly with noble or upper-class women.)

The meaning behind the quote, "Those who ruled the Italian city-states were very often lords of the ledger as well as lords of the lance" can BEST be interpreted as:

Diplomacy failed as a solution to city-state rivalry. (Italian city-states gained great power and prestige during the 14th and 15th centuries due to their trading position in the Mediterranean.)

Cosimo de; Medici brought stability to this city after his rise to power in 1434.

Florence (The Medici family dominated the city-state of Florence from 1397- 1495.)

Which of the following cities played a key role in the trade between Europe and the Near East?

Florence (Venice, perfectly situated on the Adriatic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, had a strong uncontested trading relationship with Constantinople until its fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.)

In Luther's Address on the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, he urged the German Princes to:

Force reforms on the Roman Catholic Church. (Luther believed that by putting pressure on the Roman Catholic Church, German princes could force the necessary reforms to merit its loyalty and obedience.)

The Renaissance began to wane in Northern Italy because of the:

French invasion of 1494 and the consummate warfare that ensued. (Ludovico Sforza, "Il Moro", invited the French invasion in 1494, through Milan, which caused years of warfare to ensue.)

Despite the expectations of women expressed by de Pisan, women during the Renaissance era were:

Generally excluded from artistic and literary circles. (Despite this trend in some Italian city-states, this Renaissance "window of opportunity" for women still excluded them from literary and artistic circles reserved for men.)

What was Martin Luther's attitude toward the German peasants who revolted in 1525?

He initially tried to mediate for them, but eventually condoned the use of violence against them. (As evidenced in his writing, "Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants" (1525), Luther condoned the peasants and their revolt.)

Martin Luther made close alliances with a number of sovereign princes within the Holy Roman Empire because:

He sought reconciliation with Charles V. (Evidenced by his feeling of the peasants' revolt, Luther used the German princes as an ally to prevent spiritual independence from leading to the belief in social, political, and economic independence for the peasants.)

How did Machiavelli view the relationship between the citizen and the state?

His pessimistic view caused him to believe that princes would have to sometimes be evil to maintain power (Again, Machiavelli believed that leaders might have to act with ulterior motives to achieve order and stability.)

Machiavelli differed from Medieval political theorists in that he wrote about:

How the prince must engage in immoral behavior. (Machiavelli was a political realist, which often times seemed immoral, in the eyes of the Church.)

The intention of the above painting by Quentin Massys is to:

Illustrate the growing materialism of sixteenth-century Europe. (As trade brought great wealth to the merchant class, this newly acquired disposable income shifted the middle-class focus to materialistic desires.)

Protestant reformers:

Implemented many of the educational reforms of humanism. (As evidenced by the rise of individualism, coupled with the influence of Humanism, many Protestant Reformers used these two characteristics to help individuals develop a personal relationship with God furthering the break from the Catholic Church.)

The works of art created by Renaissance artists:

Incorporated new techniques of chiaroscuro and linear perspective. (Chiaroscuro and linear perspective were both stylistic characteristics of Renaissance art.)

Which of the following was considered the "first lady of the Renaissance" who played an important role in promoting Renaissance culture in her city-state?

Isabella d'Este (Isabella d' Este was Marchesa of Mantua and one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance as a major cultural and political figure.)

Skeptical criticism of documents and texts during the renaissance period led to which of the following?

It called into question the authenticity of church documents such as the "Donation of Constantine". (The Donation of Constantine is a forged Roman imperial decree by which the emperor Constantinethe Great supposedly transferred authority over Rome and the western part of the Roman Empire to the Pope but was challenged by Lorenzo Valla.)

Which of the following BEST describes Christian Humanism?

It combined a love of classical learning with an emphasis on Christian piety. (This is the definition of Christian Humanism, a love of classical learning and a heightened piety.)

We use the Fifteenth Century as the division for "Modern Europe" primarily because it:

It saw the beginnings of secular governments independent of Church control. (Secularism is a major characteristic of Renaissance Italy.)

