World War I is different from most other wars in that it was not a direct result of aggression by one entity towards another, notwithstanding the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbian elements.
The First Total War
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
World War I is different from most other wars in that it was not a direct result of aggression by one entity towards another, notwithstanding the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbian elements. Instead, it was the consequence of a number of forces amidst a disruption of the tenuous balance of power in Europe.
For the initial post, select and address one of the following:
Option 1: Identify two forces that lead to WWI. Examine how they contributed to the outbreak of war.
Option 2: Select a major battle such as Verdun, Marne, Ypres, or the Somme and chronicle that battle. Add further details about the battles.
What was the main strategy? What were they trying to accomplish?
How did leaders influence and mobilize troops?
What were the main consequences of the result?
HIST410N Contemporary History
Week 2 Discussion
The Rise of Communism and Fascism
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 4, 5, 6
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, select and address one of the following:
Option 1: Examine Marx’s writings on communism and socialism and compare them to how they manifested in reality? What worked and what didn’t? What misconceptions do we have about his original intent based on what we see in past or current governments?
Option 2: Compare and contrast communism and fascism. Select one example for each to examine the origins of the governments, their accomplishments, and their failures. What accounts for the fact that the masses mobilized to support these movements? Elaborate.
Option 3: Examine Depression-Era social programs (select one or more to examine in detail). Were the fears of a communist take-over based on the implementation of these programs grounded in reality? Why or why not? How do they compare to social programs in place today?
HIST410N Contemporary History
Week 3 Discussion
Failure of Democracy and the Rise of Totalitarianism
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 4, 5
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
During the 1930s, much of the world seemed to give up on their hope for a democratic solution to their problems and instead turned to totalitarianism, both in Europe and in Asia.
For the initial post, select and address one of the following:
Germany/Hitler
USSR/Stalin
Japan/Tojo
Address the following questions for your selection:
What effects did the history, politics, and economies of those areas play in their decisions to turn to totalitarianism?
What role did the Great Depression in the United States play in their plight?
HIST410N Contemporary History
Week 4 Discussion
World War II
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 5, 6
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, select and respond to one of the following options:
Option 1: Examine one or more major battles, including both the Axis and Allies strategies, the outcome of the battles, and the subsequent effects of the victory/defeat. Include an examination of the technologies that were crucial factors in the battle.
Option 2: Examine the Nazi ideology in wiping out an entire ethnic group.
How could any modern and so-called advanced and evolved nation like Germany go along so willingly with the mass murder of at least 11 million civilians?
How were the Germans able to construct the facilities they built for their “Final Solution to the Jewish Question” so as to commit genocide on an industrial scale?
HIST410N Contemporary History
Week 5 Discussion
The Cold War
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 7
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Instructions
Select one of the following smaller nations:
Korea
Vietnam
Cambodia
Cuba
Another smaller nation of your choice with instructor approval
For the initial post, address the following in relation to your selection:
Examine how Cold War policy by the main players affected the smaller nation.
Examine why democracy was not successful in that nation.
Describe the loss of personal liberties that were a result of democracy failing.
Has the nation’s political system changed since the Cold War? Explain.
HIST410N Contemporary History
Week 6 Discussion
Epic Changes in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 14, 15
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Instructions
For the initial post, address one of the following:
Option 1: Middle East
Examine the origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict from its beginnings some 4000 years ago and how it has evolved/devolved over the centuries to the current time? Analyze the role of the Balfour Declaration on Israel’s rebirth in 1948 and its effectiveness in helping Jewish people in their quest to reclaim their ancient homeland.
Option 2: African Nation State Development
Examine some of the main (internal or external) reasons why the African people were to develop into nation states later than most experts feel was appropriate/normal. Examine the role of European imperial powers in African nation state development.
HIST410N Contemporary History
Week 7 Discussion
Cold War and Communism
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 9, 10
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Option 1: Examine the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1980s. Include the following in your discussion:
What were the main reasons for the collapse?
What role did the constant state of militarism and the costs of keeping up with the U.S. military buildup have on the Soviet economy?
What role did uprisings and rebellions in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and East Germany (among others) have on the sudden collapse of the USSR?
Option 2: Examine communism and socialism.
We hear so often today that socialism and communism are the same thing. Examine the similarities and differences between the two.
Why do so many Americans seem to hate even the word “socialism”?
We already employ some socialism in this country today (and for the past several decades). Examples include libraries, police departments, public education, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, public parks, roads/highways, and so on. How do these services factor into arguments for or against socialism?
HIST410N Contemporary History
Week 8 Discussion
Brave New World
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 13, 14
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Introduction
The Cold War ended over a decade before the 21st century began. What was supposed to be a “Brave New World” free of the threat of nuclear conflict and a long period of peace and prosperity has been less than what was expected. Yes, communism as a threat to the world and to the dominance of the United States and capitalism has come to pass, but even though the threat of war from the USSR never materialized (thankfully) a new threat did rise up to challenge the U.S. and the West for control. The rise of radical Islamic groups bent on destroying those they call infidels, especially the United States and Western Europe have caused more than a little death, destruction, and despair to a world hoping those threats had ended.
Instructions
For the initial post, address one of the following:
Option 1: Why wasn’t the U.S. and its vastly superior intelligence and military able to stop these attacks? How effective are current measures in dealing with attack prevention? Have we really learned from past mistakes?
Option 2: What new problems did the Iraqi War cause for the U.S. and its allies around the world? What effects has it had on the U.S. economy?
Option 3: How much more difficult is it to battle an idea or faith, even a violent one, skewed and brutal than to defeat a nation in war like the U.S. and its allies did during World War II? Consider the role technology plays in the dissemination of faith.
Option 4: Compare European imperialism to current globalism. How has each changed society, both in industrialized nations and developing nations? Is the claim that globalism is a form of imperialism valid?
Option 5: Where do we go from here? Who will the best friends and the worst enemies of the United States be in the coming decades? Will we really, finally achieve that peace and prosperity we all hoped would come to pass?
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