IB History Essay Questions Unit 1 Essay Questions 1. Describe 19 ...

IB History Essay Questions
Unit 1 Essay Questions
1. Describe 19 th century liberalism.
2. Evaluate the impact of 19 th century industrialization on Europe.
3. Describe the growth of nationalism in Europe prior to WWI.
Unit 2 (World War I) Essay Questions
1. Describe the impact of the July Crisis on the outbreak of WWI.
2. How did technology affect WWI?
3. Was WWI inevitable?
Unit 4 (Single-Party States) Essay Questions
1. In what ways, and to what extent, did Stalin improve social and economic conditions in
the Soviet Union in the 1930s?
2. Compare and contrast the rise to power of Hitler and Stalin.
3. Compare and contrast the methods used by Stalin and Hitler to remain in power.
4. Evaluate the domestic policies of Adolf Hitler.
Unit 5 (World War II) Essay Questions
1. In what ways, and to what extent, was the Second World War “total war”?
2. Compare and contrast the causes of the First World War and the Second World War.
3. Analyze the (a) long-term causes and (b) the short term causes of the Second World
War.
4. For what reasons, and with what results, did the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan
affect Cold War development.
Unit 6 (Early Cold War) Essay Questions
1. “An unnatural alliance that was bound to fall apart after the defeat of the common
enemy.” To what extent does this statement explain the origins of the Cold War.
2. In what ways, and with what results, was Germany the key focus of the early stages of
the Cold War?
3. Why did the Cold War spread from Europe to other parts of the world after 1950?

Unit 7-Cold War (1955-1980) Essay Questions
1. Why did the Cold War spread from Europe to other parts of the world after 1950?
2. Despite the claim of those who promoted détente, its achievements were limited. How far
do you agree with this opinion?
3. What part did the Vietnam War play in the development of the Cold War?
Unit 8-Cold War (1980-end) Essay Questions
1. When and why did the Cold War end?
2. Analyze the part played by Reagan in the Cold War.
3. What was the role of the satellite states in ending the Cold War?
4. In what ways, and to what extent, did the Cold War become less confrontational after
1970?
5. Explain the meaning of two of the following and show how each affected the
development of the Cold War: containment; brinkmanship; non-alignment; détente.
Unit 9 (Mexican Revolution) Essay Questions
1. Analyze the political causes of the Mexican Revolution of 1910.
2. How important were economic grievances in causing the Mexican Revolution that began
in 1910, and to what extent were these grievances solved by the Constitution of 1917?
3. Examine the major stages of the Mexican Revolution (1910-20) and explain the programs
of three of the most important leaders.
Unit 10 (Argentina and Cuba) Essay Questions
1. Assess the methods used by Peron/Castro to remain in power.
2. Asses the nature and effectiveness of opposition to Peron (1946-55).
3. Analyze the domestic programs and policies of Peron/Castro and assess their
effectiveness.