History 2020 Modern U.S. History Final Exam Spring 2019

Instructions for the Essay Portion

Develop a well-organized, logical response in paragraph form for each. Include as much specific information in your supporting argument as you can; specific details should come especially from material we covered in class but may also include material in the text. Do NOT rely SOLEY on the text, knowledge you had when you came into the class that we did not discuss, or use Internet sources to prepare the essay; material taken from the Internet that we have not covered EVEN IF CORRECT is not acceptable (use Internet material only for context, if at all). A good essay shows evidence of INDIVIDUAL thought; use specifics to support your argument. The essay should be entirely in your own words; there should be no necessity for citations in an exam essay (do NOT use them).

Begin with a good topic sentence. An essay should be as grammatical as possible, in paragraph form, with an introductory paragraph, body (I suggest three to five paragraphs) and conclusion. The introduction states your argument, the body provides supporting material and back-up, and the conclusion is a summary of the your argument how you have supported it. Your composition should flow logically and smoothly from point to point. There is no necessity here to be concerned about Chicago or MLA or what have you – you do not need citations, and it is best not to use them in this kind of essay, which is to be your own thoughts and reflections.

Choose ONE of the questions below and submit them to them in the Dropbox in D2L by or on the day the final ends.

Before writing, be sure to read the written lecture in the “Content” section of D2L that applies to the question you choose.

Essay questions

Essay 1

Describe Hitler’s actions in the 1930s and some of the events that led to war. Include the major gambles he took in your answer and the reactions of the major powers. Tell how the policy of the United States government, its president, and politics influenced the course of events in Europe before World War II. What was the lesson of Munich?

Essay 2

Briefly describe the early Cold War; include its highlights and/or major issues and events. Why did the Western powers, after defeating one totalitarian dictator, Hitler, find themselves in a “cold war” with a another totalitarian dictator, and former ally, Joseph Stalin? Include in your answer what it was about and why it started.

Essay 3

The Vietnam War is generally considered to have been a mistake and was “unwinnable.” Why did the decision makers in Washington get it involved in Vietnam, from Presidents Eisenhower, to Kennedy, through Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon? Do you think they should have known better, and was the war really unwinnable? Can you make an argument that the war COULD have been won, and if so, when and why? If not, why not?

Essay 4

What do you think was the relationship between the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union? What role do you think Gorbachev’s policies of glasnost (openness) and perestrojka (reform) played in collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War? What part did Ronald Reagan play? Consider the economy of the Soviet Union as a factor.