• Describe the development of Japan, China, and the Ottoman Empire during the 19th century. Which was most "western"?
• How do you assess the age of imperialism/colonial rule. Can it be said that imperialism paved the way for advances?
• Are World War I and World War II related? If so, how? What would you say are the most important consequences of these terrible wars?
• Identify the major differences between the Russian and Chinese revolutions. Who were the key figures in each revolution? How did they shape the new regime?
• Explain in clear outline form the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe. Was communism doomed from the start or is there something else that explains its demise?
• 9/11 took America into an odyssey with the Middle East. How far back should we go to explain that tragedy? What explains Islamic renewal movements between the 1970s and 2001? In your answer, discuss particular movements and their impact.