• "Schedule"
• "Course paper"
• "History Course A"

1. Course Paper
2. Timeline

• The structure of the text in the book (pages 16-17)
• Content (pages 5-12 - we will mostly focus on the pages 400-755)
• Maps (pages 13-15 and an index of maps on the pages 799-800)
• Index (pages 775-798)
• Short Glossary (pages 764-769)
• "Concerning History" - Why should a person study history (my own reflections together with the pages 18-19)...

• Define the expression "Civilization".
• When did the first civilizations start according to historians?
• Where did the first civilizations start according to historians?
• Why did the first civilizations start according to historians?

Thursday 17/9: I had brought the “Magic Hat” so you could draw your specific topics today. Here is a list of who is doing what:

1. River Valley Civilizations (38-61) – Joakim ”Jos” Stjernman
2. Ancient Greece (66-87) – Abdiquani Aden
3. The Roman Empire (90-109) – Osaruwmense ”Osas” Ehiwe
4. Rise of Christianity + Fall of Rome (116-131) – Mona Kamrani Khonigh
5. Feudalism and Crusades (134-152) – Anton Mårtensson
6. Medieval Towns (154-172) – Philip Tham
7. Byzantine and Russian Empire (174-197) – Josef Makdesi Aphram
8. Development of Nations (272-288) – Sidra Chaudry
9. The Renaissance (290-308) – Yi-Ping Lu
10. The Reformation + conflicts (310-326) – Jonathan Lindström
11. Exploration – the Age of Discoveries (328-349) – Arvid Sandström
12. Power Struggles among the European Kings (357-372) – Sarah Ouhlana

Next week you will be busy with your Project Work during the history lessons. Meanwhile you will work on your history topic. If you have any questions email me: macgregorishistory@gmail.com. Good Luck and don’t hesitate to mail me if you need any help. See you on Tuesday week 40!

1. Sir Francis Bacon’s belief in experimentation was the basis of modern science and the scientific method. Explain the meaning of these terms.
2. What were the main differences between the works of the Greek astronomer Ptolemy and the Polish churchman Nikolaus Copernikus?
3. How did the work of Kepler and Gallileo strengthen the Copernican theories?
4. ”Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton finished the work of Copernicus and Kepler” – To what extent do you agree with this statement?
5. Account for development and improvements in other sciences during the 16th and 17th centuries.
6. How was the work of scientists aided by the inventions of the following men: Napier; Torricelli; Fahrenheit; Celsius; Guericke; Huygens;?
7. What theories delayed the scientific study of Chemistry? What was proved by Boyle? Cavendish? Priestly? Lavoisier?
8. What did Gilbert and Franklin contribute to the study of electricity?
9. How did Vesalius method of studying anatomy differ from that of his professors? What did he accomplish?
10. Describe the discoveries of William Harvey, Zacharias Janssen and Anton van Leeuwenhoek.

1687 - "PRINCIPIA"- by Newton is published
1789 - French Revolution
1662 - The Royal Society is founded in London - "Philosophical Transactions" - Magazine
- ENGLISH REV.
- AMERICAN REV.
- FRENCH REV.

John Locke 1632-1704 England – Philosopher - "social contract"

The government should be replaced if they did not respect the "Natural rights" of the population
Natural rights = Life, Liberty, Property
How do we replace a government?

1. In what way was the Scientific Revolution a necessity for the Enlightenment?
2. What period do we talk about – when did the Enlightenment start and when was it over (what specific events marks the beginning and the end of this period)?
3. Several famous individuals formed new ideas inspired by this new intellectual movement – mention the most famous individuals of the Enlightenment.
4. Which countries did the intellectuals above come from?
5. Why do you think that these specific countries produced the most famous representatives of the Enlightenment?
6. Present the main ideas of each famous individual mention on the previous page.
7. What results did these ideas have?

• Scientific Revolution
• ”Religious Wars” (like the 30-year war)
• Weakening of the Catholic Church
• Urban Education
• Mercantilism

• From Newton’s “Principia” (1687) to the French Revolution (1789)
• 1. England (Thomas Hobbes – “Leviathan”, John Locke – political philosophy, Adam Smith – “Wealth of Nations”)
• 2. France (Voltaire, Baron de Montesquieu, Denis Diderot, Rousseau – “Social Contract”)
• 3. German states (Goethe, Liebniz, Immanuel Kant – Skepticism)
• Rationalism
• Deism
• Romanticism
• Skepticism

• Political Revolutions – England, America, France
• US Constitution
• Romanticism
• Skepticism
• Capitalism

Magazines (If you use a Magazine or a "Journal" you always start with the last name of the author...):

• The English Revolution
• The American Revolution
• The French Revolution

1. In what way did the English monarchy under the Tudors differ from most of the monarchies in Europe ?
2. What were the causes of the English Civil War 1642?
3. How and why did Oliver Cromwell become a dictator?
4. What were the main results of the English Revolution?
5. What were the causes of the Glorious Revolution?
6. What were the main results of the Glorious Revolution?
7. How did cabinet government develop under the Hanoverian rulers?

