Industrialization Prompts Round 1

Round 1 prompt -  Topic 7: Origins, development and impact of Industrialization (1750-2005)

"The availability of natural resources was the most important cause of industrialization." With reference to two countries, each chosen from a different region, to what extent do you agree with this statement?

Use this map to choose your regions of focus.  

In McKay, Hill, Buckler; You should reference:

CH 24  The Industrial Revolution in Europe

CH. 27 Africa and Asia in the Era of Western Industrialization, 1800-1914

CH. 28 Nation Building in the Western Hemisphere and Australia

Khan Academy:

Industrialism / Imperialism

Gilded Age / Second Industrial Revolution

Industrialization as an Historical Process

P2T4 Follow Up Replies

First - If you have not submitted an initial comment, it needs to be done. 
Missing posts will be marked as zero; comments after today at 3:30pm will be docked as late.

Second - If you have submitted an initial comment, then please reply to three (3) of the out lines with constructive commendations - something specific done well; recommendations - something you have questions about, need improving or clarification, or want to know more about; to be addressed-  something required by the prompt that is missing or a significant clarification.  These should be submitted by the end of the day Sunday 10/27 for full credit.
Submitted by 11:59pm 10/27/19 to be on-time.  Then late or missing accordingly by start of class 10/28/19.

If you have questions let me know.

Specimen Paper 2 Topic 4: Societies in Transition (1400-1700) Question 7

7. Examine the social impact of two scientific or technological developments from the period 1400 to 1700.

We discussed this and the other selected questions from the previous blog post in class last time - for possible events, ideas, developments that could possibly be used to address the prompt.

We will go through the specific demands of the prompt the second half of class on Monday. Then we will review (?) the outlining format.  So nothing until after class Monday 14th, then,....

Please craft an outline for this particular prompt and post it here as a reply/ comment to this post due by the end of the day Thursday.  Then enjoy your long weekend.

On Monday I will set up part two for this exercise, which will need you to post here as part of the comments on your peers' comments.  So you will need to check back here - the Blog for those instructions.  I will be out of the building doing work for the IB, beyond LHS.

Cheers,
WD

IB Exam Practice 1 Paper 2 External Assessment

Paper 2 is free response essay for both SL and HL you have 1 hour 30 minutes to address two prompts.  The assessment is weighted as follows 45% SL, 25% HL.

The paper consists of two questions for each of the 12 topics. Students must answer two questions, each selected from a different topic. Some comparative questions on this paper require that examples be drawn from more than one region. When the word “region” is used in a paper 2 question, it refers to one of the four regional options defined by the world map in the introduction to the world history topics in the “World history topics” section.

The maximum mark for this paper is 30. The paper is marked using generic markbands and a paper-specific markscheme - I will add link after our initial discussion and outline. 

So for what we have looked at briefly this semester here are some possibilities of what the EA would be looking as possible questions.

Topic 4: Societies in transition (1400–1700) 
7. Examine the social impact of two scientific or technological developments from the period 1400 to 1700. 
8. Evaluate the importance of merchants and travellers in bringing about economic change in the period 1400 to 1700. 

Topic 5: Early Modern states (1450–1789) 
9. Examine the relationship between religion and the state in any one Early Modern state. 
10. Compare and contrast the reasons for resistance or rebellion in two colonial states, each chosen from a different region. 

Look at your choices and think about how you might address one of them.  I think perhaps question 7 is the best possible fit for what we have looked at so far.  We will work with it collectively in class Thursday 10/10.

I'm back...

I'm back! Too long out of practice and far down that road of good intentions.  Here are the professional  distractions I've been engaged in (the humble brag / flex post):
I am currently working on an article for the National Collegiate Honors Council for the impact and influence of their special semesters. I am a teacher leader working with the Qatar Foundation International (QFI).  I serve as a Site Visit team member for the International Baccalaureate (IB), also  working as an IB workshop leader for the Global Politics and Theory of Knowledge (TOK).  I recently finished work as a sub-committee member for Geography on Colorado Department of Education (CDE) committee to review and revise State Standards in the Social Studies. And our regular Professional Learning Community (PLC) work on the teaching and developing of World History for 9th grade and Geography for 11th grade.

We have recently realigned the scope and sequence for social studies with the adoption of the IB's Middle Years Program (MYP) into the 9th and 10th grade course offerings.   2019-2020 promises to be an interesting and exciting year, but aren't they all?

With all of this going on - I'm still find the real motivation in those students who come to class and all of their efforts to understand themselves and their world.  You  - the main target of this blog. 

