Reading and Writing Workshop

Imperialism, Global Competition, and 20th-Century Conflicts

Workshop Title: Europe in Conflict and Transformation (c. 1850–1945)
Guiding Questions:
  • What motivated European imperialism, and what were its global consequences?
  • How did mass politics and reform movements shape modern Europe?
  • How did the decline of empires and global conflicts reshape the world order?

Week 1: Imperialism and Global Competition (c. 1850–1914)
Themes:
  • Motives for imperial expansion: economic, political, ideological
  • European competition in Africa and Asia
  • Indigenous resistance and global consequences
Key Activities:
  • DBQ Practice: Analyze imperialist perspectives and resistance movements
  • Map Activity: Trace European imperial holdings and global competition
  • Debate: "Was European imperialism driven more by economic motives or nationalism?"
Primary Sources (Public Domain):
Week 2: Mass Politics and Social Reform (c. 1870–1914)
Themes:
  • Expansion of suffrage and political participation
  • Rise of socialism, labor unions, and class struggle
  • Women’s rights movements and social reforms
Key Activities:
  • Political Cartoon Analysis: Examine suffrage, labor, and socialist themes
  • Comparative Chart: Women’s suffrage in Britain, France, and Germany
  • Socratic Seminar: How did mass politics shape the modern state?
Primary Sources (Public Domain):
Week 3: Decline of the Ottoman Empire (c. 1800–1923)
Themes:
  • Internal weaknesses and nationalist uprisings
  • European involvement and wars
  • Partition and transformation into modern Turkey
Key Activities:
  • Timeline Activity: Key events in the Ottoman decline
  • Discussion: Role of nationalism in imperial collapse
  • Short Response: Compare the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian declines
Primary Sources (Public Domain):
Weeks 4–5: 20th-Century Global Conflicts (c. 1914–1945)
Week 4: World War I and the Interwar Period
Themes:
  • Causes and consequences of WWI
  • Russian Revolution and rise of totalitarian ideologies
  • Global instability and road to WWII
Key Activities:
  • DBQ Practice: WWI causes and outcomes
  • Political Ideology Chart: Compare fascism, communism, and democracy
  • Newspaper Project: Report on a major interwar event
Primary Sources (Public Domain):
Week 5: World War II and Its Aftermath
​Themes:
  • Causes and turning points of WWII
  • The Holocaust and war crimes
  • Postwar agreements and origins of the Cold War
Key Activities:
  • Primary Source Analysis: Compare wartime speeches
  • Map Activity: Shifting frontlines and occupation zones
  • Mock United Nations: Debate postwar reconstruction
Primary Sources (Public Domain):
Summative Assessments
  • Unit Exam: Multiple-choice and short-answer questions on imperialism, reform, and conflict
  • DBQ Essay: How did imperialism and nationalism contribute to global conflict?
  • Thematic Essay: Evaluate the impact of mass politics and social reform on European society.
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