1. Discuss the differences between the English colonies in North America and England in the middle of the 17th century.
2. Discuss the events that led the colonists to proclaim their independence July 4th 1776.
3. In what respects was the American War of Independence part of a worldwide conflict among the European nations?
4. Discuss the results of the American Revolution.

1. Account for the centralization of power to the French King from the early 16th century to Louis XIV (died 1715).
2. Explain Mercantilism and the role it played in France during the 17th century.
3. What was the most important problem facing the French government in the 18th century? Why did efforts to solve it fail?
4. Why did Louis XVI summon the Estates-General 1788?
5. What were the causes of the French Revolution 1789?
6. Describe the conditions which led to a “second” French Revolution.
7. What conditions led to the Reign of Terror?
8. What did the Committee of Public Safety accomplish?
9. Why was the Directory unsuccessful?

1. Why was a Congress necessary?
2. Who participated in the Congress and how was the Congress set up?
3. Who were the dominating countries/representatives?
4. What questions/issues did each of the dominating countries/representatives favour?
5. What were the main problems the Congress focused on?
6. How did the Congress solve these problems?
7. What other decisions were taken at the Congress?
8. How did the countries continue to work after the Congress of Vienna?
9. Was the Vienna settlement a success or a failure?

1. Why was a Congress necessary?
2. Who participated in the Congress and how was the Congress set up?
3. Who were the dominating countries/representatives?
4. What questions/issues did each of the dominating countries/representatives favour?
5. What were the main problems the Congress focused on?
6. How did the Congress solve these problems?
7. What other decisions were taken at the Congress?
8. How did the countries continue to work after the Congress of Vienna?
9. Was the Vienna settlement a success or a failure?

1. Italy/Germany
2. Industrial Revolution/Great Britain
3. Russia/USA
4. Ottoman Empire/India
5. China/Japan
6. Latin America/Africa

1. Italy/Germany (Arvid/Jos)
2. Industrial Revolution/Great Britain (Osas/Sarah)
3. Russia/USA (Anton/Jonathan)
4. Ottoman Empire/India (Mona/Sidra)
5. China/Japan (Philip/Yi-Ping)
6. Latin America/Africa (Abdiqani/Josef/Magsood)

1. Italy/Germany (Arvid/Jos)
2. Industrial Revolution/Great Britain (Osas/Sarah)
3. Russia/USA (Anton/Jonathan)
4. Ottoman Empire/India (Mona/Sidra)
5. China/Japan (Philip/Yi-Ping)
6. Latin America/Africa (Abdiqani/Josef/Magsood)

1. Africa (Abdiqani)

• Make bullet points about the different conflicts between countries; which countries, what the problem was and how it was solved.
• Then make bullet points about the development of the "Triple Alliance" and the "Triple Entente". I will go through these parts with your help next time...

• Universal manhood suffrage
• Education extended
• Enormous gains with science, medecine, industry and technology
• Global economy ("interdependence")

• Pan-American movement (1889 - Pan-American Union / 1948 OAS - Organization of American States)
• Geneva Convention (1864)
• International Telegraph Union (1868)
• General Postal Union (1874)
• Olympic Games(!) (1896)

• Imperialism - national rivalries in the colonies
• Alliance System - the development of two rival alliances including the big countries of Europe: Triple Alliance against Triple Entente
• Balkan problems - national rivalries as well as the problem of the weak Ottoman Empire (the "Eastern Question") + the Balkan Wars
• Arms Race (between all the major countries - conscription and mass armies, the development of artillery and machine guns, railroad development for military use, and especially the naval competition between Great Britain and Germany)
• Diplomatic Crisis (Moroccan Crisis 1905, Bosnian Crisis 1908-09, Moroccan Crisis 1911...
• French wish for revenge (after the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War 1870-71)
• German unification - a new very strong power in central Europe disturbed the previous political/economic balance of Europe
• Wilhelm II - a Kaiser with lots of power but not very good diplomatic skills...
• Economic rivalry (especially between Great Britain and Germany)
• Serbian nationalism and attempts to create "Big Serbia"
• Russia's consistent backing of Serbia
• Germany's constant backing of her ally Austria-Hungary (Blank Cheque - both in 1908-09 and in 1914)
• Social Darwinism - the beliefs in superiority
• Public acceptance and even a will to go to war (backed up by several leading politicians)
• Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofie in Sarajevo June 28th 1914
• July Crisis 1914 (Austria-Hungary plans, German backup - blank cheque, Austria-Hungary's "super-ultimatum" to Serbia, Austria-Hungarian declaration of war July 28th 1914 - exactly one month after the assassination, Russian mobilization, German declaration of war against Russia, French mobilization, German declaration of war against France, German invasion of Belgium, British declaration of war against Germany...)

