GS-I: Modern World History

Elucidate the meaning and importance of “Bastille” and “Great Fear” in context with French Revolution.

The Bastille was a Paris prison that came to symbolize everything that was wrong with France and everything that the French people resented about their country. After the...

September 27, 2023

What is the ‘Century of Humiliation’, often referred to in discussions about China? How has it shaped the foreign policy of China and its outlook towards the world?

The ‘century of humiliation’ is the period referring to the century between the first opium war in 1839 to the victory of the Chinese communist party in 1949....

September 26, 2023

The Napoleonic Empire was doomed because of its inherent and self-defeating contradictions. Elucidate.

Napoleon’s own personality proved to be the greatest danger to the future of his empire. He had once said that he loves power as a musician loves his...

September 25, 2023

The American economic recovery act, also known as Marshall Plan, helped in the recovery of European states aftermath of WW2, but it is also blamed for dividing Europe into east and west block. Discuss.

The European economy was totally devastated by the time world war 2 ended. However, differences arose between US and USSR during the Yalta Conference, also known as the...

September 24, 2023

“Decolonization was not an instantaneous process but a complex series of events.” Examine the varying paths to independence taken by colonial countries post-World War II.

Decolonization after World War II involved a diverse array of pathways to independence for colonized nations, shaped by a combination of international pressures, nationalist movements, and colonial policies....

September 21, 2023

Despite the fact that the Israel-Palestine conflict is rooted in history, it has been shaped in its modern form in the 20th century. Explain.

Israel-Palestine conflict refers to the territorial dispute between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs for settlement and human rights. History and evolution: Arab Muslims and Jews claiming birthright to...

September 20, 2023

“Neo-colonialism is a continuation of colonialism under the guise of economic assistance.” Critically analyse how developed nations continue to exert influence over developing countries through economic policies.

The concept of neo-colonialism describes how developed nations exert influence over developing countries, not through direct political control, but via economic, social, and cultural pressures. This influence often...

September 20, 2023

Napoleon was the child of the revolution, but in many ways he reversed the aims and principles of the movement from which he sprang. Comment.

Napoleon was the child of the Revolution, but in many ways he reversed the aims and principles of the movement from which he sprang. This was particularly true...

September 17, 2023

“Nuclear arms race during the Cold War period had a paradoxical role in both escalating and preventing direct conflict.” Critically analyse this statement in the light of historical facts.

The nuclear arms race during the Cold War exemplified the concept of deterrence through mutually assured destruction (MAD), which paradoxically prevented direct large-scale conflict between the superpowers while...

September 14, 2023

How far can it can be said that the USA followed a policy of strict isolation in foreign affairs during the 1920s and early 1930s, and what effects did this policy have on international relations?

After the First World War, USA seemed to play an important role in international affairs as President Woodrow Wilson’s dream of forming League of Nations to maintain peace...

September 13, 2023