War and Revolutions

Discuss the consequences of the major wars and revolutions that occurred in Western and Eastern Europe during the early 19th through mid-20th centuries.

In your essay you should identify and discuss the nature of these conflicts, the parties involved and those responsible for any aggression.

You should also explain and analyze the extent to which these conflicts affected society, politics, and economics both on a domestic and international scale over a period of time. What were their immediate and long-term effects?

Events, movements, etc. that you should take into account in your essay are:

the revolutions of 1830/1832

revolutionary movements of 1848

European global expansion 1870-1914

World Wars I and II

the alliance of European powers

the Russian revolution of 1917 and the creation of the communist state

The Cold War

Any significant conflicts for independence from Western control should also be included (i.e. India and Pakistan, the Israel-Arab conflict, etc.).

Point out the relevance of the events you examine to Western Civilization today.

Your essay should be comprehensive in nature, and show proficiency in comprehension of the course material, including the history of Western societies, institutions, and ideas, and the impact they have had on global culture over time.

The essay should highlight events that played an important role in shaping Western thought, culture, and tradition, as we know them today. It must include specific focus on, and inclusion of major developments in Western Civilization from emergence of an industrial society to modern times, and major political and social events, and areas of social activity such as politics, religion, government, and economics. The essay should show your understanding of the relevancy of social, political, religious institutions of the past (following the text and activity chronology), to the present day.

It's important that you put your analytic skills to work and demonstrate that you understand context, bias, and frame of reference regarding the essay content, researched material sources, and the points of view contained in the course material.

You should be using arguments and evidence from across the course, not just one or two weeks. Be sure to provide examples from the readings, including any researched material if relevant. You should integrate various themes covered in the course. Put more bluntly: if you construe the question narrowly, your grade will be construed narrowly. All essays should cover the period of the early 19th Century (around the Industrial Revolution) through the end of the 20th Century.