• Germany - Arvid and Philip
• Great Britain - Anton and Sarah
• France - Jonathan and Jos
• USA - Sidra and Mona
• Italy - Abdiqani
• Serbia - Osas
• Poland - Josef

1. Belgian resistance delayed the German forces
2. BEF (British Expeditionary Force) therefore managed to come to assistance at the Belgian town of MONS which further delayed the German forces
3. When the German troops started to move faster - they moved too fast. The logistics - food and ammunition could not keep up. Soon the soldiers were underfed and exhausted.
4. Russia attacked within two weeks which was unexpected fast. Germany therefore had to send 100 000 men from the West Front to the East Front.
5. The original plan had been altered. The right wing that was supposed to be the strongest part of the German attack had been weakened. Some of the men that should have been there had been sent south to meet the French troops in Lorraine. Others were forced to leave to strengthen the Eastern Front (100 000 men) and then the German Generals decided to move more directly towards Paris...

• France. The military should decide whether we should demand cession of Belfort and western slopes of the Vosges, razing of fortresses and cession of coastal strip from Dunkirk to Boulogne from France
• France. The ore-field of Briey, which is necessary for the supply of ore for our industry, to be ceded in any case. Further, a war indemnity, to be paid in instalments; it must be high enough to prevent France from spending any considerable sums on armaments in the next 15-20 years.
• France. Furthermore: a commercial treaty which makes France economically dependent on Germany, secures the French market for our exports and makes it possible to exclude British commerce from France. This treaty must secure for us financial and industrial freedom of movement in France in such fashion that German enterprises can no longer receive different treatment from French.
• Belgium. Liége and Verviers to be attached to Prussia, a frontier strip of the province of Luxemburg to Luxemburg.
• Belgium. Question whether Antwerp, with a corridor to Liége, should also be annexed remains open.
• Belgium. At any rate Belgium, even it allowed to continue to exist as a state, must be reduced to a vassal state, must allow us to occupy any militarily important ports, must place her coast at our disposal in military respects, must become economically a German province. Given such a solution, which offers the advantages of annexation without its inescapable domestic political disadvantages, French Flanders with Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne, where most of the population is Flemish, can without danger be attached to this unaltered Belgium. The competent quarters will have to judge the military value of this position against England.
• Luxemburg. Will become a German federal state and will receive a strip of the present Belgian province of Luxemburg and perhaps the corner of Longwy.
• We must create a central European economic association through common customs treaties, to include France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Austria-Hungary, Poland "sic", and perhaps Italy, Sweden and Norway. This association will not have any common constitutional supreme authority and all its members will be normally equal, but in practice will be under German leadership and must stabilise Germany's economic dominance over Mitteleuropa.
• The question of colonial acquisitions, where the first aim is the creation of a continuous Central African colonial empire, will be considered later, as will that of the aims to be realised vis-à-vis Russia.
• A short provisional formula suitable for a possible preliminary peace to be found for a basis for the economic agreements to be concluded with France and Belgium.
• Holland. It will have to be considered by what means and methods Holland can be brought into closer relationship with the German Empire.

• Elimination of "Junker militarism"
• Elimination of the German navy
• Elimination of the German colonial Empire
• Return of Alsace-Lorraine to France
• Russia was promised influence over Constantinople and the Straits (Dardanelles + Bosphoria). Britain and France would be compensated in Egypt and the Near East...