So, come to class, see what's going on in the world.  It is more fun when you are here, asking questions, challenging yourself, your classmates and me as we attempt to make sense of it.  If you have particular curiosities, concerns about how to best gather information, and reflections on your meta-cognition (look that one up) - that's why I'm here.  Looking forward to the rest of 2019 and the promises it holds as well as what 2020 may have in store.

Summer Time

If you haven't heard by now, you will have Mr. Gordon for your senior year.  I trust you will all find the experience good and beneficial to your overall IB tenure.  It has been my pleasure to work with you over the last year.  Any questions you have about the shift will need to be addressed to LHS IB, counselors, and administration directly.

If you have any questions, concerns, or want to just chat, the door is always open.

All the best!
W. Daniel

What IB was looking for on Western Europe 1848-1914

The question came from IB exam in May of 2009.

 9. Discuss the importance of either imperialism or emigration for nineteenth century Europe.

Candidates are asked for importance for Europe so more than one country should be considered.
Imperialism could be defined as the acquisition and rule/administration of an empire. Reasons for seeking an empire could include commercial and industrial expansion, especially to obtain raw materials, financial gain, trade, in order to obtain ready markets, and as a status symbol – to suggest power. The main imperial powers at the beginning of the nineteenth century were Britain, France, Holland, Portugal and Spain. Towards of the end of the century they were joined by the newly unified Germany and Italy. Importance could include economic gain – or financial drain, expansion, and rivalry, even a cause of war. The so-called “scramble for Africa” could be examined.

Emigration will probably not be a popular choice, and candidates should not attempt it unless they have done a case study. Again the question states Europe, so addressing one country only would not be satisfactory. The reasons for people leaving Europe were largely concerned with finding a better life, to escape famine, poverty, unemployment, overcrowding etc., and hopefully to find work, financial stability, better health, etc. In some ways Europe was helped, with fewer people to feed, as it was on the whole the poor who emigrated in large numbers. Evidence for this is that by far the highest number of emigrants were from Britain and Ireland. Europe was also helped by increasing trade, money sent home, and even the provision of penal settlements. Between 1821 and 1851 European emigrants averaged 110,000 a year. This rose to 900,000 a year by the end of the century.

[0-7 marks] for a few general comments.
[8-9] for narrative or descriptive answers.
[10-11] for specific evidence and explicit attention to importance.
[12-13] for wide ranging discussion based on specific details.
[14+] for balanced analysis and different interpretations.

Supplemental Articles:
Imperialism
GaleGroup: Empire and Imperialism: Europe
Looking ahead... The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-Colonial Literatures
Franz Fanon: The Wretched of the Earth  and A Dying Colonialism

Emigration
EGO European History Online: Emigration Across the Atlantic
Emigration and Scottish Society - short case study for Scotland
National Bureau of Economic Research; What Drove the Mass Migrations from Europe in the Late Nineteenth Century?, Timothy J. Hatton, Jeffrey G. Williamson

Blog Exercise 2 Western and Northern Europe 1848-1914

Western and Northern Europe 1848–1914
Here is our next round of blog work with IB paper 3 samples...

Discuss the importance of either imperialism or emigration for nineteenth century Europe. 

We will follow the same basic schedule as before:
First Cut - Your Response. 
These should be one paragraph answers, again, think introductory paragraph. You should set the direction, tone and structure of the rest of your essay with the introduction - thesis, main ideas of support you would further develop in the body of the essay, and briefly what your conclusion is.  You will have one week to draft and post your response, so postings are due by Friday, April 8th.

Too help you figure out how to develop your intro go here: "Emigration/Imperialism Blogging" on Course web-page.

Part Two: Peer Critique.
You will have one week to reply to someone, be prepared to address several people, they do not need to be in your class section.  Critiques should be constructive, inquisitive, helpful, more than a simple praise or complaint.   Addendum - please include in your critique at least two questions for the writer to respond to for improved clarity of argument or more specific details for how they are supporting their larger argument.

They will be released first come, first serve to the person you critiqued.  So if you are not the first one, you will need to critique another.  You will have one week to complete this process, so peer critiques are due by Friday,  April 15th.

After Part two is complete I will post the moderator comments from IB for this exam question so you can better craft your replies with consideration for what IB was looking for in this essay.

Part Three: Your Reply.
You will need to reply to the critique. Answer the question(s) posed. Explain in more detail. Honestly consider the insights, inquiries, etc. proffered by your peers.  Again you will have one week to complete this final part of the blogging process, so replies are due by Friday, April 22nd.

