Full-Length AP World History Practice Exam
AP World History Short Answer Question Example 2
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2. Read the excerpt provided and then respond to parts a, b, and c.
“The city’s once-imposing walls, which had withstood centuries of sieges, now faced an adversary determined to breach them. As I gazed upon the advancing Turkish forces, the gravity of the situation became all too clear. The sounds of battle, the cries of defenders and attackers alike, echoed through the air, creating an eerie symphony of chaos and destruction.
As the hours passed, the Turks pressed deeper into the city, pushing forward with unwavering determination. St. Sophia, the magnificent cathedral of Constantinople, could not escape their relentless assault. With shock and sorrow, I saw them take the church by storm. Once they had established themselves within that sacred space, they showed no mercy. The peaceful halls of worship were transformed into scenes of violence and horror, as they mercilessly took the lives of everyone they found within those hallowed walls.”
- Describe ONE significant challenge faced by the city of Constantinople and its defenders during the siege, as highlighted in Nicolò Barbaro’s account.
- Identify and explain ONE significant cause or factor that contributed to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 as suggested by Nicolò Barbaro’s account and discuss its role in the city’s downfall.
- In what historical context did the siege of Constantinople in 1453 take place, and why was the city strategically important to both the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire?
Sample Perfect Answer
a. Describe ONE significant challenge faced by the city of Constantinople and its defenders during the siege, as highlighted in Nicolò Barbaro’s account.
One significant challenge faced by Constantinople’s defenders was the sheer determination and military pressure of the Ottoman forces. According to Barbaro’s account, the Turks pressed deeper into the city with “unwavering determination,” overwhelming defenders who were unable to prevent the enemy from breaching their positions and storming even the city’s most sacred spaces.
b. Identify and explain ONE significant cause or factor that contributed to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 as suggested by Nicolò Barbaro’s account and discuss its role in the city’s downfall.
One significant factor that contributed to the fall of Constantinople was the military superiority of the Ottoman forces. Barbaro’s account describes Turkish soldiers advancing relentlessly and storming St. Sophia with overwhelming force, suggesting the defenders lacked the numbers or resources to repel the attack — reflecting the broader reality that the weakened Byzantine Empire could not match Ottoman military power by 1453.
c. In what historical context did the siege of Constantinople in 1453 take place, and why was the city strategically important to both the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire?
The siege took place during the long decline of the Byzantine Empire, which by the mid-15th century had been reduced to little more than Constantinople itself after centuries of territorial losses to the Ottomans and others. The city was strategically vital to both empires: for the Byzantines it was their capital and the symbolic heart of Orthodox Christian civilization, while for the Ottomans it controlled the Bosporus Strait connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, making its capture essential to consolidating Ottoman dominance over trade routes between Europe and Asia.
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