discussion-vii-key-terms-in-chapter-19-1
Chapter 19 covers the era of World War I and the two decades leading up to World War II. It includes a period of incredible violence, as well as some promising movements for reform and self-determination. You may use the reading handouts to identify key items to discuss, or you can use the key terms and questions you see listed for each chapter. For example, you will notice headings for the “Russian Revolution” and the “American New Deal” (notice they put Roosevelt’s New Deal in a global perspective). Please feel free to use anything that looks like a solid topic, and please be sure to include page numbers so people can find it.
The forum is worth 10 points, but you can get up to 15 if you do some extra. You can get up to five points for a really good paragraph. Please do not write more than one solid paragraph, or two very short paragraphs, in a single post.
If you are the first person to write on a topic, you may start a thread by responding directly to this post. Write about why you think this key term is important to what we are learning. Discuss the key term or question in the context of the chapter(s) and share some of what you learned. If you not the first person to discuss the topic please respond to an existing thread and add helpful information and insights.
Students are generally getting really good at writing meaningful paragraphs, and I am expecting your best work on this one! If you write abut the Russian Revolution, you could note that it was one hundred years ago and relate it to the WW I era. Then someone else could add that it was really two revolutions: a liberal revolution in February and a Bolshevik revolution in October (when the Russian Empire became known as the Soviet Union). Then the next person could comment on how Lenin got the Soviets out of WW I and established a communist state. In other words, we could have several people write on various aspects of a key term, and that would be very meaningful and helpful!
Please join the forum by the end of Week 5, either by starting a thread or responding to another student. The forum will be open through the following Monday to help you with the Essays and Reflections III.
an example on how to do this discussion:
Chapter 19, key terms: Benito Mussolini, fascism
After the Great War (World War 1) societies struggled to build a modern state. The situation was worse in Europe, especially in Italy and Germany who were threatened by the spread of communism emanating from Russia. A charismatic character, Benito Mussolini “coined the term fascism” which was the first anti-liberal and anti-social alternative. Mussolini led a small march on Rome and this intimidated the king. The existing Italian government resigned in protest and Mussolini was invited to become the Prime Minister even though his fascist party only held a few seats after the 1921 election.
Mussolini transformed the constitutional monarchy into a dictatorship and he used grand displays portraying “Roman imperial grandeur” in radio and films and had large-scale parades to promote national pride and unity (Page 906). This is important because Mussolini’s fascism was a model for other countries to follow.