Any late work will be penalized 10% for everyday it is late, plus it delays the opportunity for you to participate further in this assignment.  I look forward to seeing how you apply what we have done so far this semester to the demands of the IB.  Gook Luck!

Comparing what you know

IB Markscheme for first round of history blogging:

For what reasons, and with what results, was the second half of the nineteenth century a period of social and economic change?

Candidates need to specify the nature of social and economic change, perhaps pointing out technological and intellectual changes that improved conditions for most people, account for it, and explain results.
Reasons could include: increase of education; political rights such as the franchise; end of serfdom and servitude; more democracy and freedom; growth of industry, towns and transport; better medical facilities.
Results could include: a freer, better educated, more widely travelled, and healthier population. On the other hand industry, transport, and urbanization had their down side: overcrowding; crime; diseases; poverty, etc. increased for many.

[0 to 6 marks] for unsupported generalizations.
[7 to 9marks] for narrative/descriptive answers with little cause and effect.
[10 to 11 marks] for specific knowledge and understanding of change.
[12 to 13 marks] for focused understanding and analysis of cause and results.
[14+ marks] for perceptive, original, thoughtful essays. 

Using What You Know...?

So now everyone should be signed in and have access. We are one semester and 6 weeks into our two year endeavor so time to step it up a notch. With adding the blog process to help develop our skills in writing specifically for the IB.

Using the following prompt from the 2007 IB Exam - construct and post your introductory paragraph for this essay.

For what reasons, and with what results, was the second half of the nineteenth century a period of social and economic change?

Part One: Your Answer.
These are essays of historical interpretation you should set the direction, tone and structure of the rest of your essay with the introduction - thesis, main ideas of support you would further develop in the body of the essay, and briefly what your conclusion is.  You will have one week to draft and post your response, so postings are due by Friday Feb. 19th.

Part Two: Peer Critique.
You will have one week to reply to someone, be prepared to address several people, they do not need to be in your class section.  Critiques should be constructive, inquisitive, helpful, more than a simple praise or complaint.  They will be released first come, first serve to the person you critiqued.  So if you are not the first one, you will need to critique another.  You will have one week to complete this process, so peer critiques are due by Friday, Feb. 26th.

After Part two is complete I will post the moderator comments from IB for this exam question so you can better craft your replies with consideration for what IB was looking for in this essay.

Part Three: Your Reply.
You will need to reply to the critique. Answer the question(s) posed. Explain in more detail. Honestly consider the insights, inquiries, etc. proffered by your peers.  Again you will have one week to complete this final part of the blogging process, so replies are due by Friday, Mar. 4th

Any late work will be penalized 10% for everyday it is late, plus it delays the opportunity for you to participate further in this assignment.  I look forward to seeing how you apply what we have done so far this semester to the demands of the IB.  Gook Luck!

Welcome to the newest round of the blog for Mr. Daniel's IB History.  We will be using this blog to practice our writing for the IB testing coming at the end of senior year 2017.  Through a series of postings you will work on crafting answers to previous IB exam questions and work collaboratively to push each other through peer review and reflection.  You will need to join the blog so you can get notifications of updates and keep track of who you would like to respond to and who is responding to your work.

Assignment number 1 is to join the blog.  You should be able to do this with any of your email addresses. I am not particular to which email you use for this work, but once you have joined you should consistently work from that digital location.  Peer responses for marking will and relies will be limited to a first come first serve arrangement, filtered through me as the blog captain. (Oh Captain, my captain)  responses after the cut-offs will be linked on so you can have those insights as well, but they will not be required for your replies.  Go back through the archived pages and see how it has operated in past sessions.  I think between those and actually participating it should become clearer.

So, now on to assignment number 1:
              Join.  Please make sure your name is clearly identifiable as you.
              Due date by Friday 13th, 2015 to be on time.

Please post a comment so I know that you are in and can post to the blog.
             Grade is based on timelyness (being on time), thoughtfulness, and appropriateness.

Thank you.

I look forward to seeing you in the cloud as well as the classroom.

2.4 Test Prep Markscheme

Here are the guidelines from IB regarding this questions:

15. Compare and contrast the treatment of religious groups and minorities in two authoritarian or single-party states each chosen from a different region.