The selling of indulgences bothered Luther so much because:

It was another example of corruption in the Church. (As mentioned before, Luther did not believe in limiting God's infinite power and degrading to the blessing of grace.)

Northern Renaissance art differed from its Italian counterparts in that:

It was less religious. (Characteristic of Northern Renaissance values, the art reflected the same Christian Humanism.)

"Vernacular" is a term particularly characteristic of the Renaissance period that was used to describe:

Local spoken language.

"He desired glory and excellence beyond that of anyone else. He showed favor to vernacular poetry and all the fine arts. Under him the city was free, but it would have been impossible for it to have a better or more pleasing tyrant." The passage above most accurately describes:

Lorenzo de'Medici (Lorenzo de Medici was a patron of the arts but he was also a tyrant who ruled Florence as a result of the long standing power and influence of his family.)

"Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence preachers, he would rather that the basilica of St. Peter were burned to ashes than built up with the skin, flesh, and bones of his sheep." This passage was contained in which of the following?

Luther's "95 Theses" (The 95 Theses addressed the issue of Indulgences and Luther's dissatisfaction with the Church's attempt to control salvation.)

Which of the following statements is NOT reflected in Machiavelli's political stance in The Prince?

Machiavelli believed rulers may have to be cunning and manipulative to meet their ends. (Machiavelli would not have agreed with Locke in the sense of their right to rebel against an unjust leader, as despots typically ruled with absolute power and were not questioned by the common people.)

Erasmus had a profound effect and influence upon this individual:

Martin Luther.

"At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, 'In it the righteousness of God is revealed', as it is written, 'He who through faith is righteous shall live." This passage was written by:

Martin Luther. (This quotation is reflective of Luther's belief in "justification by faith alone".)

Renaissance society first took on its distinctive shape in the:

Merchant cities of Italy. (The wealth of trade allowed for Italian city-states to prosper and flourish.)

Italian society differed from the rest of Europe during the Renaissance in which of the following ways:

Number of urban commercial centers. (Urbanism is another characteristic of Renaissance Italy.)

Machiavelli believed that due to social strife and competition for political power that most cities evolved into:

Oligarchies. (Machiavelli wrote that despotism's, or political rule that required absolute power in the hands of one person ultimately achieved the greatest results in order and stability.)

13th through 15th century lay religious movements shared a common goal of:

Overthrowing the institution of the Church. (Most early reform movements like the Brethren of the Common Life, emphasized simplicity and an imitation of Jesus's life, like Thomas a Kempis.)

Niccolò Machiavelli, a diplomat in the pay of the Republic of Florence, wrote The Prince in 1513 after the overthrow of the Republic forced him into exile. It is widely regarded as one of the basic texts of Western political science, and represents a basic change in the attitude and image of government. "Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with. Because this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life, and children, as is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against you. And that prince who, relying entirely on their promises, has neglected other precautions, is ruined; because friendships that are obtained by payments, and not by greatness or nobility of mind, may indeed be earned, but they are not secured, and in time of need cannot be relied upon; and men have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails. Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred; because he can endure very well being feared whilst he is not hated, which will always be as long as he abstains from the property of his citizens and subjects and from their women. But when it is necessary for him to proceed against the life of someone, he must do it on proper justification and for manifest cause, but above all things he must keep his hands off the property of others, because men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony. Besides, pretexts for taking away the property are never wanting; for he who has once begun to live by robbery will always find pretexts for seizing what belongs to others; but reasons for taking life, on the contrary, are more difficult to find and sooner lapse. But when a prince is with his army, and has under control a multitude of soldiers, then it is quite necessary for him to disregard the reputation of cruelty, for without it he would never hold his army united or disposed to its duties." The subject that Machiavelli is addressing in the passage above:

Political leadership. (Machiavelli was shrewd political theorist who wrote about the necessity of the "ends justify the means" style of political philosophy.)

