History Courses For Dr. Christopher C. Lovett
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History Courses For Dr. Christopher C. Lovett |
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Updated as of 2 October 05 Today in History: On October 2, 1780, Major John André, a British spy associated with Benedict Arnold, was executed on this day in history. Quote of the Day: "In my view we are much worse off now than when we went into Iraq. This is not a partisan position. I voted for these guys." A senior figure at a military-sponsored think tank as told to James Fallows in "Bush's Lost Year" in The Atlantic Monthly (Oct. 2004) Take the Ann Coulter Quiz Where are you politically? Take the Neocon Quiz and find out. "History is Far too Important to be left to History Professors" Teaching isn't such a novel idea
Bibliography:
History of Disease Contemporary Terrorist Organizations Map of Islamic Terrorist Cells in the U.S.A.
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Final Examination Directions: Select two of the following questions. Write an expansive essay and provide not only the analysis and evidence as required, but also a bibliography and notes as well. 1. After World War II it was generally assumed that Adolf Hitler was solely responsible for the war. That was true until A. J. P. Taylor wrote his revolutionary account, The Origins of the Second World War published in the 1960s. Was Taylor right that the Adolf Hitler was nothing more than a traditional German statesman in the mold of Otto von Bismarck? Or on the other hand, did European statesman simply failed to see the handwriting on the wall and stop Germany when they had the opportunity? Explain. 2. The British, it seemed, were the only power that could have forged an alliance to block Germany's road to war in the 1930s. Why did London adopt appeasement? What motivated Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain to attempt to make a deal with the Fuhrer? What external factors went into his decision? 3. Sometimes you hear World War II buffs make the assertion that Hitler was a military genius. Was that true? Evaluate Hitler's role in Germany's defeat in the conflict and explain whether Hitler's meddling hastened Germany's eventual destruction or was Germany simply doomed. Today it is possible to look at Neville Chamberlain and criticize him for appeasement, but was appeasement a viable option in Britain's effort to avoid war? Why did Britain adopt appeasement? Why did some British conservatives seek to placate Hitler right from the start? Explain. 4. Stalin had the best intelligence service in Europe at the time. If that was true, why was the Soviet Union caught completely off guard on 22 June 1941? Who was at fault? Why did Stalin disregard the intelligence that indicated that not only was a German attack likely, but highly probable? Explain. 5. The dropping of the bomb on two Japanese cities late in the war has caused considerable guilt among American intellectuals. But is that guilt warranted? How could the war in the Pacific have end without the using of the bomb? How did atomic weapons allow the Japanese policymakers to end the Pacific War without losing face? 6. The Great Depression had a profound impact upon all the industrial states, but how did the financial collapse have on Germany, Japan, and the United States? What role did the Depression play on the rise of Hitler and Japanese expansion in China? How did the United States avoid the crisis of confidence that would plague Germany? 7. Sinclair Lewis warned American readers of the dangers of fascism. He believed that if fascism came to the United States it would come waving both the flag and the cross. What did he mean? How would you explain the connection between the two? Was it even possible that this could have ever happened in the United States? 8. The European situation in the 1930s set the stage for the coming of World War II. How did Hitler use the crises in Europe to further his continental ambitions? 9. Japan was in a precarious position in the 1920s and 1930s as the result of trade barriers and the decline in world trade. How did Japan's economic and internal political situation eventually drive Japan towards the China Incident in the 1930s? Why would this turn of events contribute to Japan's decision to strike at the United States at Pearl Harbor? 10. The relationship between Hitler and Stalin was complex to say the least. Why did Hitler decide to invade the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941? Was Hitler driven by blind hatred of the Stalin and Soviet Communism or did he have other reasons for Barbarossa? What were the unintended consequences of Hitler's decision?
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