Please choose one of the following questions to answer for this week's Forum assignment. When you respond to your fellow classmates this week, please choose those who answered questions than your own. This will help you familiarize yourself with more of the material. Remember, for full credit, you need to post replies to three different students.

Here are the questions for this week:

1. Some historians have described the Crimean War as a turning point in post-Napoleonic European history. Do you agree with these historians? Why or why not? If not, is there another point from this period that you think better qualifies?

2. Otto von Bismarck was one of history's greatest political minds, an undisputed fact even among those who disagree with his ideology or policies. He also left a legacy of rather interesting and brilliant quotes. Choose one of Bismarck's quotes as listed below and explain what it means in the historical, political and social context of his time as Chancellor.· "The great questions of the day will not be decided by speeches or votes of the majority--that was the error of 1848 and 1849--but rather by iron and blood."· "The less people know about how sausages and laws are made, the better they'll sleep at night."· "A government must not waver once it has chosen its course. It must not look to the left or right, but go forward."· "He who is not a socialist at 19 has no heart. He who is still a socialist at 30 has no brain."

3.  The latter half of the nineteenth century saw the rise of the concept of realpolitik as a primary method for European states to interact weith one another.  Choose a specific example of realpolitik from this era, describe it, and discuss whether or not the actions taken were justifiable in the long run.

4.  In this era, art, science, and culture took incredible strides.  What specific movement or event int hese fields do you think had the most impact on Western society?  Why?