Third Exam
Potential Essay Questions

Two of the following questions will appear on the exam. You will be asked to write on one of the two. (In addition to the essay questions, there will be multiple choice questions which can be drawn from any source in the course to date.) In your essays, you will be expected (1) to isolate key themes and concepts, (2) to explain those themes and concepts with clarity and precision, and (3) to provide specific examples to reinforce and prove your general points.

1. What were the origins and consequences of WWI? What were the origins and consequences of WWII? Compare the origins and consequences of the two world wars.

2. What were the origins of the Russian Revolution (through 1917)? How did Lenin redefine Marxim? How did Lenin and Stalin transform Russia?

3. Using the Mussolini article, "What is Fascism," and the description of Nazism in Greer, define the nature of fascist ideology? What were the origins of Nazism and the Third Reich in Germany?

4. President Roosevelt's Inaugural Address, the SDS's Port Huron Statement, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, NOW's Statement of Purpose, and President Reagan's Inaugural Address depict a nation in crisis and propose new ways of thinking and acting in order to overcome the crisis. Compare these five documents, placing each one in its historical context and locating each one on the spectrum of twentieth century political ideologies. What general conclusions can be drawn from these documents about the shift in American politics and culture from the 1930's, through the 1960s, to the 1980's?

5. From 1945 to 2006, which of the following beliefs, ideologies, and movements were more important: imperialism, anti-imperialism, communism, anti-communism, nationalism, religious fundamentalism, and liberal democracy? Your essay should include an assessment of the relative importance and impact of these beliefs, ideologies, and movements.


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