In this episode I examine the causes and effects of WWII, including the rise of the Nazi party, the Spanish Civil War, German and Japanese military successes and failures, the Holocaust, decolonization, partitioning, and the beginnings of the Cold War.

00:00 Question 1

01:29 Question 2

03:22 Question 3

04:58 Question 4

08:36 Question 5

11:51 Question 6

14:24 Question 7

15:33 Question 8

18:33 Question 9

20:24 Question 10

21:28 Question 11

In this episode I explore the factors that contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. I will discuss the role colonialism played in the Yugoslavian and Rwandan genocides. Finally, I will discuss the origins of the continuing turmoil in the Middle East/Western Asia

• Why did the Cold War end?

• What were glasnost and perestroika, and how might they have contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union?

• In what way were the genocides in Yugoslavia and Rwanda the product of imperialism?

• Why has ethnic and religious tension in the Middle East persisted in the years since the end of the Cold War?

• What is the cause of anti-American Islamic extremist violence? How has the US responded to this violence, and how has this affected America’s position in the world?

00:00 Question 1

02:50 Question 2

04:43 Question 3

08:40 Question 4

11:12 Question 5