Essays in Modern World History: 25 Key Questions Answered

Essays in Modern World History provides the perfect handbook for teachers and students seeking a concise overview of some of the most interesting topics taught to the 16-18 age range. 

The 25 essays covers such topics as the causes and consequences of World War One, the Spanish Civil War and the Korean War; the rise of dictators such as Stalin, Franco and Castro; the rule of Lenin, Mao and Pinochet; the foreign policies of Hitler and Mussolini; Cold War crises and conflicts in Germany and Vietnam; and the success of various post-war US Presidents.



Full list of chapters:

1. Was the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution a coup d'état or a popular uprising? 

2. Why was Germany defeated on the Western Front in World War One?

3. How successful was Lenin as ruler of Russia, 1918-1924?

4. What was the social and economic impact of World War One upon Britain?

5. How Fascist was Mussolini's Italy?

6. What were the causes of the Spanish Civil War?

7. Was the outcome of the Spanish Civil War decided by foreign powers?

8. How similar were the foreign policies of Hitler and Mussolini?

9. Was Germany to blame for the outbreak of both World War One and World War Two in Europe?

10. How similar was the rise to power of Stalin and Mao?

11. To what extent did Stalin achieve his objectives as ruler of the Soviet Union by 1941? 

12. For what reasons, and with what results, was Germany a source of Cold War tensions between 1945 and 1962?

13. What were the causes of the Korean War and its consequences for the Koreas and the United States?

14. In what ways, and with what results, did the Cold War influence relations between Latin America and the United States, 1945-1960?

15. How did the early years of the Cold War affect the political and social life of the United States?

16. To what extent was Castro's mastery of guerrilla warfare the main reason why he was able to take control of Cuba?

17. Is it fair to say that after initial failures, Kennedy's handling of foreign policy grew increasingly successful as time went on?

18. By what methods, and with what success, did Fidel Castro try to eliminate domestic opposition?

19. How successful were President Johnson's "Great Society" reforms?

20. To what extent was guerrilla warfare the main cause of communist victory in Vietnam?

21. How successfully did Franco achieve his objectives as ruler of Spain, 1939-75?

22. For what reasons, and with what results, did the US Civil Rights movement become more radical after 1964?

23. To what extent did Mao successfully establish authoritarian control in China?

24. How successful was President Nixon's foreign policy?

25. What was the political and economic impact of military rule in Chile between 1973 and 1989?