Choose 1 out of 4

Question 2: Diplomatic Alliances
Using the primary source documents relating to alliances, the secondary scholarly article on the Anglo-Japanese alliance, definitions and identifications, maps, the lecture, and “The Limits of Diplomacy,” by Mustafa Aksakal, describe the alliances European and Asian powers made with each other prior to World War I and analyze their significance.
Question 3: Competition for Empire
Read the lecture, study the maps on territorial possessions, and make certain you know what key nations claimed territory in Europe and around the globe. Also read: definitions and identifications; “The Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina;” and Crampton’s scholarly essay on the Balkans. Outline the competition for imperial possessions not only in Europe but worldwide and evaluate how this competition destabilized relations among nations.

Question #4: The Balkan Powder Keg
Using the lecture, primary and secondary sources and other course materials, Explain why Otto von Bismarck allegedly said long before World War I, “If there is ever another war in Europe, it will come out of some damned silly thing in the Balkans.”