Question 1

Summarize the disintegration of communist power in Hungary and Poland.What part did Pope John Paul II play in encouraging the Polish opposition? What was the role of Solidarity?

Accepted Answer

The chapter provides a fairly detailed discussion, especially on Poland, so pulling the facts together in an essay should not be difficult-names and dates should be included.

Question 2

After the Second World War, western European nations experienced all of the following except

Accepted Answer

Following the Second World War, western European nations did not experience a renewal of intense and violent national rivalries. In fact, one of the major goals of post-war European integration was to prevent the kind of nationalism and competition that had led to the war. The formation of the European Union and various other organizations aimed to create a sense of shared sovereignty and reduce the chances of conflict between member states.

Question 3

What does the fall of communism reveal about the history of the West since the Renaissance?

Accepted Answer

Essays should discuss that the rise, dynamism, and power of civil society helped make modern Western civilization distinctive and lie at the heart of the collapse of communism in east-central Europe and, to a lesser extent, the dissolution of the Soviet Union.An important hint is offered in Kennan's critique of communism presented in Chapter 28.

Question 4

Much of postwar European literature and philosophy reflected a mood of

Accepted Answer

The devastation of World War II and the realization of the Holocaust led to a sense of despair and anxiety in postwar European literature and philosophy. Many authors and thinkers grappled with the horrors of the past and the uncertain future, leading to a bleak and somber mood in their works.

Question 5

Summarize the political development of West Germany under Adenauer and Brandt.What factors tended to make the Federal Republic a more stable regime than that of Weimar?

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Question 6

The popular postwar philosophy, existentialism

Accepted Answer

All of the options listed are accurate descriptions of the popular postwar philosophy of existentialism. It was indeed led by influential writers Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, who contributed significant works to the field. Existentialism also held the belief that despite the apparent meaninglessness of the world, engagement, commitment, responsibility, and friendship were still worthwhile pursuits. However, existentialism did split over the relevance of Marxism, with some existentialists rejecting Marxist analysis entirely while others saw potential for overlap. Finally, the philosophy explored the implications of a world in which cultural guideposts no longer provided clear standards and values for individuals.

Question 7

What types of political and social tensions began to surface in western Europe in the 1960s and 1970s? In which country did unrest seem most acute?

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Question 8

What were some features of Marxist thought in the postwar period, and what positions were taken by some prominent anticommunist writers?

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Question 9

Why did President de Gaulle and some other Europeans oppose the Common Market? What was the original rationale for some degree of European economic integration, what roles were played by Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman, and what were the implications of increasing economic unity for national sovereignty?

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Question 10

Discuss the situation in postwar east-central Europe from 1945 to the mid-1970s.What was the relationship of the countries of the region to the Soviet Union? What internal tensions developed, and what changes did they produce?

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Question 11

The Berlin Wall came down to euphoric crowds and world wide cheers.Symbolically it was more than a wall, Discuss this symbol in the time era of this chapter.

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Question 12

How did the reunification of Germany come about, and what problems did it cause?

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Question 13

How was Cuba involved in cold war tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1960s? What split developed in the communist world, and why?

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Question 14

In 1914, Europe exercised hegemony over most of the world.In 1945, Europe lay in ruins under the shadow of two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.Explain Europe's experience, both international and domestic, in the bipolar world of the second half of the twentieth century.

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Question 15

Discuss the Soviet bloc in the 1970s and 1980s.Explain the fall of communism in east-central Europe in 1989.

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Question 16

Describe the prosperous mass culture of the West and of Americanism in the second half of the twentieth century, and explain how it was critiqued by existentialism, pop art, and Havel's book, The Power of the Powerless.

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Question 17

Describe the Soviet political and economic situation under Brezhnev, the changes implemented or attempted by Gorbachev, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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Question 18

Examine postwar France as an example of European traditions and institutions adapting to modern realities.Consider both domestic and foreign affairs.

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Question 19

Describe the process of decolonization in the postwar period.What were the particular spheres and policies of the various colonial powers, and what complicating factors affected their decisions on independence? What problems affected the newly independent states?

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Question 20

Discuss the economic recovery of Europe following the war.What first stimulated it, and how did it vary from country to country? What were some characteristics of the welfare state? Describe European economic integration.

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Quiz 16: The Age of the Cold War, 1949-1989