IP Chatper 2: Historical Context

Which international relations perspective rose to dominance around the time of World War II?

realism

During the Cold War, ________ was the strategic idea to push the Soviet Union out of Eastern Europe and back to its own borders, and ________ was the strategic idea to protect the status quo from further Soviet expansion.

rollback; containment

The authority of a state to govern matters within its own borders free from external interference is known as

sovereignty.

Which of the following is true of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis?

It ended with an agreement that the Soviets would remove its missiles from Cuba and the United States would remove similarly capable missiles from Turkey

Why, following World War II, did the Soviet Union use its newfound superpower status to solidify control over Eastern European states like Poland and Czechoslovakia?

It feared another invasion from the West and wanted a buffer zone of friendly nations to protect it.

Why did the advent of the railroad begin to upset the balance of power in Europe?

It gave continental countries like Germany an enhanced level of strategic mobility equal to that of maritime powers such as Britain.

What political consequences did industrialization have?

It gave new power to the European middle classes.

By the end of the nineteenth century, ________ and ________ were the only Asian countries not under direct European or U.S. influence.

Japan; Siam (Thailand)

Following the Treaties of Westphalia,

Leaders in Europe began to establish permanent militaries.

Which of the following is true of the Treaties of Westphalia?

They codified the rights of states to determine their own domestic policies after the Thirty Years' War.

As part of the nineteenth-century balance-of-power system in Europe,

alliances were formed to counteract potentially more powerful factions

In order to keep the balance of power in Europe following German unification, the European great powers

divided up Africa, giving Germany a sphere of influence on the continent to appease its great power aspirations.

Which factor contributed to Napoleonic France's military victories?

The French army was united by passionate nationalism.

T or F: In a popular referendum in 2016, Great Britain voted in favor of leaving the European Union.

True

One of the significant outcomes of World War I was the

increased nationalism and new states following the demise of three major European empires.

What is one reason that students of international relations should study history?

Core concepts in the field, such as sovereignty, were developed and shaped by historical events.

The ultimate failure of the League of Nations to accomplish its mandate can be attributed to which of the following factors?

The League lacked the needed political weight, legal instruments, and legitimacy

The concept of legitimacy, which emerged in the aftermath of the American and French revolutions, implies that political power ultimately rests with

The people

T or F: Despite the fact that U.S. President Woodrow Wilson had been the principal architect of the League of Nations, the United States refused to join.

True

T or F: During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union supported opposing groups in wars in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

True

T or F: In the early 1900s, Britain joined an alliance with Japan (a non-European power) against Russia (a European power).

True

T or F: The peacefulness witnessed during the Concert of Europe was surprising given that there were major economic, technological, and political changes in Europe during this period.

True

Following the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, Europe's five major powers

Ushered in a period of relative peace in the international political system.

One major motive for colonialism was

a desire for economic gains.

The idea that states will hesitate to start a war with an adversary whose power to fight and win wars is similar to their own underpins the concept of

balance of power.

In the balance of power in Europe following the Napoleonic Wars, Russia played the role of ________ while Britain played the role of ________.

builder of alliances; balancer

Although the Cold War did not involve direct military conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, it can be characterized as a period during which

differences between the two were played out indirectly using proxies on third-party stages.

The Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I

fueled German dissatisfaction by making the country pay the economic cost of the war.

________ refers to annexing distant territory and its inhabitants to an empire, and ________ refers to the settling of people from a home country among indigenous peoples of a distant territory.

imperialism; colonialism

Scottish economist Adam Smith posits that the wealth of states and of the international system is increased when

individuals are allowed to pursue their rational self-interests, unfettered by state regulation.

Two principles that rose out of the American and French Revolutions and provided the foundation for politics in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are

legitimacy from the consent of the governed and nationalism.

The League of Nations was an international organization that was

not joined by the United States and Russia.

In Europe following the 1648 Treaties of Westphalia, in states in the west, such as England and France, ________ , while in states in the east, such as Prussia and Russia, ________.

private enterprise was encouraged; serfs remained on the land

The most important outcome of World War II was

the emergence of two superpowers and the decline of Europe as the epicenter of world politics.

Among the factors leading to an end to Europe's balance-of-power system under the Concert of Europe was

the solidification of previously flexible alliances between the European powers.

T or F: By the end of the nineteenth century, China was the only Asian country that was not under direct European or U.S. influence.

False

T or F: The 1648 Treaties of Westphalia are important because they marked the rise of religious authority uniting Europe.

False

T or F: The Korean War in the 1950s was conducted by the United States without UN authorization because of the Soviet veto.

False

T or F: Unlike European states, the United States was not an imperial power and had no colonies.

False

T or F: In addition to Germany, Japan and Italy also played a major role in the breakdown of interstate order in the 1930's.

True

Which of the following was the alliance between the Soviet Union and several East European states in the post-World War II era?

Warsaw Pact

How did the League of Nations respond to Italy's invasion of Ethiopia?

It imposed sanctions, but those sanctions were not enforced.

Why is 1648, marked by the creation of the Treaties of Westphalia, a seminal year for scholars of international relations?

It marked a decrease of religious authority in Europe and the rise of secular authority in the form of sovereign states

________ is a group's identification with their common history, language, customs, and practices.

Nationalism

When Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany,

Germany's economy was in crisis

Which country exerted control over Palestine post-World War I?

Britain

Being sovereign entities means that states

Are legally equal participants in the international system, regardless of size.

Which factor contributed to the absence of major war on the continent under the Concert of Europe?

Colonialism allowed rivalries to be played out in distant places

Which of the following strategic policies did the United States adopt vis-à-vis the Soviet Union during the Cold War?

Containment

Which of the following political changes occurred in the years following the Napoleonic Wars?

Germany was formed out of fragments.