Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
World History Volume 2, from 1400

Application and Reflection Questions

World History Volume 2, from 1400Application and Reflection Questions

Application and Reflection Questions

1 .
How did the struggle for colonies around the world divide the nations of Europe?
2 .
What factors led to the development of two major blocs of alliances in Europe?
3 .
Did the alliances that developed across Europe encourage the outbreak of war? Why or why not?
4 .
Did the threat of war lead to the buildup of army and navy forces in Europe, or did the buildup of these forces encourage war to break out? Explain your answer.
5 .
Why did the Ottoman Empire join the Central powers? What factors played a role in its decision to ally with Austria-Hungary, an empire to which it had lost land?
6 .
What role did nationalism play in the buildup to World War I?
7 .
Which country do you think was at fault for starting World War I? What evidence points to your choice?
8 .
How did the countries that became the Allied powers and the Central powers react to the prospect of war in late July and early August of 1914? Trace each major combatant’s reaction.
9 .
Why might World War I be considered the first “modern” war?
10 .
How did the colonial attitudes of European powers affect the execution and outcomes of World War I?
11 .
In what ways were the war roles women played quite traditional? In what ways did women’s participation in the war change expectations about their roles in society?
12 .
Is it acceptable for a government to suspend protections for civil liberties during wartime, as the United States did in World War I? Why or why not?
13 .
Do you think the Allies should have agreed to an armistice, or should they have insisted upon a German surrender? Why? If Germany had been asked to surrender, is it likely it would have? Why or why not?
14 .
How might the outcome in Russia have been different if the provisional government had agreed to peace with the Central powers and focused on solving Russia’s problems? Would this have undermined support for Lenin and the Bolsheviks?
PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/world-history-volume-2/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/world-history-volume-2/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Apr 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.