HIST410N 2021 MAY Week 7 Discussion Latest

HIST410N Contemporary History

Week 7 Discussion

Cold War and Communism

Read/review the following resources for this activity:

Textbook: Chapter 9, 10

Lesson

Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)

Option 1: Examine the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1980s. Include the following in your discussion:

What were the main reasons for the collapse?

What role did the constant state of militarism and the costs of keeping up with the U.S. military buildup have on the Soviet economy?

What role did uprisings and rebellions in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and East Germany (among others) have on the sudden collapse of the USSR?

Option 2: Examine communism and socialism.

We hear so often today that socialism and communism are the same thing. Examine the similarities and differences between the two.

Why do so many Americans seem to hate even the word "socialism"?

We already employ some socialism in this country today (and for the past several decades). Examples include libraries, police departments, public education, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, public parks, roads/highways, and so on. How do these services factor into arguments for or against socialism?