Answer ONE of these questions in a carefully written essay, which will be a minimum of 1000 words. (50 potential percentage points)
Your answer must have a specific thesis (argument). Your answers must be supported with evidence – detailed examples from the assigned course materials, the textbook, primary sources, and film clips.
These must be written out in the appropriate essay format. You must have an introductory paragraph (which will include a specific thesis), a body which is detailed, thorough, and includes evidence and examples to support your ultimate answers, and a concluding paragraph. Essays that are not presented in the appropriate format will earn a “0”.
Make sure to cite your sources each and every time you paraphrase an author’s words, refer to an author’s points, information, or arguments, or quote directly. Use the same kind of parenthetical citations required in the discussion forums, complete with, for historic documents and the textbook, the author’s name and a page number and, for films and websites, the shortened but specific name of the online lecture, website, or film – exams that are not appropriately cited automatically earn a 0.
A. Why is it more accurate to consider The Great War as a global crisis, rather than as a predominately European crisis? As part of your answer, consider the following questions: How significant was Europe’s alliance system to the outbreak of World War One? How did the alliances impact the war? How did global systems, patterns, and empires impact the war? How did the war and it’s conclusion impact the world? Explain your answer and support your position with specific examples.
B. How was the doctrine of self-determination a radical departure in international relations? What lead to the popularity of this doctrine at the end of World War One? What historical forces subverted self-determination during the interwar period? Explain your answer and support your position with specific examples.
C. What historical forces led to the Great Depression and its spread beyond North America? Discuss especially industrialization and the nature of the global economy after the First World War. Compare and contrast the impact of the Great Depression in Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Explain your answer and support your position using specific examples from lectures and readings.
D. Compare and contrast the experiments on the far right (Fascism) and far left (Socialism and Communism) of the political spectrum that took place in the years between 1900 and 1938. What historical forces led to the creation of fascist and leftist revolutions and governments? Use examples from around the world to prove an argument about causation: what causes some nations/groups to move to the far right and others to move to the far left? Explain your answer and support your position using specific examples from lectures and readings.