Which of the following conditions was most responsible for the extraordinary cultural developments that occurred in Italy during the Renaissance?

Politically conservative, despotic rulers. (Wealth allowed for Italian merchants and bankers to spend their money on things other than day-to-day survival and elevated both the literary and artistic circles of specific Italian city-states.)

Pope Leo X's "Jubilee Indulgence" was meant to raise funds to:

Rebuild St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. (The source of much of Luther's dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church and their fundraising tactics.)

Which of the following statements is MOST accurate?

Renaissance Europe was a feudal society with an agricultural economy and domination by the Church whereas Medieval Europe was characterized by an urban economy based on organized commerce and capitalism. (Medieval society was based on feudalism, dominated by the Church, while the Renaissance began an era that was much more secular focusing on the rise of new European nation-states, like Spain, England, and France, and a rising national consciousness as a result of the 100 Years' War between France and England.)

The monarchs of England, France, and Spain ALL used which of the following in their efforts to centralize power and forge national unity?

Royal councils with many middle-class members. (The absolute monarchies of England, France, and Spain used royal councils with middle class members intended to undermine the power of the nobility/ aristocracy.)

The term "humanism" when applied to Renaissance Italy, refers primarily to the:

Scholarly interest in the study of the classical cultures if Greece and Rome. (Renaissance Humanism is characterized by non-Christian themes prevalent in literature and art.)

As a result of the rise of humanist writings during the Italian Renaissance, which of the following statements best describes the relationship between secularism and religion?

Secularism caused religious fragmentation in the Catholic Church. (Whereas secularism contributed to doubt and skepticism regarding the Church's influence in every day political affairs, secularism did not cause people to lose outright religious conviction, thus leading to the Protestant Reformation and the development of a more personal relationship with God.)

Luther's "Ninety-Five Theses":

Sparked the Protestant Reformation in Germany. (The 95 Theses was the spark that set off the growing dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church in the German states.)

This event occurred in 1378 as a result of unbearable conditions for those at the bottom of society and the disruption caused by the Black Death:

The Ciompi Revolt. (This is the definition for the Ciompi Revolt of 1378.)

The corrupt practices in the Roman Catholic Church that weakened its moral authority during the Middle Ages were all of the following EXCEPT:

The Vulgate. (The Vulgate was the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church, therefore not something that needed to be reformed.)

In the early 16th century, critics of the Church attacked ALL of the following EXCEPT:

The academic pursuits of the clergy. (Clerical immorality, absenteeism and pluralism, and the lack of education for priests were all problems that needed to be addressed by church reforms. Therefore, academic pursuits were necessary.)

Secularization, a process which transformed the civilization of Latin Christendom means:

The development of a variety of interests and activities outside the sphere of religion.

All of the following undermined the authority of the medieval church EXCEPT:

The excesses of the Renaissance papacy. (There definitely was not a laxity towards heretical movements. In fact, there was a rise in the use of the Inquisition, particularly in Spain.)

Johannes Gutenberg's invention of movable type in the 1440's led to which of the following most famous books?

The first edition of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. (The Latin Bible, the Vulgate, was the first and most published book in the early years of the printing press.)

The Protestant Reformation broke out first in:

The free imperial cities of Germany and Switzerland. (This again was as a result of the challenge to the Catholic Church brought about by trade and the rise of the merchant class, both prevalent in Switzerland and the German states.)

Painting and sculpture during the Renaissance were characterized by which of the following?

The human body presented in naturalistic terms. (Painting and sculpture, during the Renaissance period, depicted the human form in a very real and natural style.)

The admiration given to artists that developed in the Renaissance reflected all of the following social trends EXCEPT:

The importance of sumptuary laws passed by urban communes. (Sumptuary laws had nothing to do with Renaissance art and were more about clothing and food.)

The political strength of the Medici family in Florence was initially based on:

The influence and wealth of their bank. (The Medici family ruled Florence due to their banking prowess and relationship with the Roman Catholic Church.)

