STALIN’S SOVIET UNION

What hardships did Soviet citizens experience under Stalinism? Given these hardships, why were so many ordinary citizens enthusiastic about Stalinism?

Could Stalin’s economic and social policies have been implemented without a high degree of coercion? Why or why not?

FASCISM IN ITALY AND GERMANY

In your opinion, was Italy under Mussolini a totalitarian state? Why or why not?

Compare and contrast the efforts of Hitler and Stalin to gain the support of their respective populations. In this context, what did the two regimes have in common?

THE SECOND WORLD WAR

What role did race play in the German and Japanese drive for territorial expansion? Is it fair to describe World War II, in Europe and in the Pacific, as a racial war?

In your opinion, why did the Allies win the war? What role did industrial production play in the Allied victory? What other factors were important?

MAKE CONNECTIONS

Defend or refute the following statement. “The first half of the twentieth century did not see two world wars, but rather a single war with a long truce in the middle.”

In your opinion, what are the most important lessons to be drawn from the events leading up to World War II?