AP European History Flashcards: Global Economic Crisis
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
How did the 1929 U.S. stock market crash trigger a financial collapse in Europe?
Following the crash, the United States cut off capital flows to Europe, which was heavily dependent on American investment capital, leading to financial collapse.
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How did the 1929 U.S. stock market crash trigger a financial collapse in Europe?
Following the crash, the United States cut off capital flows to Europe, which was heavily dependent on American investment capital, leading to financial collapse.
Nationalistic Tariff Policies
These were policies where countries set high taxes on imports to protect domestic industries, which created weaknesses in the global economy prior to the Great Depression.
Overproduction (in the context of the 1920s)
A situation where the supply of goods exceeded demand, which was a contributing factor that created weaknesses in economies worldwide before the Great Depression.
Explain the role of American investment capital in the European economy before the 1929 crash.
European economies were highly dependent on American investment capital, which made them extremely vulnerable to the financial collapse that followed the U.S. stock market crash.
What was the relationship between World War I and the Great Depression?
Massive debt accumulated by nations during World War I was a key structural weakness in the global economy that contributed to the eventual crisis.
Identify a direct cause-and-effect link between an event in the U.S. and the crisis in Europe.
The 1929 U.S. stock market crash directly caused a cutoff of American capital flows to Europe, triggering a widespread financial collapse on the continent.
If a European country in the 1920s relied on American loans for post-WWI rebuilding, what likely happened to its economy after 1929?
Its economy likely experienced a severe financial collapse because its main source of capital from the United States was suddenly cut off.
Great Depression
The global economic crisis of the 1920s and 1930s that undermined Western European democracies and fomented radical political responses.
What were the four primary economic weaknesses that contributed to the global economic crisis?
The four key weaknesses were World War I debt, nationalistic tariff policies, overproduction, and speculation in economies worldwide.
What was a major political effect of the Great Depression on Western European nations?
The Great Depression undermined faith in Western European democracies and fostered the growth of radical political responses throughout Europe.