Application and Critical Thinking

Part I: Short-Answer Questions (30 points)

1. How did the geographic features of the Suez Canal contribute to international conflict during the Cold War? Support your answer with specific details about the 1956 Suez Crisis. (5 points)

2. What measures did groups such as the United Nations establish to try to prevent genocide following World War II? Were these measures successful in responding to ethnic cleansing and genocide in the 20th and 21st centuries? (5 points)

3. Fill in this table with information about the five major world religions. (5 points)

4. Describe two ways in which world leaders attempted to build a lasting peace at the end of World War II. How did they avoid repeating the mistakes of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I? (5 points)

5. Briefly describe the political and economic situation in the United States after World War I. Then explain how political and economic factors during this period contributed to the Great Depression. (5 points)

6. Why did the United States become militarily involved in the Korean War? Describe one consequence of this decision. (5 points)

Part II: Application and Critical Thinking (30 points)

7. Imagine that you are an adviser to British prime minister Neville Chamberlain in the late 1930s. Chamberlain is deeply worried that Europe is on the brink of a major war, and wants to prevent it. He asks you to write a three-point plan that could secure peace in Europe. Briefly outline three policy suggestions and explain how your suggestions will prevent further conflict. Use historical evidence from the course to support your response. (15 points)

8. Evaluate this statement made by a hypothetical historian: “The 20th century represented a consistent trend toward improving the political, social, and economic fortunes for all people of the world.” Write a well-developed essay that supports or opposes this statement. Use at least three issues or events discussed in the course to support your argument. (15 points)