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1.

Russia
a. Explain two factors that enabled the communists to gain and retain power in Russia from
1917 to 1920
i. The first phase of the revolution took place in March of 1917 when czar Nicholas
abdicated the thrown. The Duma took control and set up a provisional
government, but
1. they made the huge mistake of staying in WWI = and continued losing
again and again
2. this caused major food shortages because the food was being prioritized to
the soldiers, as well as major death toll
3. there was also no land reform and the peasants grew angry
ii. in November of 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, took power by force
1. they had backing of most of the people because they appealed to the
soviet, or working class/proletariat
2. their saying was, Peace, Bread, and Land!
iii. in 1918, the Russian civil war broke out between the red and white armies
1. red was the communists in control of government
2. white is the collective team of various groups, with different ideas,
teaming together
3. Red army wins and Lenin consolidates power and eliminates any future
political opposition by formation of secret police
b. Explain the changes the communists made to modernize Soviet agriculture and industry
i. After Lenins death, Stalin takes power and he believes the best way to be
productive is to create a mechanized and controlled agriculture and industrial state
1. mechanized referred to using new technology, like advanced irrigation,
use of tractors and plows, new seeds, etc.
ii. Collectivization
1. everybody loses their land and it becomes property of the state
2. The Soviet leadership was confident that the replacement of individual
peasant farms by large collective ones would immediately increase the
food supply for urban population, the supply of raw materials for
processing industry, and agricultural exports
3. all of the peasants who do not have land or income turn into the workforce
and move to cities and work in factories
iii. Five Year Plans
1. crash programs to industrialize quickly
2. build large factories controlled by state
3. rapid industrialization
4. emphasis on heavy industry and military, but not on consumer goods
iv. Their rapid growth and industrialization success help them avoid the Great
Depression
c. Explain at least 3 reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union
i. Economic decline by the 1970s because communism punishes creativity and
innovation, creating a stagnant, flat lined, static, and boring economic state with
no motivation to reinvigorate economy

ii. Inefficient and incompetent central planning because everything comes from the
state and the supply was slow, meaning many business and people didnt have
access to resources
1. Windshield wipers hidden in trunk until needed
iii. Poor worker morale and no desire to be better because everyone is paid the same
no matter what their level of work is
1. Airfloat Airlines claiming baggage and order of leaving
iv. Arms race with the US during the Cold War consumed over 1/3 of the total
economy most from taxes
v. Micro-nationalism of smaller components of USSR (satellite republics)
1. Estonia wanting to be part of Estonia and having pride in Estonia, not the
greater USSR
2. also, the majority of resources were focused on Russia because largest
population = repressed and ignored
vi. Intellectuals, students, and religious figures all wanted freedom, because they
were not allowed to read Western ideas, and Russia was moving to an atheist
country and religious figures losing influence
d. What attempts did Mikhail Gorbachev make to bring about reform and save the Soviet
State
i. Glasnost openness about workings of government, criticism allowed with the
hope that the bureaucracy would fix and respond to issues
ii. Perestroika economic restructuring, introduction of capitalistic ideas to
incentivize the labor work force

2. China
a. Explain at least 3 factors that enabled Mao and the communists to take over China in
1949
i. Mao had a smaller force but used guerrilla warfare tactics, epically during the
Long March, which pushed Chiang-Kaishek-(JJ) out of power and secured
communist/Maos control
ii. Chiang-Kaishek-(JJ) was in charge of government that was weak and corrupt and
did not reform the land, which makes peasants angry with him
iii. Mao wins the support of the Chinese peasants, which are an overwhelming part of
the population (95%)
1. pays for food when enters a village, do not commandeer it
2. this meant that the peasants would like Mao information about the size and
location of Chiang-Kaishek-(JJ) = intelligence
iv. During WWII, Chiang-Kaishek-(JJ) was in power, so it was his army that had to
defend the Japanese forces, which weakened his forces significantly
1. the fighting between Chiang-Kaishek-(JJ) was suspended during this time,
which also let Mao forces build back up and rest
b. Once in power, describe two ways that the communist government in China was similar
to the communist government of the Soviet Union
i. established a strong centralized state = totalitarian/authoritarian
ii. eliminate all political opposition and parties, making a one party system
iii. create five year plans to show industry growth
iv. collectivize all agriculture
v. increase opportunities for women
c. How did Mao try to industrialize China
i. Great Leap Forward
1. calls for industrialization in an agricultural society
2. Mao hates the ideas of cities, so has the idea that every peasant can have a
blast furnace in their back yard like a mini factory
3. HUGE failure = the products were inferior and of poor quality
4. everyone focused on factories and not on food/farming
5. everything decreases, including agriculture rates, which lead to shortages
and large famines
d. How was Chinas struggling economy finally turned around after Mao
i. Deng Xiaoping takes power and begins to insert capitalism into economy
ii. incentivized the workers and create a market economy

