AP European History Flashcards: The Spread of Industry Throughout Europe
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 11 cards to help you master important concepts.
How did Britain's political structure support its industrial development?
Britain’s parliamentary government promoted commercial and industrial interests because those interests were directly represented in Parliament.
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How did Britain's political structure support its industrial development?
Britain’s parliamentary government promoted commercial and industrial interests because those interests were directly represented in Parliament.
What were the main factors that influenced the varying development of industrialization across Europe between 1815 and 1914?
Key factors included access to raw materials, the degree of government support for industry, and the power of traditional social structures like landed elites and serfdom.
Industrial Lag
A term describing the slower pace of industrial development in certain regions, such as eastern and southern Europe, due to geographic, social, and political factors.
Why would a lack of resources and difficult geography be a major obstacle to industrialization?
These factors increase the cost and complexity of building factories, transporting goods, and acquiring essential raw materials like coal and iron ore.
Why did eastern and southern Europe lag in industrial development?
Their lag was caused by a combination of factors, including difficult geography, a lack of resources, the persistence of serfdom, and inadequate government sponsorship.
Identify a key political factor that accounted for the industrial lag in southern and eastern Europe.
Inadequate government sponsorship was a key political factor that accounted for the lag in industrial development in these regions.
How did the pace and nature of industrialization in France differ from that in Great Britain?
France moved toward industrialization at a more gradual pace than Great Britain and was characterized by significant government support for the process.
Identify a key social factor that hindered industrialization in eastern Europe.
The persistence of serfdom and the dominance of traditional landed elites, who resisted the changes brought by industry, were major social hindrances.
What does the Repeal of the Corn Laws demonstrate about 19th-century British politics?
It demonstrates the growing political power of commercial and industrial interests, which were represented in Parliament, over the traditional landed elites.
What key natural resources gave Great Britain an advantage in industrialization?
Britain’s ready supplies of coal, iron ore, and other essential raw materials promoted its industrial growth.
Compare the role of government in British versus French industrialization.
While Britain's government promoted industry indirectly through parliamentary representation, the French government took a more direct role through active support and sponsorship.