Reading questions forPatterns of World History, chapter 29
This is a list of questions to help you identify important concepts and themes from the reading. Remember, positive contributions to class discussions can give your grade a big boost, so take advantage. In order to help you organize your thoughts and contribute to our discussion, I strongly encourage you to take reading notes. Write down the ideas you think are important, as well as any interesting facts or observations. Write down words you are unfamiliar with, as well as their definition. In particular, pay attention to and make a note of anything that you react strongly to – are you surprised by something that you learned here? Does it change the way you think about our world and its past?
1. Why did the pattern of unfolding modernity, which offered three choices after World War I, shrink to just capitalist democracy and socialism-communism in 1945?
2. What was decolonization? How did the experiences of WWI and WWII contribute to this process?
3. How did the newly independent countries of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa adapt to the divided world of the Cold War?
4. What was the Great Leap Forward? What was its outcome?
5. What was the significance of the Bay of Pigs invasion?