• Machine guns: These weapons were first used in the American Civil War to devastating effect. But with World War One their effectiveness reached frightening new levels. Firing up to 600 bullets a minute (the equivalent of 250 men with rifles), Machine Guns were then deemed to be ‘weapons of mass destruction’.
• Artillery: These were the new and upgraded versions of cannons. Never in the history of man, where there so many cannons used in one war alone. For four years the British had been using artillery and firing 170 million shells in that time. But Germany had a plan up their sleeve. For years, German scientists were developing the biggest artillery ever known. It was call the ‘Big Bertha’. Big Bertha was so powerful it could fire at the heart of Paris from 120 kilometers away. The cannons weren’t the only things that had been improved. The shells were upgraded as well. Instead of ordinary shells, new high-explosive shells were developed. The Shells were thin casings and were filled with tiny lead pellets. This was so effective, that artillery fire killed hundreds and thousands of men. It also blew the ground, which made hiding much more difficult.
• Gas Grenades: These were highly toxic and very effective weapons. The Germans had invented 3 main gas grenades. The first was Chlorine gas, which was used at the battle of Ypres in 1915, killing thousands. Second was Phosgene gas and third was Mustard gas. This burned the lungs of the inhaler leaving them to die in agony. Gas masks were issued to everyone in the country, but they weren’t so useful and many people died.
• Transportation: transportation greatly increased, as more troops were needed at battlefields and other places. British forces used everything from trains to trucks and even taxis. They transported 500 men in 1914; 250 taxis took the reserve troops to the Battle of Marne and thousands of lorries were used to transport troops to Verdun in 1916.
• Communication: In 1914 both radios and telephones were the main ways of communication. These were very vital for the troops in trenches. However, that did not mean that messengers, dogs and pigeons were out of business.
• Tanks: Tanks were known as ‘The Chariots of God’ at first, they were giant blocks of metal that could carry 1-2 personnel and traveled at about 5 kilometers per hour. But scientists and developers kept making new and improved tanks and by 1918 the Anglo-American Mark 8th could carry up to 8 men, and at the same time fire 208 shells and up to 13,000 bullets. Although these beasts were powerful, they were not so reliable. Most broke down and a good example is the battle of Amiens. The British sent 525 tanks, and after four days, only 25 were left in working order. Rolls Royce also joined in the development of these tanks, by building their own armored car! It could travel up to 88 kilometers and had 8mm machine guns.
• Planes: These were the new types of weapons use in advanced technological warfare. They had everything from mini scout planes to huge blimp like bombers called Zeppelins. Air warfare was not seen as important as any other type so it did not have its own category.
• Naval Units: Naval ships were counted very important for some of the war. British specialized in Ships such as battleships, and the Germans specialized in Submarines.

Thursday 25/2: I started this lesson by going through the "Peace Treaties" after WWI (the paper you received at the lesson before the vacation). The first two Peace Treaties (Brest-Litovsk and Bucharest) saw the Central Powers as the victorious nations. It's especially interesting to see what demands Germany put on Russia at Brest-Litovsk. Their harsh demands on Russia was one of the reasons why they received such harsh demands in Versailles. Then I covered the five different treaties in Paris (the "Paris Treaties" 1919-1920 or the "Paris Settlements" 1919-1920). The first treaty - the "Versailles Treaty" became a role model for the continuing treaties. Germany lost some land in Europe, all their colonies, some resources and part of their population. Austria, Hungary and Turkey (the Ottoman Empire) lost even more. These two Empires were "history" after WWI. Their former land became several different new nations and/or mandates under the League of Nations. Due to this Germany came out relatively stronger in comparison after WWI. It was only Bulgaria that received a relatively lenient peace. All of the loosing nations also had to pay war indemnities.
After the covering of these papers I handed out one paper - a presentation of an essay evaluation. You will be given 15 different questions on the sections we have gone through (WWI) and we will go through (the Interwar Period). I will choose four (maybe five) of these questions and give you an "essay-in-class" week 11 (Friday 19/3). You will then answer one of the four (maybe five) essay questions given. I went through the evaluation which contained Structure, Content and Analysis. Make sure you look through the paper you received so you know what's expected from you (this paper also contained the grade boundaries).

We will cover that, the "League of Nations" and a few more things the coming two weeks. As soon as possible I will publish the 15 questions so you know what to focus on (which probably will be a bit of everything...). You have Chapter 27 "The League of Nations and the Search for Peace" as homework to Thursday Week 10 (11/3). We will then start with the "League of Nations"...

• Manchurian Crisis (Japan, a permanent member of the LoN Council, invaded and occupied Manchuria 1931)
• Abyssinian Crisis (Italy, another permanent member of the LoN Council, invaded and occupied Abyssinia 1935)
• German rearmament and Anschluss (Germany started to break several of the agreements from the Versailles Treaty and in 1938 Austria were joined "Anschluss" with Germany - very much against the Versailles Treaty)
• Spanish Civil War 1936-39 (some historians have seen the Spanish Civil War as part of WWII...)