In general, northern humanists differed from humanists of Italy because the northern humanists emphasized:

The misdeeds of Catholic clergy. (Christian Humanists did use classical languages as evidenced by Erasmus's translation of the New Testament into Greek, but most Christian Humanists returned to the spiritual discipline of early Christianity.)

The Brethren of the Common Life represent:

The power and appeal of John Calvin's message. (Brethren of Common Life was an early reform group)

Among Martin Luther's most important beliefs were all of the following EXCEPT:

The seven sacraments. (Luther believed in "Justification by faith alone", the authority of scripture, and he denounced indulgences, but he also did not believe in the power of all seven sacraments.)

The passage below is taken from The Book of the City of Ladies, one of the many writings of Christine de Pisan (1363- 1434). "We say generally to all women of all countries that it is the duty of every lady and maiden of the court, whether she be young or old, to be more prudent, more decorous, and better schooled in all things than other women. The ladies of the court ought to be models of all good things and all honor to other women, and if they do otherwise they will do no honor to their mistress nor to themselves. In addition, so that everything may be consistent in modesty, the wise princess will wish that the clothing and the ornaments of her women, though they be appropriately beautiful and rich, be of modest fashion, well fitting and seemly, neat and properly cared for. There should be no deviation from this modesty nor any immodesty in the matter of plunging necklines or other excesses. In all things the wise princess will keep her women in order just as the good and prudent abbess does her convent, so that bad reports about it may not circulate in the town, in distant regions or anywhere else. This princess will be so feared and so respected because of the wise management that she will be seen to practice that no man or woman will be so foolhardy as to disobey her commands in any respect or to question her will, for there is no doubt that a lady is feared and respected and held in greater reverence when she is seen to be wise and chaste and firm of behavior. But there is nothing wrong or inconsistent in her being kind and gentle, for the mere look of the wise lady and her subdued reception is enough of a sign to correct those men and women who err and to inspire them with fear." Source: Christine de Pisan, "The Book of the City of Ladies" in Treasures of the City of Ladies. Translation copyright, 1985, by Sarah Lawson. Using the above passage, which of the following statements BEST describes how women fit into the larger picture of court culture?

They should set the example for all women in being educated, modest, feared, but kind and gentle. (De Pisan was writing that women should be educated and respected as members of a growing cosmopolitan society represented in several Italian city-states.)

All of the following characterized northern humanists EXCEPT:

They were more willing to write to lay audiences than their Italian counterparts. (Northern Renaissance Humanists were not hostile to the Classics as evidenced by Erasmus's willingness to write a Greek edition of the New Testament.)

Which of the following statements BEST describes the nature of women's economic activity during the time of the Renaissance?

They worked exclusively in the household and were not permitted to be wage earners. (Women were allowed a small "window of opportunity" to work outside the home, but this did not translate to any substantial gains in social, economic, or political equality.)

This writer summarized the philosophy of the Brothers of the Common Life in what became the most popular religious book of the period, the Imitation of Christ:

Thomas a Kempis. (Kempis wrote "Imitation of Jesus's Life".)

"A prince should have only one end and one idea in mind, take only one subject for study, and it is war, its science and discipline; for it is the only science that deals with the ruler's problems... (success in war) not only maintains those born to princedom but often causes men of private origin to rise to that rank....The first cause of losing power is the neglect of this art; the cause of winning power lies in its mastery." In writing the passage above, Machiavelli drew on his observations of:

Warfare among the Italian city-sates. (Machiavelli lived in a violent time as Italian city-states battled each other for prestige and power, including the Papal States.)

John Calvin's reform movement:

Was thoroughly integrated into the civil government of Geneva. (Calvinism loosely imitated a theocratic style of government in Geneva as the Elect, or predestined, were in charge.)

For the most part, Italian city-states during the Renaissance:

Were dominated by despotic rule. (Most Italian city-states were ruled by wealthy merchant oligarchies or despots.)