For the Final Third of the Semester:   The imperialistic scramble in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries constituted an integral part of European, American, and Japanese nation building. What factors drove these countries to embark on rapid imperial expansion during this period? What were the most significant consequences of the “Scramble for Africa” and the imperial penetration of Asia?   The years 1815-1914 constituted the most peaceful period within Europe since the early Roman Empire. Why and how did a major war erupt in August 1914? Be sure to consider longer-term factors as well as the immediate cause of conflict.   One of the most portentous consequences of World War One was the collapse of the Imperial Russian regime and the triumph of V. I. Lenin’s Bolshevik (communist) faction in the ensuing struggle for power. Why did the Bolsheviks triumph? What policies did they pursue once in power, between 1917 and 1940?  What were the social and economic consequences of these policies?   Although he came to office by legitimate means, once in power Adolf Hitler moved rapidly and brutally to fulfill his program by creating a new kind of anti-democratic state. How did Hitler gain power? How did he use that power?  What were the consequences for the German people?  For the German economy?  For Germany’s neighbors?   Scholars often apply the term totalitarianism to the Fascist, Nazi, and Communist regimes of the 1930s, but there were important differences among the totalitarian states. What arethe chief features of totalitarianism, and in what ways were the totalitarian regimes—especially Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia—similar or different?   During the early years of World War Two (1939-42) three highly militaristic regimes—Germany, Japan, and Italy—achieved remarkable successes yet all three ended up suffering catastrophic defeats, despite having overrun almost all of Central and Western Europe (Germany and Italy) and most of the Western Pacific (Japan). Why did they lose? Put another way, what major factors led to the allies’—Britain, the U.S., and the U.S.S.R—victory?   Cumulative:   Compare and contrast the Absolute monarchies--France, Russia, Austria--of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with the totalitarian states--Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union--of the twentieth century. What do you think accounts for the differences between the two systems and why?   Ideas as much as monarchs and wars have shaped the course of Western Civilization. Discuss the principal ideas or theories of Isaac Newton, Adam Smith, Karl Marx and Charles Darwin. What significant changes were inspired by each of them?   Which event do you think had a greater influence in shaping the development of modern Europe, the French Revolution or the Industrial Revolution? Why? Be sure to summarize each event in your answer and support your argument with specific historical examples.   After major and costly European wars, the victorious nations try to prevent a recurrence. How did Europeans try to keep the peace after a) the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1792-1815), b) the First World War (1914-18), and c) the Second World War (1939-45)? In which instance were they the most successful and why?  In which were they the least successful, and what factors led to their failure?

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For the Final Third of the Semester:

 

  1. The imperialistic scramble in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries constituted an integral part of European, American, and Japanese nation building. What factors drove these countries to embark on rapid imperial expansion during this period? What were the most significant consequences of the “Scramble for Africa” and the imperial penetration of Asia?

 

  1. The years 1815-1914 constituted the most peaceful period within Europe since the early Roman Empire. Why and how did a major war erupt in August 1914? Be sure to consider longer-term factors as well as the immediate cause of conflict.

 

  1. One of the most portentous consequences of World War One was the collapse of the Imperial Russian regime and the triumph of V. I. Lenin’s Bolshevik (communist) faction in the ensuing struggle for power. Why did the Bolsheviks triumph? What policies did they pursue once in power, between 1917 and 1940?  What were the social and economic consequences of these policies?

 

  1. Although he came to office by legitimate means, once in power Adolf Hitler moved rapidly and brutally to fulfill his program by creating a new kind of anti-democratic state. How did Hitler gain power? How did he use that power?  What were the consequences for the German people?  For the German economy?  For Germany’s neighbors?

 

  1. Scholars often apply the term totalitarianism to the Fascist, Nazi, and Communist regimes of the 1930s, but there were important differences among the totalitarian states. What arethe chief features of totalitarianism, and in what ways were the totalitarian regimes—especially Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia—similar or different?

 

  1. During the early years of World War Two (1939-42) three highly militaristic regimes—Germany, Japan, and Italy—achieved remarkable successes yet all three ended up suffering catastrophic defeats, despite having overrun almost all of Central and Western Europe (Germany and Italy) and most of the Western Pacific (Japan). Why did they lose? Put another way, what major factors led to the allies’—Britain, the U.S., and the U.S.S.R—victory?

 

Cumulative:

 

  1. Compare and contrast the Absolute monarchies--France, Russia, Austria--of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with the totalitarian states--Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union--of the twentieth century. What do you think accounts for the differences between the two systems and why?

 

  1. Ideas as much as monarchs and wars have shaped the course of Western Civilization. Discuss the principal ideas or theories of Isaac Newton, Adam Smith, Karl Marx and Charles Darwin. What significant changes were inspired by each of them?

 

  1. Which event do you think had a greater influence in shaping the development of modern Europe, the French Revolution or the Industrial Revolution? Why? Be sure to summarize each event in your answer and support your argument with specific historical examples.

 

  1. After major and costly European wars, the victorious nations try to prevent a recurrence. How did Europeans try to keep the peace after a) the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1792-1815), b) the First World War (1914-18), and c) the Second World War (1939-45)? In which instance were they the most successful and why?  In which were they the least successful, and what factors led to their failure?
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