Part One: Identifications (25 points)
For Part One, you will choose five of the following terms and briefly explain the who or what it is, when and where it occurred, and why it is significant. Each of your Identifications should be at least two sentences long, but no more than two paragraphs.
I expect that these will be written in your own words. You may use and reference the textbook, but you will not earn credit if you copy directly from the textbook. You can use outside sources, but I want you to write it out in your own words and explain to me what these things are and why they matter. Keep the Plagiarism information in mind and be sure that you’re citing your work. Each of the five identifications is worth 5 points, for a total of 25 points.
Choose FIVE of the following:
appeasement
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
ASEAN
Berlin Airlift
Bolsheviks
Boxers (China)
Cuban Missile Crisis
domino theory
Executive Order 906
fascism
Final Solution
Five-Year Plans
Great Depression
Great Leap Forward
Green Revolution
Irish Free State
Iron Curtain
League of Nations
Long March
Meiji Restoration
NATO
neocolonialism
New Negro movement
Non-Aligned Movement
Pan-African Movement
Scramble for Africa
Treaty of Versailles
U-boats
War Guilt Clause
Zimmerman Telegram
Part Two: Post-Midterm Question – Choose ONE (50 points)
For Part Two of the Final Exam, you will answer one of the following questions. Your response should be at least 500 words in length.
Choose ONE of the following questions:
1. As struggles for independence in Africa, Asia, and South America threatened the existence of European colonial empires following World War II, the Cold War only served to escalate tensions. With the Soviet Union often supporting communist or nationalist leaders in colonial territories, many Western powers equated the fight for independence with a fight against communism.
How did the Cold War – and the rivalry between East and West – impact struggles for independence in Africa and Asia? In what ways were conflicts like the Korean War and Vietnam War representative of the Cold War?
2. The emergence of nationalism in the late 19th century brought about many changes to the landscape of Western societies, encouraging unification of previously sovereign states and principalities, as in Germany and Italy, and spurring on the development of distinct national identities. But this ideology did not come without consequences. The World Wars, especially WWII, were the result of nationalism and nationalist sentiment run amok.
What role did nationalism play in Europe between 1914 and 1945? How did it influence the outbreak of conflicts on the continent and what impact did it have on minority populations (especially in Eastern Europe)?
3. With the abdication of the last of the Romanov dynasty, the Russian monarchy came to an end. The March Revolution and, later, the establishment of the Council of People’s Commissars, would bring Vladimir Lenin and the Communists to power.
How did Lenin handle the end of World War I and what challenges did he face as he took control of the Russian government? What reforms did Lenin and the Communists hope to put in place? How effective were the reforms and did they bring about long-lasting change?
4. Signed on June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was one of the most important treaties that brought about the end of World War I. The terms of surrender were viewed by Germans as overly harsh, as it included a War Guilt Clause and demanded they pay billions in reparations.
Why was Germany made to sign a treaty with a “War Guilt Clause” – and, thus, take the blame for World War I? What impact did the Treaty of Versailles have on German society? What was the impact of the reparations payments and how did it affect the global economy in the coming years?
Part Three: Cumulative Question (75 points)
For Part Three of the Final Exam, you will answer the following question. Your response should be no more than 1200 words in length (but at least 750 words).
The evolution of technology throughout the twentieth century brought about amazing advances in nearly every field – and yet it also made possible the extensive destruction wrought by WWI and WWII.
So, thinking back over what we’ve studied in this semester, what do you think was the most important technological development of the last 500 years? How did that technology help to shape the world we live in today?
Remember: this doesn’t have to be one specific item or invention. You could, for example, discuss advances in navigation, medicine, military tactics, weaponry, computers and information systems, aircraft, spacecraft and exploration, manufacturing and production, printing, etc. But you’re not limited to just this list! I want to hear your ideas and, as such, there are no wrong answers.
You should have at least 750 words for this essay – and note that it is worth a total of 75 points (7.5% of your final average), so you should not treat this as a throw-away assignment.
For the Essays, I am most concerned with your ideas and seeing what you’ve learned! You need to cite the info you use – you can use both your textbook and online sources, but be sure that you cite your work. Students whose essay is a patchwork of phrases/sentences taken from the textbook or online sources will not earn credit for this assignment.