The most popular choices here are likely to be: the treatment of German and European Jewry and/or the Roma and Sinti communities by the National Socialist regime in Germany; dekulakisation undertaken by the Stalinist regime in the USSR; the elimination of landlordism in Mao’s China immediately after the establishment of the PRC; the repression of minority nationalities which were seen as inimical to national unity.
Some candidates may deal with the treatment of religious groups by the authoritarian or single-party regime in terms of the persecution of specific denominations (Catholic Church, Orthodox Church etc.) or in terms of the attempt to discourage the practice of all religion in the selected state.
The term “minority” may be interpreted in its widest form here: – class, tribal, ethnic etc. Make sure that the selected group is indeed a minority – and that candidates do not use this as an opportunity to write about general persecution of the population.
If only one region is chosen mark out of a maximum of [7 marks]. If two regions are chosen but only religious groups or minorities are chosen, mark out of [12 marks].
N.B. that women do not constitute a minority.


Consider your work with Single Party State and Authoritarian Leaders. Working with one of our iconic figures, - Mussolini, Hitler, and Stalin are an acceptable way to start, however you will need to pay attention the two different region component.  (See map from original post.)

Supplemental Materials:
A Chronology of Global Human Rights
Developing International Human Rights in the 20th Century
Human Rights Atlas
Historical Atlas of the 20th Century

2.4 Test Prep

Round 3 of the blog in test prep for May. This questions comes from Paper 2, Topic 3,
Origins and development of authoritarian and single-party states.

15. Compare and contrast the treatment of religious groups and minorities in two authoritarian or
single-party states, each chosen from a different region.

Similar to previous blog assignments here are the parameters for posting:
2.4.1  You have a week to craft and write your response for this first round. They should be completed and submitted by 2:00 pm Tuesday, April 1st.  No Fooling! You should write one (1) introductory paragraph - thesis with general supporting themes to be expanded on if you were to construct the completed and more fully developed essay. Then outline your comparison for three key points for each leader's rise to power. I will post your initial responses.  I will collect the responses and then post them en mass. Submissions after 2 pm will be penalized 10%.

2.4.2 Once the collection has been posted on Tuesday afternoon, you will have the week to reply to one of your peers - first come first serve.  You need to offer constructive criticism and one focused meaningful question about their answer for your peer to answer for the final part.
I will post them as soon as I get them.  The longer you wait the less likely you will be to get your first reply posted and this part of the assignment completed. The due date for this part will be midnight Tuesday, April 8th.   Submissions after midnight will be penalized 10%.

2.4.3 You will need to reply to the question posed by your critic in concise, supported answer - be sure to provide correct MLA formatted citation to your answer.  This is due midnight Friday April 11th  I will post IB markscheme Friday afternoon and we will go through it for the first part of class Tuesday April 15th.  Submissions after midnight will be penalized 10%.

Non-posts will be scored as incomplete, late and 50%

2.3 Mark Scheme

Finally, here are the comments and mark scheme from IB for:

6. Assess the importance of each of the following in causing the First or the Second World War:
nationalism; alliances; economic factors.

The basic structure for the essay is established by the task itself. Candidates are not required to deal with this as a “to what extent” question – there is no need to address other factors although some students with a pre-planned essay on the causes of the First World War will no doubt be determined to write all they have learned as a learned response.

The task is to identify and assess the nature, and hence the importance of the stated factors in explaining the cause of either war. This could include dealing with origins and outbreak of the conflict.
Candidates might do well to clarify/define the factors to aid in their “assessment” task – for example “nationalism” depending on the war chosen, could be interpreted and dealt with in a variety of ways: aggressive nationalism which sought to expand the nation’s political and territorial spheres of influence; revanchist–based based nationalism which sought to gain vengeance for past losses or defeats; thwarted nationalism (attempts to achieve self-determination); the attempt by empires to suppress nationalism to ensure self–preservation etc. Similarly, the “alliances” can be dealt with as both symptoms and also precipitants of war in either case. Whether alliances and alliance systems were responsible for exacerbating tensions or allowing for the extension of regional into continental or global conflicts could be addressed. “Economic factors” may be interpreted as the desire of particular states to achieve economic gains (raw materials, markets etc.) through a policy of war and aggrandisement – or possibly as solutions, in the case of some states, to existing socio – economic crises, which could be solved (war of distraction?) by resort to war.

Most candidates who choose to deal with the Second World War will probably identify 1939 as the start of the conflict. However if candidates comment on, for example, Germany’s war against the USSR or Japan’s attack on the USA in 1941 in an attempt to deal with nationalism – or more likely – economic factors in determining the causes for conflict, accept. Between 1939 and up to June and December 1941, there is a case to be made that the conflict was not arguably a world war.

