PrepGo

AP European History Practice Quiz: The Fall of Communism

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 9 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 9

According to the text, what was the primary goal of Mikhail Gorbachev's internal reforms of *perestroika* and *glasnost*?

All Questions (9)

According to the text, what was the primary goal of Mikhail Gorbachev's internal reforms of *perestroika* and *glasnost*?

A) To accelerate the reunification of Germany.

B) To facilitate the enlargement of the European Union.

C) To stave off the collapse of the Soviet Union.

D) To encourage the dissolution of Yugoslavia.

Correct Answer: C

The text explicitly states that Gorbachev’s internal reforms of *perestroika* and *glasnost* 'failed to stave off the collapse of the Soviet Union,' indicating that preventing this collapse was their intended purpose.

Which of the following is identified in the text as a long-term cause for the reforms within the Soviet Union?

A) The reunification of Germany.

B) A long period of economic stagnation.

C) The enlargement of the European Union.

D) The dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

Correct Answer: B

The text begins by stating, 'Following a long period of economic stagnation, Mikhail Gorbachev’s internal reforms... were introduced,' identifying economic stagnation as the preceding cause.

The collapse of the USSR in 1991 is described as directly leading to which major global event?

A) The beginning of Soviet hegemonic control.

B) The implementation of *perestroika*.

C) The end of the Cold War.

D) The start of economic stagnation in the USSR.

Correct Answer: C

The passage states, 'The collapse of the USSR in 1991 ended the Cold War...'

What was the ultimate outcome of Gorbachev's reforms, as described in the passage?

A) They successfully revitalized the Soviet economy.

B) They were unsuccessful in preventing the Soviet Union's collapse.

C) They strengthened Soviet control over its satellite states.

D) They established capitalist economies throughout Eastern Europe.

Correct Answer: B

The text clearly indicates that the reforms 'failed to stave off the collapse of the Soviet Union,' meaning they were ultimately unsuccessful in their primary goal.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a specific geopolitical consequence of the end of the Cold War?

A) Germany was reunited.

B) Yugoslavia dissolved.

C) The Czechs and the Slovaks parted.

D) The Soviet Union implemented economic reforms.

Correct Answer: D

The text presents the Soviet economic reforms (*perestroika* and *glasnost*) as a cause that preceded the collapse, while the reunification of Germany, the dissolution of Yugoslavia, and the separation of the Czechs and Slovaks are listed as effects that followed.

What major economic transformation occurred in Eastern Europe as a result of the USSR's collapse?

A) The establishment of capitalist economies.

B) A return to state-controlled agricultural systems.

C) The widespread adoption of *perestroika*.

D) A period of unprecedented economic growth.

Correct Answer: A

The passage states that the end of the Cold War 'led to the establishment of capitalist economies throughout Eastern Europe.'

The text suggests a direct causal link between the failure of Gorbachev's reforms and which of the following outcomes?

A) The reunification of Germany and the enlargement of the EU.

B) The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of its hegemonic control.

C) The dissolution of Yugoslavia and the parting of the Czechs and Slovaks.

D) Economic stagnation and the introduction of *glasnost*.

Correct Answer: B

The text states that Gorbachev's reforms 'failed to stave off the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of its hegemonic control over Eastern and Central European satellites,' directly linking the failure of the reforms to these two major events.

According to the passage, the end of the Cold War had what effect on the European Union?

A) It caused the EU to dissolve.

B) It led to the enlargement of the EU.

C) It forced the EU to adopt Soviet economic models.

D) It had no stated effect on the EU.

Correct Answer: B

The text lists several consequences of the end of the Cold War, concluding with '...and the European Union was enlarged.'

The text describes the parting of the Czechs and the Slovaks as a consequence of what larger event?

A) The implementation of *perestroika* and *glasnost*.

B) A long period of economic stagnation in the Soviet Union.

C) The end of the Cold War and Soviet influence.

D) The enlargement of the European Union.

Correct Answer: C

The text lists the parting of the Czechs and Slovaks among a series of events, including German reunification and the dissolution of Yugoslavia, that resulted from the collapse of the USSR and the end of the Cold War.