3. Japan
a. Name two changes that were made in Japan after WWII during US occupation from 1945
to 1952
1. All implemented by General Douglas MacArthur
ii. war trials for military and political leaders, includes executions of guilty
iii. emperor is revered by people, so he is not executed, so instead he is totally striped
of all political power and must renounce his divinity, which makes him just a
figurehead who was used to support new changed
iv. Japan is banned from building a navy or army, but US will defend them if they are
attacked by another military
v. given a parliamentary democratic government called diet
vi. new constitution which includes civil liberties, universal suffrage (women
included)
vii. economic reconstruction
viii. Japan becomes an ally of the US in the Cold War
b. Describe at least 4 reasons and factors that enabled Japan to gradually emerge as an
economic superpower in the later 20th century
i. Korean War
1. during the Korean War, US troops that were headed to South Korea would
stop and stay at a base in Japan, set up by American occupation. Japan acts
as stepping stone
2. The soldiers would buy supplies, like food, shelter, and other non-military
supplies in Japan, rather than bring it with them.
3. the above were cheaper
4. This creates a new market and an increase in the number of consumers =>
boost in the economy
ii. Zaibatsu
1. a zaibatsu is a conglomerate of various businesses under 1 firm. So you
have one firm that controls a housing sector, factory, bank, and shipyard.
2. This is very advantageous because you own the banks and can get a
favorable interest rate making expansion easy,
3. as well as having a cushion, because if one sector is doing poorly, or in an
economic slowdown, so have various others to make up for the economic
losses.
4. This also allows you to simple move people to a different sector instead of
firing them
iii. Japan Inc.
1. partnership between the government and business, because there is a
mutual want to get the economy back on their feet. This creates a close
relationship between the government and the business people
2. government works with business
iv. Group cohesion; obligation to keep workers together = no firing
1. rituals = same uniform, sing song and march before work
2. creates a sense of identity
v. relationship between employee and employer is very good

1. actually used the suggestion box and many used


2. CEO cannot have a salary over 25 times the lowest salary of workers
3. => Loyalty
vi. Fortunate decisions
1. Sony, a Japanese firm, buys paten for the transistor from the US and finds
a way to make the transistor radio which was a HUGE cash cow
2. during the Arab Oil Embargo against the US and world, the Japanese
make shift to electronics like cameras

4. Middle East
a. Why is Turkey so important to the interests of the US in the Middle East
i. at the end of WWI, the Ottoman Empire was disbanded and the new states that
were formed do not know how to run themselves, so the Western European
nations set up a system of mandates which help them develop => transition period
ii. Mustafa Kamal took power of Turkey and takes title of Ataturk (father of the
turks) and calls for no more mandates
iii. Most of the people of Turkey are Muslim, and for the first time in the area, a
secular government is set up by Kamal
iv. this means there is a separation of Church and State, and
v. political leaders are not also religious leaders, and
vi. the laws of the Koran and not the laws of the government
b. What two factors led to the creation of Israel by the UN in 1948
i. Zionism call for the Jews to return to their homeland (Jerusalem) and create a
Jewish nation = Jewish nationalistic movement
ii. Holocaust there was a large amount of sympathy to the Jews for the atrocities
which they were put through
c. Explain the three emplotments of religion, nationalism, and neo-colonialism that is the
basis of much of the Arab-Israeli tension in the Middle East today
i. Religion Jews believed that Jerusalem is their holy city where the temple was/is
located (Wailing Wall), as well as the Promised Land, and the place where King
David and King Solomon ruled. Muslim (Palestinians) also think the Jerusalem is
one of their holy cities (third behind Mecca and Medina) because Mohammed
ascending to Heaven here (and returned to Earth)
ii. Nationalism for the Jews, nationalism is having their own nation, and for the
Palestinians, they dont want to lose their land, which is rightfully theirs. Because
the Jews get Israel, it is a fulfillment of Jewish nationalism, and because the
Palestinians lose it, it is a setback.
iii. Neo-colonialism [[European dominance without colonies]] for the Jews,
creation of Israel was done by European countries (via the UN) because of
sympathy and is a mandate from the west, and Palestine sees the Europeans as
wanting to make amendments for their bad treatment, So they take our land? We
didnt start the holocaust! Give them German land!

