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The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe during the late 1980s and early 1990s was generally very peaceful. That was not true in Romania, where the revolution turned exceedingly violent. Communist dictator [BLANK-1] refused to step down or cede power to protestors seeking democratic reforms and an end to the communist government. He unleashed his security forces on protestors, where they killed more than 100 in Timișoara. More than 1,100 were killed by police and soldiers in Bucharest in the following days, before the dictator’s forces were overwhelmed by the protestors. The communist dictator and his wife were publicly executed by the military on Christmas Day, 1989. They were the last people to be executed in Romania, as the new government outlawed capital punishment two weeks later.

What does the term “heptarchy” refer to?  

Following Germany’s defeat during WWI, the country transitioned from a monarchy to a democracy called [BLANK-1]. This German government lasted from 1919-1933, and initially had the markings of a successful democratic state. A number of issues worked against this fledgling democratic government, however. Due to the peace agreements that emerged from WWI, Germany was forced to cede its industrial heartland in the Ruhr Valley to France. It was also forced to pay massive reparations even when the state fell into economic and political disarray. It suffered from an incredible amount of post-war hyperinflation (for example, in 1919, nine German Marks would purchase one American Dollar but in 1923 it took 4.2 trillion Marks to purchase one American Dollar). These crises doomed the government, allowed extremism to flourish, and paved the way for Adolf Hitler’s rise to power.

During the twentieth century, the United States frequently violated the sovereignty of Latin American countries in order to pursue their own economic interest. That was particularly true in Guatemala, when the country elected a leftist-leaning president, [BLANK-1]. Despite his left-leaning policies, such as an agrarian bill that led to land distribution, this Guatemalan leader was unassociated with the Soviet Bloc. Nevertheless, his election sent alarm bells ringing in the United States during the Red Scare. His policies also affected the United Fruit Company (now called Chiquita Banana). The company had a 99-year lease in Guatemala but had been intentionally undervaluing the land in order to avoid paying taxes. The new Guatemalan president insisted that the company properly assess the value of the land and pay back taxes, or have the land purchased from them at the absurdly low price that the company had valued it at: $0.02 an acre. Americans Allen Dulles (CIA Director) and John Foster Dulles (Secretary of State) were on the board of directors of the company and they used their political pull to instigate a coup against the democratically elected Guatemalan president. In 1954, supported by the United States and the CIA, Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas overthrew the president and he spent the rest of his life in exile. This contributed to the Guatemalan Civil War, in which between 140,000-200,000 people were killed or went missing.

What social hierarchy does the concept of “three estates” refer to in medieval literature?

[BLANK-1] was a reformist communist leader of Hungary from 1953-1955 who admitted non-communists into his administration, implemented democratic reforms, aimed to gain autonomy from the Soviets, and withdrew Hungary from the Warsaw Pact. His reforms were too radical for the Soviet Union’s liking, however, and the country coerced the Hungarian Communist Party to remove him from office. In October and November of 1956, he returned to power during the Hungarian Revolution, with the help of students who wished to distance the country from Soviet control. He led Hungary during the revolution and ruled for eleven days. On November 4, 1956, 2,000 Soviet tanks and 150,000 troops under the auspices of the Warsaw Pact descended on Budapest, crushed the rebellion, and rounded up and executed this Hungarian leader. During the Hungarian Revolution thousands were killed (mostly young students) and more than 200,000 were exiled.

A nationalist from the Gold Coast named [BLANK-1] led the first successful sub-Saharan African independence movement. Inspired by Marcus Garvey’s Pan-Africanism, this leader pushed for decolonization in the Gold Coast and formed the brand new, independent African nation: Ghana. He became Ghana’s first president and was later involved in the Third World Movement.

[BLANK-1] led the Chinese communists to victory over the Nationalists during the Chinese Civil War, and began ruling communist China in 1949. He adopted soviet-style five-year plans and looked to the USSR as a model early in his rule. However, this Great Leap Forward proved to be an unmitigated disaster (more than 30 million Chinese citizens starved to death). This failure led to a frosty relationship with the Soviet Union and he lost most real power in government, serving only as a figurehead leader. In 1965, during the Great Cultural Revolution, this Chinese leader staged a dramatic comeback, supported by the Red Guards (a group of idealistic youths who enthusiastically supported the leader). He returned to real power and worked to erase all traces of traditional and feudal Chinese culture. He and the Red Guards destroyed monuments, artwork, and books, while purging the Communist Party of officials, intellectuals, and protestors who disagreed with him.

[BLANK-1] in October 1944 was the largest naval engagement in world history. The United States defeated the Japanese Combined Fleet, essentially eliminating all remaining Japanese naval resistance in the Pacific Theater. The removal of the Japanese navy resulting from this encounter allowed the Americans to continue their island-hopping campaign, retake the Philippines, and prepare for an amphibious invasion of the Japanese homeland (which was ultimately rendered unnecessary by the atomic bombs).

Part 3 Essay Question (40%): Your essay should have an introduction with a clear and specific thesis, a body with evidence, and a conclusion that reinforces your central argument. Select the option you feel the most comfortable with and answer it to the best of your ability. You may find it helpful to write out a brief outline of the essay before you begin writing.Choose ONE (1):Trace the various arguments for the outcome of Operation Barbarossa. What led to the defeat of the Nazis in this theater, despite Germany’s Army Center Group advancing to within 10 miles of Moscow? How did the defeat of the Nazis in Operation Barbarossa have a profound effect on the outcome of the war?Describe in detail the Red Scare and the Anti-Communist Crusade in the United States. How did the United States respond to the perceived threat of communism? How did that change American society? What was Mutually-Assured Destruction and how did it relate to concerns about communism? Who were some of the critics of the Red Scare, Anti-Communist Crusade, and Mutually-Assured Destruction? How did those critics convey their messages; what did they consider more dangerous than communism?Chart the events that led to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and eventually to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Where was dissatisfaction with communism the greatest? Why? In what ways did common people contribute to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe? In what ways did government policy or state action lead to its collapse? What are the major arguments for the fall of communism, and which arguments do you find most compelling? Why?