20th Century Europe

Final Exam Review

Your final exam will cover events from the end of World War II to the falling of the Berlin Wall.
I realize that there is an enormous amount of reading materials for this. I hope this review can
direct you to the more important areas of focus. In your text, you will need to be familiar with
the material from page 345-505.

1. Be able to discuss European history in the context of the Cold War and the actions of the
Super Powers. What gave rise to the Cold War? What agreements were made at the
Yalta Conference and how were they honored? What were the two issues that led to the
immediate differences among the Allies at the end of World War II? What was Truman’s
position at Potsdam? Who was George Kennan and what was the “Long Telegram”?
What was “Containment”? What was the “Truman Doctrine” and “Marshall Plan” and
what events inspired these two courses of action? How and why was Germany divided?
2. Know the process of de-colonization during the 1950s and 60s. Why did the European
powers decide to divest themselves of their Colonies? How did France and Great Britain
approach de-colonization and what were the consequences of their actions? What was
the Suez Crisis and how did that play out?
3. You will need to be able to trace the economic and political trends of Western Europe
(Great Britain, France and West Germany) during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Know who the leaders of these nations were and what they did. Be able to discuss the
issues of creating a Welfare State in Great Britain. What was the French Fourth
Republic, what were its weaknesses and why did it fall? How did the Fifth Republic
come to be and what was the role of de Gaulle in it? How was West Germany created
and what was the so-called “Economic Wonder”? What was the early beginning of the
unification of Europe? Be able to discuss the political, social, and economic direction of
the western European nations during the 1960s and 1970s.
4. What were the protests of 1968? What led to the outbreak of these protests?
5. Know the Political and Economic trends of Eastern Europe (USSR, East Germany,
Poland) during the same period. What was the de-Stalinization of Eastern Europe? Be
able to discuss eastern European leaders of the 1950s and 1960s—i.e. Khrushchev,
Ulbricht, Tito, Brezhnev, Dubček. Be able to discuss the E. German uprising, the
Hungarian uprising, and the Prague Spring. What was the Brezhnev doctrine?
6. What was Détente? How did it develop? Discuss Willy Brandt and Ostpolitik.
7. What were the major issues facing Western Europe in the 1970s going into the early
1980s? How did western European leaders deal with these issues?
8. Why did Communism begin to flounder in Eastern Europe by the 1980s? Who were the
Soviet leaders during this time and how did they destabilize Eastern Europe? Be able to
discuss the Revolutions of 1989. What led to the collapse of the Soviet Union? Fall of the
Berlin Wall.
I realize that these are broad categories. However, if you use your notes and accompanying
readings, you should be able to pinpoint the major themes and ideas.

Good luck and May the Force be with You.

Terms:

Yalta Conference Truman Doctrine Berlin Airlift

De-Stalinization European Coal and Steel Dien Bien Phu
Community
Warsaw Pact Konrad Adenauer Suez Crisis
4th Republic (France) Berlin Wall Leonid Brezhnev
Student Revolt in Paris-- Détente Ostpolitik
1968
Solidarity (Poland) Margaret Thatcher Mikhail Gorbachev
Helsinki Accords (1975) Prague Spring (1968) Detente
Destalinization Nikita Khrushchev Sputnik
Erich Honeker Francois Mitterand Glastnost/Perestroika