5. Africa
a. Describe at least 4 factors that led to the end of colonialism in Africa and the emergence
of new nations
i. WWI self-determination, where a countries gets to choose to what nation they
belong to, ie Poles want a independent country of Poland, with redrawing of map
spills over and excites Africa and Asia, but was done in either place
ii. WWII man countries were severely weakened both politically and
economically, making them vulnerable and a good time/opportune to break away
iii. Cold War Both the US and USSR support decolonization because the new
nations will need to setup a new form of government, which they want to
influence to become with democratic or communist
iv. Pan-Africanism idea that Africa belongs to the Africans, so everyone in Africa
is fighting/sharing the same struggle for freedom => group cohesion
v. Negritude blackness look back into history and take pride in cultures
bring back things that are African, ie bright colored garments
b. Name two difficulties many new nations in Africa have today
i. Boundaries the boundaries remain the same as colonial boundaries, which were
drawn by Europeans, most of which have never been to Africa, and was done
artificially, with no concern for the location of tribes or the geographical features
of the area
1. Tribalism loyalty to your own tribe
2. Nationalism loyalty to the country you are in
3. If a boundary cuts your tribe in half, who are you loyal to?
ii. Lack of Political Experience most European dominating countries just left and
said good luck so they needed to find a way to govern themselves with no
experience. Some countries like Great Britain tries to train them in political
organization, but others, like Belgium left cold turkey
iii. Attraction to Marxism democracy is a very hard road, especially without
political experience, and democracy is associated with Western imperialism,
which they want to get rid of
iv. Predator States colonies were set up to help the mother country, and the
mother country would take all of the resources, so for a country that has only seen
this single from of a government, many think that this is the only form of
government and many authoritarian governments are set up and show no help to
the people = government is a predator and job is to take, not help => not the
government serves the people
v. Dependency economy the economy of the nations do not change once free, so
they rely on selling raw resources and buying finished goods, which is not a
favorable trade off, so need to make money, but dont have industry infrastructure
to do so
vi. Tribal Warfare Rwanda, for example, is made up of Hutus (85%) and Tutsis
(15%). Tutsis are in power and the Hutus do not like this and try to leave. They
flood the Congo, but the government is weak, cant support more people and

collapses. The Hutus and Tutsis start a civil war because they hate each other so
much. This is showing the first point about drawing boundaries with no concern
for who is in them. Two tribes that hate each other are sharing own country.
c. Describe the special problems found in South Africa that prevented it from becoming a
democratic nation until the 19990s
i. after WWII, South Africa was independent, but had a system of Apartheid,
which is a system of segregation and subjugation.
ii. the population was white (20%) and black (80%), but the whites, who were called
Afrikaners, took control and set up this system of Apartheid
iii. some resections set up include:
1. blacks cannot enter any skilled labor jobs
2. blacks cannot vote
3. blacks, as a whole, cannot own more that 13% of the land (even though
they are 80% of the population)
4. blacks must live in certain areas, called black townships
5. blacks cannot protest
iv. African National Congress (ANC) turned to attacking the system of Apartheid,
and was lead by Nelson Mandela.
v. Mandela tried to stage a protest, but was arrested and found guilty and sentences
to life in prison
vi. the world community is outrages and reacts to this by trying to shame and isolate
the country of South Africa
1. restrict trade with them
2. stop and sell all investments in South Africa
3. end all diplomatic, sport, and cultural arrangements
a. South Africa was banned from Olympics
vii. some nations said they would do this but then decided to trade with them anyway
because South Africa has HUGE amounts of mineral wealth = diamonds, gold,
platinum, etc
viii. F. W. deClerk, who was leader of the whites, frees Mandela, and the ANC is now
legal.
ix. In the next election, Mandela wins by a landslide and the Apartheid is officially
over

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