Assignment
Select any 1 of the following topics and respond in an organized, 600-word essay that supports your statements by specific reference to relevant sections of the document. Submit your paper as an attachment in MS Word format to the Submissions Area on the next page.
Requirements
• Length: At least 600 words.
• MLA Format (See a sample MLA-formatted essay)
• Citations: Your essay must include a works cited page in MLA format with complete citations for each source you used. These sources must also be cited in the body of your paper in parenthetical references.
• Essay Structure: Your essay should have an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement as the last sentence in the paragraph, several well-organized supporting paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph that sums up the main points of your paper and demonstrates to your reader that the thesis has been proven.
• Quotations: Be sure that any and all text you have copied directly from a source is in quotation marks and is followed by a parenthetical reference. When you have paraphrased from a source, you must also use a parenthetical reference. Please limit your quoted material to 15% of the total word count of the paper. This means that the other 85% of your paper needs to be paraphrased from your sources or your own critical analysis.
Essay Topic
• How did the Industrial Revolution affect warfare, especially naval warfare, in the nineteenth century? What sorts of weapons could now be built with industrial techniques? What sorts of weapons could be mass produced? How did Europe's military strength affect its relations with the rest of the world?
• In what parts of the world had the European powers established colonies by the end of the nineteenth century? Some of the colonies enjoyed considerable independence and were even more prosperous than the homeland. Give examples. Other countries remained nominally independent but were dominated by one or more European powers. Give examples. In what parts of the world was competition for colonies especially fierce? How did the desire for colonies affect military and naval policies?
• Select an artist or writer from the period 1830-1920. Discuss this artist/writer, including his or her time period, influences, and styles. How did this person reflect the attitudes of his or her time? Note: 1830-1920 is a huge span of time, encompassing much social change and stylistic development.
• In what ways did conservative resentment develop against the social changes of the late nineteenth century? Among what groups was resentment especially strong? What groups were the objects of resentment? How did resentment vary from group to group? For example, in America, immigration and social and economic difficulties brought groups such as the KKK and the Black Legion into existence and inflamed nativist sentiment.
• For the first time ever, virtually the whole world came into conflict during World War I. Each and every country involved was fundamentally changed forever. In light of World War I, how did the political map of Europe change after the war? How did the failure of the Treaty of Versailles influence Europe?