• The Assembly. This was the League's Parliament. Every nation who was a member sent a representative to the Assembly. The Assembly could recommend action to the council and vote on: admitting new members to the LoN / appointing temporary members to the Council (beside the permanent members) / the budget to the League / other ideas put forward by the Council. The Assembly only met once a year. Decisions made by the Assembly had to be unanimous - 100% of the votes...
• The Secretariat. This was the administration of the League. It kept records of League meetings and prepared reports for the different agencies of the League. The Secretariat had specialist sections covering areas such as health, disarmament and economic matters.
• The Council. The Council was a smaller group which met more often, usually about five times a year (and more if there was an emergency). It included 4 permanent members; Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan. Later Germany was joined and so was the USSR. Each permanent member of the Council had a veto. This meant that one of the permanent member could stop any decision even if all other members supported it. It also included some temporary members that were elected by the Assembly over a period of three years. The number of temporary members varied between 4 and 9 at different times in the League's history.

• Moral condemnation: The Council decided which country was the "aggressor" and then condemn them and told them to stop what it was doing.
• Economic and financial sanctions: Members of the LoN could refuse to trade with the aggressor.
• Military force: The armed forces of member countries could be used against an aggressor.

1. Discuss three main causes of WWI.
2. “Balkan became the most dangerous spot in Europe before WWI”. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
3. Why did Germany and her Allies loose WWI?
4. The Versailles Treaty has been viewed as both fair and unfair. Discuss both views.
5. What were the main aims of the Paris Peace Treaties and to what extent were these aims fulfilled?
6. Discuss the foundation of the League of Nations; background, aims and establishment.
7. Why did the US not join the League of Nations?
8. “The 1920’s was mostly successful for the League of Nations”. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
9. Discuss the success and the failures of the League of Nations during the interwar period.
10. Describe the foundation and development of the Weimar Republic. Why did it fail?
11. What were the main reasons behind the Russian Revolution in February/March 1917?
12. Russia faced two revolutions in 1917 – Why?
13. How did Stalin establish and consolidate his power in the USSR between the years 1922(24) and 1939?
14. Compare and contrast the economic and political development in two European countries during the interwar period.
15. The interwar years were turbulent outside Europe. Discuss the development in either the US, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East or India.

• Petrograd February/March 1917
• Tsar Nicholas II abdicates
• Dual Power System; Provisional Government / Petrograd Soviet
• Lenin returns to Russia – Publish April Theses (Pravda)

• Land, Bread and Peace
• All Power to the Soviets
• No co-operation with the Provisional Government

• May - First All-Russian Congress of Soviets
• June - WWI “Kerensky Offensive” - total failure
• July Days - Riots in Petrograd - Bolsheviks accused of treason (Lenin fled to Finland …)
• August – Kornilov Revolt
• August/September - Election to the Petrograd Soviet (and other local Soviets)

• Written Assignment
• Oral Presentation
• Test
• In-class-essay

...and somebody suggested discussion… We will take a decision tomorrow about how we will run this course. See you then :-)

1. To what extent was Adolf Hitler and Germany responsible for the outbreak of WWII?
2. What are the similarities/differences between Italy and Germany during the period 1919-1945?
3. Why was France defeated by Germany in June 1940?
4. Was Sweden neutral during WWII?
5. Why did the US drop two A-bombs over Japan in August 1945?
6. What were the main reasons behind the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor?
7. Explain the development of democracies and dictatorship in interwar Europe (1919-1939).
8. Discuss the rise and fall of Vidkun Quisling in Norway.
9. Why did nobody try to resist Hitler in Europe during the 1930's?
10. Discuss the turning point of WWII for the Allies.

• Propaganda and agitation
• Espionage and covert actions/subversion
• Economic Competition
• Technical competition, including the arms and space races
• Sporting competition
• General maneuvering for advantage
• Surrogate, proxy, limited wars

1. 1917 - when the Bolsheviks took over in Russia and spearheaded the attempt to spread Communism (Comintern 1919...) and the Western Powers for intervening in the Russian Civil War 1918-1920
2. 1945 - The Yalta (February) and Potsdam (July-August) Conferences
3. 1945 - The London Conference of Foreign Ministers (September - October)
4. 1946 - Churchill's "Iron Curtain speech" at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri (March)
5. 1947 - The Truman Doctrine (March)
6. 1947 - Cominform (October)
7. 1948 - The Communist take-over of Czechoslovakia (Czecholslovakian coup)
8. 1948 - The Berlin Blockade

• Coup in Czechoslovakia (1948)
• Berlin Blockade (1948-49)
• Korean War (1950-1953)
• Second Berlin Crisis (1960-61)
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
• Vietnam War (1963-1975)
• War in Afghanistan (1979-1989)