CLEP Western Civilization II study guide
CLEP Western Civilization II · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Western Civilization II is one of the subject examinations in the College Board's CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) family, which lets students earn college credit by demonstrating introductory-course knowledge on a standardized test rather than by sitting the course. This page is an independent study resource for candidates preparing for that exam; it is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the College Board, and all official policies, fees, and score requirements must be confirmed directly with CLEP and with the college that would award credit. The CLEP Western Civilization II study guide has 10 sections and about 4,060 words.
01Absolutism and Constitutionalism, c. 1648–1715
This domain tests how European states organized power between the Peace of Westphalia (1648) and the death of Louis XIV (1715): absolutist theory and practice, the fiscal-military state, and England's constitutional alternative. 1643–1715) ruled through Versailles, ministers such as Colbert, and intendants in the provinces.
442 words, about 2 min02Competition for Empire and Expansion of Europe, c. 1715–1763
This domain covers great-power rivalry from the Utrecht settlement (1713) to the Peace of Paris (1763): dynastic wars, overseas empire, mercantilism, and the Seven Years' War. Utrecht (1713) recognized Bourbon Philip V in Spain but barred a union of France and Spain, preserving a balance of power.
420 words, about 2 min03The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, c. 1543–1789
This domain tests the transformation of natural knowledge from Copernicus (1543) to the eve of the French Revolution, and the Enlightenment's use of reason and criticism in religion, society, and government. Copernicus's De revolutionibus (1543) proposed a heliocentric universe.
408 words, about 2 min04The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era, c. 1789–1815
This domain covers the collapse of the French absolute monarchy in 1789, the radical republic and Terror, and Napoleon's consolidation and conquests to 1815. Fiscal breakdown forced Louis XVI to summon the Estates-General in May 1789.
410 words, about 2 min05The Industrial Revolution and Its Impact on Europe, c. 1750–1850
This domain covers industrialization in Britain and its spread to the continent between 1750 and 1850: technological change, the factory, urbanization, social debate, and early regulation. Britain exploited coal and iron, canals, and steam power.
391 words, about 2 min06Reaction, Romanticism, and Revolution, c. 1815–1848
This domain covers the Vienna settlement and conservative order, romanticism and liberal/nationalist unrest, and the 1848 revolutions. The Congress of Vienna (1814–1815) restored dynasties, redrew borders, created buffer states, and sought a balance of power.
402 words, about 2 min07Nationalism, Imperialism, and the Coming of War, c. 1848–1914
This domain covers nation-building in Germany and Italy, the new imperialism, the alliance system, and the road to 1914. Cavour used diplomacy and war against Austria in 1859; Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand (1860) won southern Italy.
410 words, about 2 min08The First World War and Its Aftermath, c. 1914–1939
This domain covers the First World War, the peace settlement, the interwar crisis, and the rise of fascism and Nazism to 1939. The war became total: conscription, war economies, propaganda, and mass casualties.
378 words, about 2 min09The Second World War and the Postwar World, c. 1939–1991
This domain covers the Second World War, the Holocaust, the postwar settlement, and the Cold War in Europe to 1991. German Blitzkrieg overran much of Europe.
391 words, about 2 min10Europe and the World Since 1945: Cold War, Integration, and Contemporary Issues
This domain covers European integration, the end of Cold War divisions, and contemporary issues: institutions, enlargement, monetary union, migration, and security. The European Coal and Steel Community (Treaty of Paris, 1951) pooled French and West German coal and steel with Italy and the Benelux states.
408 words, about 2 min