Question : The Berlin congress 1878 failed to unlock the Eastern Question though there was no major war in Europe for nearly three decades after the treaty contained the seeds of many future wars Critically evaluate
(2015)
Answer : The Berlin Congress (1878) was a diplomatic meeting of the major European powers at which the Treaty of Berlin replaced the Treaty of San Stefano, which had been signed by Russia and Turkey at the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.
The Congress solved an international crisis caused by the Treaty of San Stefano by revising the peace settlement to satisfy the interests of Britain (by denying Russia the means to extend its naval power ....
Question : The language of narrow nationalism held at Frankfurt destroyed the German Revolution as the fatal idea of aggrandisement of the House of Savoy destroyed the Italian Revolution. Discuss
(2014)
Answer : The Revolution of 1848 failed in its attempt to unify the German-speaking states because the Frankfurt Assembly reflected the many different interests of the German ruling class.
Its members were unable to form coalitions and push for specific goals. The first conflict arose over the goals of the assembly. The moderate liberals wanted to draft a constitution to present to the monarchs, whereas the smaller group of radical members wanted the assembly to declare itself as ....
Question : The European Union is the new sick man of Europe. Critically evaluate
(2013)
Answer : The European Union is the new sick man of Europe. The effort over the past half century to create a more united Europe is now the principal casualty of the euro crisis. The European project now stands in disrepute across much of Europe.
Support for European economic integration – the 1957 raison d’etre for creating the European Economic Community, the European Union’s predecessor – is down over last year in five of the eight European Union ....
Question : Was German unification achieved more by coal and iron than by blood and iron
(2012)
Answer : The unification of Germany was not just a matter of the signing a document stating that many states had become one country.
There were problems such as varying languages, currencies, and ethnic minorities, to name a few. In the end, however, how was it unified? ‘Coal and iron’ refers to economic ties unifying Germany and ‘Blood and iron’ refers to the unification of Germany through force. The role of Bismarck in unification of Germany was also ....
Question : The essence of perestroika is for people to feel they are country master Gorbachev
(2010)
Answer : Perestroika was one of the 5 pillars of Gorbachev’s reform. It stood for restructuring, reinvigorating the old order. USSR under its previous rulers Stalin, Kruschev and Brezner were an authoritarian regime. The political rights were negated to the people and the essence of liberty and freedom was lacking. The regime was that of regime of control.
The cold war put immense pressure on USSR and large investment was made in space military to counter U.S. Result ....
Question : The capitalism which gave the European empires their apparent solidarity and permanence also hastened their downfall
(2009)
Answer : Capitalism is an economic and social system in which capital, the non-labour factors of production (also known as the means of production), is privately controlled; labour, goods and capital are traded in markets; and profits distributed to owners or invested in technologies and industries. Capitalism as a system developed incrementally from the 16th century in Europe, although capitalist-like organizations existed in the ancient world, and early aspects of merchant capitalism flourished during the Late Middle ....
Question : Discuss the main characteristics of Fascism.
(2007)
Answer : A number of political movements which arose in Europe after the World War I are generally given the name “Fascist”. The common features of this movement were their hostility of democracy and socialism and the aim of establishing dictatorships. They succeeded in many countries of Europe, such as Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Germany and Spain. Their success in Italy and Germany had the most serious consequences.
The term Fascism is of Italian origin. It was first ....
Question : “They have stopped me from making Italy by diplomacy from the North, I will make it by a revolution from the south.”
(2005)
Answer : The unification of Italy constitutes a saga of diplomacy and courage of the people of Italy. In making a united Italy, Cavour played the most remarkable and paramount role. In the initial stages, Cavour banked upon negotiations and diplomatic maneuvering to achieve the aim of united Italy. When the efforts yielded results not to his liking, he took recourse to what has been called direct and overt steps to make the Italy unified under a ....
Question : ‘To Bismarck the conclusion of the Treaty of May 20, 1882, was the culmination of this system...’
(2004)
Answer : Bismark Negotiated and signed in May 1881, the Triple Alliance brought Italy into the alliance previously agreed between Germany and Austria-Hungary (in 1879) as a counterweight to France and Russia.Under the provisions of this treaty, Germany and Austria-Hungary promised to assist Italy if she were attacked by France, and vice versa: Italy was bound to lend aid to Germany or Austria-Hungary if France declared war against either. Additionally, should any signatory find itself at war ....
Question : Bismarck united Germany not by majority of votes and speeches, but by a policy of “blood and Iron”. In the light of this statement assess the contribution of Bismarck to the Unification of Germany.
(2003)
Answer : One of the major features of the 19th century history of Europe was the struggle for national unification and independence. In the 18th century Germany was divided into a number of states. Some of these states were very small and did not extend beyond the limits of a city. During the Napoleonic wars many of there states ceased to exist. At the end of the wars these were still thirty-eight independent states in Germany. Among ....
Question : “Napoleon kindled the national sentiment, but German unity was achieved by Bismarck.” Discuss.
(2002)
Answer : Napoleon’s invasion on Germany was a great historical event. No doubt it was the imperialistic expansion of the French empire under the leadership of Napoleon, but it can be termed as a blessing in disguise. Before Nepoleon’s attack on German region the entire Germany was divided into 300 states. It was Napoleon who steel-frame of administration. Nepoleon created a Federal set up of 39 states. These 39 states were created out of the 300 states ....
Question : ‘Bismarck created new Germany with the policy of ‘blood and iron’.
(2001)
Answer : Otto Von Bismarck, the architect of the German Unification, believed in a policy of blood and iron (militarism) to achieve his object. Unmindful of the resistance offered by the popular House of the Prussian Diet, Bismarck embarked on an ambitious programme of militarisation. He not only raised a large number of soldiers but also imparted them training in the use of new weapons. As a result, the military strength of Prussia considerably increased. He asserted ....