If only one factor is addressed, mark out of a maximum of [7 marks]. If only two factors are addressed, mark out of a maximum of [14 marks].

World War I Resources
IB Teacher's Page Stockholm, Sweden
The Great War, Beginnings and Progressions PBS Series

World War II
IB Teacher's Page Stockholm Sweden

Economics of World War I & II

You may also be interested in the following stories looking towards the Centennial Anniversary of World War I:   A World Without World War I, Featuring Health-Nut Hitler and
How Bad Directions (And A Sandwich) Started WW I

2.3 Test Prep

The last post prompt was for a paper 3 question. This time it is a question from Paper 2, Topic 1: Causes, Practices and Effects of War. The question is from the May 2012 Exam.

6. Assess the importance of each of the following in causing the First or the Second World War:
nationalism; alliances; economic factors.

Similar to the last blog assignment here are the parameters for posting:
2.3.1  You have a week to craft and write your response for this first round. They should be completed and submitted by 2:00 pm Friday, February 28th. You should write one (1) introductory paragraph - thesis with general supporting themes to be expanded on if you were to construct the completed and more fully developed essay. Then outline your comparison for three key points for each leader's rise to power. I will post your initial responses.  I will collect the responses and then post them en mass. Submissions after 2 pm will be penalized 10%.

2.3.2 Once the collection has been posted on Friday afternoon, you will have the week to reply to one of your peers - first come first serve.  You need to offer constructive criticism and one focused meaningful question about their answer for your peer to answer for the final part.
I will post them as soon as I get them.  The longer you wait the less likely you will be to get your first reply posted and this part of the assignment completed. The due date for this part will be midnight Friday March 7th. REMEMBER this is a long weekend, so we have not school on Friday, however you will need to have this submitted on time for full credit.  Submissions after midnight will be penalized 10%.

2.3.3 You will need to reply to the question posed by your critic in concise, supported answer - be sure to provide correct MLA formated citation to your answer.  This is due midnight Monday Mar. 10th.  I will post IB markscheme Tuesday and we will go through it for the first part of class.  Submissions after midnight will be penalized 10%.

Non-posts will be scored as incomplete, late and 50%

IB Test Prep 2.2 Markscheme

The majority of you have commented for yourselves and responded to one of your classmates. If you haven't posted an original response and/ or given a peer critique you should still do that for the participation grade.

Here is the advised direction for the IB markscheme with regard to this paper 3 question.

Interwar years: conflict and cooperation 1919–1939
15. Compare and contrast the reasons for the rise to power of Hitler and Mussolini.

Comparisons are much more obvious – contrasts may be limited. Comparisons include: flawed political structures in both cases which led to weak coalition government. Economic crises include: in Italy post-war recession, in Germany the impact of the Depression, in both high levels of unemployment led to support for the left and fear of revolution. Increased disillusion with democracy. In Italy the Biennio Rossi and in Germany the continued support for the K.P.D. increased fear of communism.
Desire for a strong leader and lack of support from the elites , undermined democratic governments. The fear of a coup contributed to the appointment of leaders who were hostile to democracy. In both cases the class based nature of political parties in coalitions made effective government difficult and weakened support for democracy.
Contrasts: In Germany Hitler had much greater popular support, thus appearing more democratic. Mussolini, in contrast, only had 35 Fascist deputies in 1921. This could be explained by the fact that Hitler had a clear programme which attracted mass support. Mussolini’s tactics were much more overtly violent than Hitler’s – Squadrismo was used to undermine the Liberal governments in Italy in the years 1919–1922.
Candidates may refer to the period of the consolidation of power, the main focus should be on the rise to power.
If only Hitler or Mussolini is addressed, mark out of a maximum of [8 marks].


Some other sources you may want to explore:
German Pre-War Economy
BBC Scholastic Conditions for Hitler's Rise to Power

Mussolini's Dictatorship
Conditions for Mussolini's Rise to Power

IB Test Prep 2.2

This time the question comes from the 2012 IB test paper 3
Content Area:
Interwar years: conflict and cooperation 1919–1939
15. Compare and contrast the reasons for the rise to power of Hitler and Mussolini.

2.2.1  You have this week to craft and write your response for this first round. They should be completed and submitted by 2:00 pm Friday, January 31. You should write one (1) introductory paragraph - thesis with general supporting themes to be expanded on if you were to construct the completed and more fully developed essay. Then outline your comparison for three key points for each leader's rise to power. I will post your initial responses.  I will collect the responses and then post them en mass. Submissions after 2 pm will be penalized 10%.

