1.  What was the nature of Stalinism and his impact upon Russia?  What impact did WWI have upon the countries of Italy and Germany in the 1920’s?  How do we account for the Rise of Fascism in italy and Nazism in Germany?  How can we explain and describe the impact of Fascist and Nazi Policies on their respective countries

2.  How did the events of the 1930’s bring about the outbreak of WW2?  How did the forces shaping the 1920’s and 1930’s converge to create the crisis leading to World War?  What were the major turning points in the 1 st phase (1939-42) of WW2?  What were the major turning points in the 2 nd phase (1942-45) of WW?

3.  What was the nature and extent of Nazi policies towards Jews in the 1930’s?  What was the anatomy of genocide perpetrated by the Nazi’s in the 1940’s?  What impact did the various resistance movements have upon the course of genocide during the Holocaust?