History Study guides, Class notes & Summaries

HIST-405N Week 6 Discussion 1: The Great Depression What were the underlying causes of the depression? Why did the Great Depression of the 1930s seem so much worse than any occurring either before or since? Can you see any modern parallels to the Great Depression? Elaborate.

HIST 410N Week 2 Case Study 2: Versailles: The Allies‘ Last Horrible Triumph’ This week, you will read the comments of the German Delegation to the Paris Peace Conference on the conditions of the peace, which ended World War 1. Please click on the link below to view the article. Many have argued that it was the way World War 1 ended which made World War 2 inevitable. Read the document and answer the following questions:

HIST 410N Week 1 Case Study 1: Jules Ferry Jules Ferry was Prime Minister of France as that nation launched its imperial expansion. In a debate with member of the French Parliament, Ferry defends the decision to expand. Read his remarks and respond to the following questions: 1. According to Ferry, what recent developments in world trade (the economic argument) made it urgent for France to have colonies?

HIST-405N Week 7 Discussion: The Cold War and America How did the Cold War affect the social and political climate in the United States during the 1950s? How do you explain McCarthyism and the Red Scare? Can you think of any modern parallels to these events, when fear and paranoia threatened basic American liberties? Elaborate.

HIST-410N Week 3 Discussion 1: Dictatorship and Democracy Analyze Adolph Hitler’s rise to power and the policies he used to rule Germany. Textbook tyrant? Overheated Nationalist? Or the right man for at the right time for the right job?

If the pace of improving US-Soviet relations seemed rapid, Mikhail Gorbachev’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly would shift the process into overdrive. In this remarkable oration, which you can find by clicking on the link below, Gorbachev emphatically declared that all nations must have the freedom to choose their own destiny, that ideology had no place in foreign affairs, and that great powers should renounce the use of force in international relations. Review his speech and ans...

HIST 410N Week 2 Discussion 2: Nationalism and the Treaty of Versailles What were reasons that led to the ultimate failure of the Treaty of Versailles? What were the challenges facing the newly-formed League of Nations, and why was it so difficult to form a lasting agreement that would prevent another war? Elaborate.

HIST-410N Week 2 Discussion 1: The Rise of Totalitarianism Compare and contrast the two types of totalitarian governments that arose after 1917, that is, communism and fascism. What were the origins of these governments, their accomplishments, and their failures? What accounts for the fact that the masses mobilized to support these movements? Elaborate. What do you think about resources like this? If you were building a site on your favorite historical topic, what would you include?

HIST 410N Week 2 Case Study 2: Versailles: The Allies‘ Last Horrible Triumph’ This week, you will read the comments of the German Delegation to the Paris Peace Conference on the conditions of the peace, which ended World War 1. Please click on the link below to view the article. Many have argued that it was the way World War 1 ended which made World War 2 inevitable. Read the document and answer the following questions:

HIST-405N Week 6 Discussion 2: World War II What were the underlying causes of World War II? Select one event that you think irrevocably led the world (and the U.S.) to war more than any other event. Argue your selection with details that support your answer.