course material

1. The last 100 years of European history.
Analyze the last 100 years of European history, explaining how Europe (and in many
respects, the world itself) has turned out like it has in our current day. This is not some
random, sprawling essay, no matter how it appears to you, nor is it merely a chronology of
events. The essay MUST BE based on and around the “isms” which, as you know, is the
centerpiece of this course. Modern-day events that could be useful for you in providing
examples of the impact of the “isms” include North Korea issues, rising nationalism in
Europe, Middle East issues (such as ISIS, Syrian civil war, Syrian refugee crisis), economic
challenges in Southern Europe, Brexit and the EU, or Ukrainian issues with Russia (there are
other examples). In the end, you will want to build an analysis that will show how all of our
modern-day issues are built out of decisions and choices from the previous years…in
particular post-French Revolution and World War I. In the last half of the class, we have
studied the world reeling from the mid-1850s that led to radical changes in the 1920s &
1930s leading to yet another massive war, World War 2. From there, Europe and the world
has continued to deal in the aftermath of the decisions created in the early part of the 20th
Century—choices about governing styles, economic strategies, ways of living, impacts of
technology, and nationalism or globalism. Our discussions and assignments can help you—
we started first noting how the 30 Years War was the beginning of the modern age. Note
that when it finished, 1648, Hobbes had already written his main work, Leviathan. Just a
few decades later, John Locke would stake out more ground about the issue of social
contract. Our class shifted next to investigate the impact of the French Revolution, a critical
point in modern European history. We talked then about trends from the Revolution such as
liberalism and nationalism, critical steps on this issue of rights. As we moved toward the
end of the 19th century, we looked at the emergence of socialism and events in Central
Europe, and how individual liberty or economic equity was increasingly becoming the focus
of the country. The development of Germany in 1870 became something of a focal point in
that question, leading ultimately to the disaster of World War I. The post-Versailles world,
then, was struggling with this same question of rights—what are the rights of humans?
Does the human have the right to make as much money as they can? Or, are they limited by
the concerns for economic equity? Is one culture of humans more advanced than another
culture of humans? Should the advanced culture try to help the other culture? How should
the government protect my rights? Can the government protect my rights while embracing
socialism? Those questions ultimately led us to World War II and our final discussions.
Those last discussions noted the ascension of Marx’s version of socialism or economic

2. equity (or the English version proclaimed by John Maynard Keynes) in much of the world
and how that contributed to the Cold War. Here, then, is the focus for your essay.
Remember, you are addressing this: “Analyze the last 100 years of European history,
explaining how Europe (and in many respects, the world itself) has turned out like it has in
our current day.” First, explain HOW the “isms” set up the experience of the 20th century.
This analysis should at least touch on the impact of the French Revolution in creating the
atmosphere for the “isms.” This should take you about 2 pages. Second, develop your
analysis on the impact to our modern time. This is the bulk of the essay, 3-4 pages. This is
where you should use events of the 20th century (things we studied) as well as modern day
issues as parts of your analysis. Modern day issues from the past 10 years that connect well
here include, but are not limited to: North Korean Crisis, Immigration crisis in Europe, ISIS,
Israel-Palestine, European economic crisis, Brexit, Russia vs Ukraine, rise of China, war on
terror, Middle East Islam issues (Turkey, Kurds, Iran, Saudi Arabia), world trade tensions.
Third, write a conclusion that provides your view of the coming 25-50 years; how will the
“isms” continue to haunt us or guide us. This will be at most a page, but could be done well
in a developed paragraph. So, you can see the essay as both “what did you learn in the
second half of the course (WW1 to present day)” AND “how did those things emerge from
the isms of the 19th century.” I want to see that you understand, can see and can analyze the
course of history, the patterns or lessons of history as mentioned in Course Outcome #5.
Thus, this essay is dealing primarily with Course Outcome #5 on detecting the lessons of
history and Outcome #2 on the thematic historical influences, while using the knowledge
from Outcome #1 and historical method from Outcome #6 (and of course “college level
writing,” Outcome #7). Consult the syllabus to read these outcomes in greater depth. This
should be a 5-7 page essay that demands solid writing based on good historical research (3-
5 sources would be best). All citations must be done in the Chicago Style Guide, the citation
type for History as a discipline. You SHOULD include a list of your sources on a separate
page (that page is NOT part of the 5-7 pages). A cover page is NOT required. This
assessment MUST be typed (11 or 12 point font; Times or Calibri is best), 1.5 spacing and
possess good grammar, spelling, and a clear, organized thought-process