Question 1

Describe and discuss the considerations motivating the Western liberal democracies during the inter-war years. How did the fear of communism affect foreign policy during the period?

Accepted Answer

During the inter-war years, Western liberal democracies were motivated by a number of considerations. Firstly, the devastation of World War I had left a deep impact on these countries, leading to a desire to avoid another large-scale conflict. This desire for peace and stability influenced their foreign policy decisions, as they sought to prevent the rise of aggressive and expansionist powers.

Additionally, the economic turmoil of the inter-war years, including the Great Depression, led Western liberal democracies to focus on rebuilding their economies and ensuring their own prosperity. This economic motivation played a significant role in shaping their foreign policy, as they sought to secure access to markets and resources to support their recovery.

The fear of communism also had a significant impact on the foreign policy of Western liberal democracies during this period. The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent spread of communist ideology across Europe and beyond led to a deep-seated fear of the potential threat posed by communist movements. This fear influenced their foreign policy decisions, leading to efforts to contain and counter the spread of communism through diplomatic, economic, and military means.

This fear of communism also led to a reluctance to support revolutionary or radical movements in other countries, as Western liberal democracies sought to prevent the spread of communist ideology and maintain stability in the face of perceived internal and external threats.

In conclusion, the considerations motivating Western liberal democracies during the inter-war years were driven by a desire for peace, stability, and economic prosperity, as well as a fear of the spread of communism. These motivations shaped their foreign policy decisions and led to a cautious and sometimes interventionist approach to international affairs during this period.

Question 2

By the end of the 1920s, the overall mood internationally may best be described as

Accepted Answer

A)   hopeful.
B)   depressed.
C)   paranoid.
D)   pessimistic.
E)   radical. A

Question 3

The most pressing problem for eastern European countries in the interwar years was

Accepted Answer

A)   a lack of knowledgeable government leaders.
B)   a subsistence agriculture-based economy.
C)   a fear of communism.
D)   a low literacy rate.
E)   rampant unemployment. B

Question 4

The government of the Weimar Republic

Accepted Answer

A)   assembled a coalition of several political parties in order to repel attempts by communists to take over.
B)   was forced to accept the Versailles Treaty, and it took quite a bit of effort to convince the German people that they really had no choice.
C)   adopted a liberal, democratic constitution but could not earn the acceptance of the people, due to simmering resentment over the signing of the treaty.
D)   put down numerous coups with the help of the strong German military.
E)   was doomed from its inception and everyone, even those who wrote the new constitution, knew that was true.

Question 5

____________________ is defined as the sentiment/political movement of a national minority to break away and unite with a neighboring country.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ____________________ is defined as the sentiment/political movement...

Question 6

During the period between the wars, Great Britain's laboring class experienced

Accepted Answer

A)   a loss of purchasing power.
B)   a steady rise in earning power.
C)   a successful general strike.
D)   chronic unemployment.
E)   increased productivity.

Question 7

Analyze the influence of Marxism and the perceptions of the Soviet State during the 1920s and 1930s.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Analyze the influence of Marxism and the...

Question 8

Mussolini made his political debut as

Accepted Answer

A)   a communist organizer in postwar Italy.
B)   a strikebreaker.
C)   a military officer.
D)   a liberal parliamentary delegate.
E)   a writer of scathing editorials against the government.

Question 9

In a totalitarian regime, "the people" refers to

Accepted Answer

A)   members of the political party in control of the government.
B)   government leaders.
C)   those willing to give over control to a supreme leader.
D)   members of the majority ethnic group.
E)   all citizens who are not a part of the formal military structure.

Question 10

The ____________________ on ____________________ brought Mussolini to power in ____________________ in 1922.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ____________________ on ____________________ brought Mussolini to...

Question 11

The best support for the ideas of Marx came from the degree of industrialization achieved by

Accepted Answer

A)   Germany.
B)   Italy.
C)   France.
D)   the United States.
E)   the Soviet Union.

Question 12

The 1926 general strike in Great Britain was designed to publicize

Accepted Answer

A)   massive unemployment.
B)   France's treatment of Germany.
C)   involvement in international affairs.
D)   mistreatment of labor by management.
E)   emigration restrictions.

Question 13

Totalitarianism refers to a political system that is at least partially successful in trying to

Accepted Answer

A)   suppress all dissent within a country.
B)   impose total control over individuals' lives.
C)   make sure that all eligible males serve in the military.
D)   both a and b
E)   both a and c

Question 14

Italy was in a bad way after World War I for all of the following except which of these?

Accepted Answer

A)   unrest because of the way the country was treated at the Paris peace talks.
B)   the loss of many skilled people due to emigration to the United States.
C)   a sense of being ruled by a parliamentary government that most Italians considered too liberal.
D)   the loss of wartime contracts that led to massive unemployment.
E)   the failure of the government to plan ahead for how to take care of the people after the war.

Question 15

After World War II, Western governments were more inclined to adopt Keynesian economic theories, meaning that they were more willing to

Accepted Answer

A)   put more money into circulation even though that often leads to recessions.
B)   print more paper money, even though that might devalue the currency.
C)   create jobs from the top down, even if giving a false picture of a country's real economic situation.
D)   juggle the books to make the economy seem stronger than it was.
E)   issue bonds for local building projects.

Question 16

In the totalitarian scheme, the state itself becomes

Accepted Answer

A)   the property of all of its people.
B)   an instrument of imperialism.
C)   the symbol of the Leader's will.
D)   an irrelevancy to be abolished.
E)   the cement binding the Leader to the people.

Question 17

The Dawes Plan was designed to

Accepted Answer

A)   help the French obtain reparations payments from the Germans.
B)   help Germany obtain a moratorium on reparations payments.
C)   help rebuild eastern European cities that had been heavily damaged by the war.
D)   help the Eastern European states develop democratic governments.
E)   facilitate a large loan from the United States to the government of Germany.

Question 18

Mussolini came to power in Italy in 1922, and by 1924 he had managed to

Accepted Answer

A)   win a fraudulent election that made it seem as if he were the people's choice.
B)   invaded and occupied Ethiopia in North Africa.
C)   pulled Italy out of the League of Nations.
D)   rigged elections and put his fascist party in control of the parliament.
E)   turn Italy into a near-perfect totalitarian state.

Question 19

Of America's involvement in World War I, it would be accurate to say that

Accepted Answer

A)   the country went so far into debt that most people were saying it would never recover.
B)   where the economy was concerned, the war had been a good thing.
C)   the stock market reacted negatively when the war ended, since people feared that manufacturing would decline.
D)   most Americans hated the necessity of the war but continued to believe it had been necessary.
E)   Americans gained a new perspective on their role as the world's policeman.

Question 20

As a result of the ____________________ ____________________ ____________________, Mussolini was appointed Italy's premier the king.

Accepted Answer

The answer of As a result of the ____________________ ____________________...

Exam 43: A Fragile Balance: Europe in the Twenties