Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for History

Hitler's Aggressive Aims

Hitler's aims were aggressive, and he openly stated them in his book "Mein Kampf" in 1924:

1. Destroy the Treaty of Versailles.
2. Create a Greater Germany (a country of all the German people).
3. Lebensraum (living space) to conquer land for Germany in Eastern Europe.

The Policy of Appeasement

During the 1930s, Britain and France followed a policy of appeasement - they gave Hitler what he wanted in order to keep the peace.

British public opinion did not want another war. People believed Germany was treated harshly by the Treaty of Versailles, so were entitled to take back the Rhineland and do all the other things they did.

Political opinion: Chamberlain was a pacifist.

German propaganda led Britain to believe that Germany was too strong... Continue reading "Hitler's Aims, Appeasement, and WWII Causes" »

The Vietnam War (1945–1975)

In 1945, communist Viet Minh forces led by Ho Chi Minh declared independence from France. France did not accept this declaration, initiating the First Indochina War. This conflict pitted Soviet-supported guerrillas in the North against the French army in the South, which received US support.

The war ended in 1954 with the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu and the subsequent division of the country between a communist-led government in the North and a pro-Western government in the South.

Following the French withdrawal, the US significantly increased its military presence in Vietnam to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam by the North. This escalation led to the Second Indochina War (the Vietnam War), characterized... Continue reading "Cold War Flashpoints: Vietnam Conflict and the 1962 Missile Crisis" »

Stalinism in the USSR

After Lenin's death in 1924, Stalin became the leader of the USSR and a totalitarian regime developed.

• He controlled all branches of government, including the army, which he used against his political enemies. People who opposed him were executed or sent to prison camps in Siberia.
• The economy was planned and controlled by the state. There was no private property, and industries were nationalized.
• In theory, the Soviet Union was classless, but there were enormous social differences. The ruling elite had access to all types of consumer products, while the rest of the population suffered from shortages of food and basic necessities. Many died of starvation.

Women and Stalinism

Stalin restricted women's rights and freedoms, suppressing... Continue reading "A Comparison of Stalinism in the USSR and Democracy in the USA" »

1.Write down four ways in which Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles?He stopped paying WWI reparations.He built up the armed forces.He united Germany and Austria (Anschluss).He invaded Czechoslovakia

2.What was Neville Chamberlain´s main aim in his policy towards Hitler? To maintain peace.

3.How did Hitler achieve Anschluss?Nazis in Austria caused disturbances. Hitler used this to force the Austrian chancellor to resign. The Austrian Nazis then took over and invited the Germans into Austria to “restore order”.

4.Why did Britain and France agree that Germany could take over the Sudetenland?More than 50% of the population of the Sudetenland was German, so they thought Hitler’s demand was reasonable.In return.Hitler signed a statement to... Continue reading "Steps to war - aggression by japan, italy and germany 1931-1939" »

History 201 First Exam Study Guide

Study Guide for First Exam which will be on May 20

Below are the key terms and events that could be on the first exam

1st exam possible study guide

Roanoke and Croatoan:

• First English Colony was at Roanoke
• THE COLONISTS AT ROANOKE DISAPPEAR AND THE 

ONLY CLUE AS TO THEIR FATE WAS THE WORD

“CROATOAN” CARVED INTO A TREE

• Big mystery in history, what happened at Roanoke?

Jamestown:

• THE FIRST PERMANENT ENGLISH SETTLEMENT IS ESTABLISHED AT JAMESTOWN IN 1607

BELIEVING THAT THE COLONISTS AT

ROANOKE WERE KILLED BY INDIANS,

• THE COLONISTS AT JAMESTOWN SET

UP THEIR COLONY ON A SWAMPY ISLAND

WHICH WOULD BE EASY TO DEFEND

Nathaniel Bacon:

NATHANIEL BACON, AN ARISTOCRAT who 

LEAD A GROUP OF INDENTURED SERVANTS

AGAINST THE ARISTOCRACY... Continue reading "History 201 First Exam Study Guide" »

Key Concepts and Events

Nueva Planta Decrees

After the War of the Spanish Succession, Philip V approved these decrees, replacing existing laws and institutions in the Crown of Aragon. This consolidated power under the monarchy.

Land Ownership

• Manos Muertas (Mortmain): Land owned by the Church and religious orders, which could not be sold.
• Mayorazgos: Land owned by noble families, inherited entirely by the firstborn son.
• Realengos: Land owned by the king.

Economic Developments

Domestic Trade: Initially hindered by internal customs and poor road conditions. The Bourbons invested in infrastructure and created the intendente role to organize provincial economies.

The Catastro: A comprehensive registry of rural and urban properties.

Royal Factories: Grand... Continue reading "18th & 19th Century Spanish History & Politics" »

League of Nations Agencies: A Better World?

Health Committee

Aims

Address dangerous diseases and educate people about health and sanitation. Collect statistical information, spread new ideas, and develop programs to combat illness.

Achievements

• Collected statistical information and spread best practices.
• Sponsored research into infectious diseases.
• Developed vaccines and medicines against deadly diseases.
• Launched a global campaign to exterminate mosquitoes, reducing cases of malaria and yellow fever.
• Worked to prevent plague outbreaks.

Obstacles

None specified.

International Labor Organization

Aims

• Improve working conditions.
• Persuade member countries to adopt suggestions.

Achievements

• Banned poisonous white lead from paint.
• Limited the working hours of young

The 19th Congress of the European Movement: Munich 1962

This document represents a conclusion or decision reached by the congress, outlining the characteristics required for membership in a supranational institution. It was drafted on June 8, 1962, in Munich by 118 Spanish participants.

Francoist Spain: A Contradictory Era

During this period, Spain remained under the Francoist regime. The entire nation was under Franco's authoritarian control. While the 1960s ushered in a period of economic, cultural, and educational development, alongside a greater openness of thought, the political system and the repressive nature of the dictatorship remained unchanged.

Economic Growth and European Alignment

Economically, Spain began to experience growth as a... Continue reading "Spain's Democratic Struggle and European Membership in 1962" »

National Personifications

Britannia - a national personification of the United Kingdom. The name 'Britannia' symbolizes Britain and British patriotism.

Caledonia

Latin name given by the Romans to the land north of their province of Britannia, roughly corresponding to modern-day Scotland.

Cambria

Name for Wales, being the Latinized form of the Welsh name for the country, Cymru.

Hibernia

Classical Latin name for the island of Ireland.

Eire

Irish for 'Ireland', the name of an island and a sovereign state.

Erin

Hiberno-English derivative of the Irish word 'Éirinn'.

The Emerald Isle

Poetic name for Ireland due to its green countryside.

the Union Jack

National flag of the United Kingdom.

John Bull

National personification of the United Kingdom.

Historical Events

Wars

Transitivity Alternations

The Middle Alternation

The middle alternation involves a change in a verb's transitivity. Transitive verbs with an agent subject and a patient object can have an intransitive pattern. The subject of this intransitive pattern takes on the role of the object in the transitive use, followed by an adverbial or prepositional phrase.

Example:

• Transitive: The carpenter sawed the wood.
• Intransitive: The wood saws easily.

Verbs allowing the middle alternation express a change of state in the object. The middle construction emphasizes the subject being affected by the action (affectedness constraint). Verbs like pat or touch, where the object isn't affected, don't allow this construction.

Example:

• They hit the ball.
• *The ball hits easily.