2.2.2 Once the collection has been posted on Friday afternoon, you will have the week to reply to one of your peers - first come first serve.  You need to offer constructive criticism and one focused meaningful question about their answer for your peer to answer for the final part.
I will post them as soon as I get them.  The longer you wait the less likely you will be to get your first reply posted and this part of the assignment completed. The due date for this part will be midnight Thursday Feb. 6.  Submissions after midnight will be penalized 10%.

2.2.3 You will need to reply to the question posed by your critic in concise, supported answer - be sure to provide correct MLA formated citation to your answer.  This is due midnight Monday Feb. 10th.  I will post IB markscheme Tuesday and we will go through it for the first part of class.  Submissions after midnight will be penalized 10%.

History Rhymes?

Hopefully this will catch some of you sooner rather than later, but it is a provocative piece on so many levels:
100th anniversary of the start of the Great War
A consideration of what drives history - technology, desire, hubris, mistakes?
The nature of violence in our lives and society?
A test in May with the aim of earning your IB diploma?

I hope you take the time to read through the work from the Brookings Institute. I think given the chance you will find it very thoughtful and worthwhile.
The Rhyme of History

Thinking of larger matters

I have been mulling it for some time now in light of the increasing prevalence of violent reactions in our everyday lives and would like to offer a suggestion of an independent study in conflict resolution / non-violent action in history and practices.  If you would be interested in crafting such a Independent Study for next semester  I would happily be the teacher of record for it.  Here is the official listing for Independent Study from the Lion's Lore -

Course Title:     Independent Study Semester Course                              Credit: 1 to 5 per semester 

Course Description: 
When a student has demonstrated the ability and maturity necessary to work under supervision on a program of his/her own creation independent of a class setting, an independent study contract is devised with the teacher of the designated area of study. Having agreed on the number of semester hours (1 to 5 semester hours) that the study will merit, the student then seeks signed approval from the department chairperson of the area of study, from his/her counselor, from a parent, and from the Assistant Principal in charge of Instruction. Once the semester begins, the semester hours are no longer negotiable. Further guidelines and instructional policies are outlined on the Independent Study contract obtainable from a counselor. 

Entry Level Skills, Knowledge, and Content: Developed as part of contract. 
Class Expectations: Developed as part of contract. 

You can contact me via work email wdaniel@lps.k12.co.us

For additional consideration you can view this clip at PBS on "Nation Still Divided Over How to Reduce Gun Violence"

2.1.1 Stalin's Foreign Policy

Blog 2.1: For those of you who have posted, here is the commentary from IB for the Paper Three prompt.

To what extent was Stalin’s foreign policy dominated by the desire for security up until 1941?

IB Rubric -  Stalin’s foreign policy from the mid-1920s was driven by a desire to avoid conflict until the Soviet Union could recover economically and fully establish the one-party state. From the mid-1930s by the pursuit of collective security and arguably also by appeasement in the late 1930s until the Red Army had recovered from the effects of the purges – all with the underlying need to protect the Soviet Union from external threats.

Evidence could include: directing the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) to cooperate with the GMD (Guomindang - Chinese Nationalist Party , also  Kuomintang)  in China to reduce the threat from Japan. The search for collective security – joining the League of Nations, signing Non-Aggression and Mutual Assistance pacts with European powers, even involvement in Spain could arguably be seen as restraining the more revolutionary elements on the Republican side to reassure the other powers. Trade relations were maintained with Nazi Germany despite ideological differences. The sale of the Manchurian railway to Japan and the Nazi–Soviet Pact 1939 could both be cited as instances of appeasement and avoidance of conflict until the Soviet Union was stronger.  Stalin’s policies from 1927 to 1941 need to be addressed in order to gain higher level marks.

Places to look for evidence:

Other IB courses:
http://rudbeck-ib-history-revision.wikispaces.com/3.13+Stalin's+Foreign+Policy
http://www.slideshare.net/rakochy/stalins-foreign-policy-1924-1939

General Web:
http://www.e-ir.info/2011/11/23/the-evolution-of-stalins-foreign-policy-during-word-war-two/
Foreign Policy 1921-1928
Foreign Policy 1928-1939
Joseph Stalin
Soviet Foreign Policy to 1939 PPT

Academic Think Tanks:
Woodrow Wilson Center Comparing Past and Present