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VirginiaWorld History

Module 6: The World Wars, the Cold War, and the Modern World

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How did colonized peoples in Asia and Africa win independence after World War II, and who led these movements?

Apply social science skills to understand decolonization and independence movements after World War II: the weakening of European empires, the independence of India under Gandhi, the wave of independence in Asia and Africa, the end of apartheid in South Africa under Mandela, and the conflicts that arose from decolonization (WHII.16).
A standards-level answer on decolonization for the Virginia World History SOL: the weakening of European empires after World War II, the independence of India under Gandhi, the wave of African and Asian independence, and the end of apartheid under Mandela, with worked exam questions.
11 min answer →

What was the Cold War, and how did the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union shape the world after 1945?

Apply social science skills to understand the Cold War: its origins in the ideological conflict between the democratic, capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union, the major events and alliances (NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War), and the nuclear arms race (WHII.16).
A standards-level answer on the Cold War for the Virginia World History SOL: its origins in the conflict between the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union, the major events and alliances such as NATO and the Warsaw Pact, key crises, and the nuclear arms race, with worked exam questions.
12 min answer →

How have globalization, technology, and international cooperation shaped the contemporary world, and what challenges does it face?

Apply social science skills to understand the contemporary world: economic and cultural globalization and interdependence, advances in technology and communication, the growth of international organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union, and global challenges including terrorism, human rights, and environmental issues (WHII.16).
A standards-level answer on the contemporary world for the Virginia World History SOL: economic and cultural globalization, advances in technology, the growth of international organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union, and global challenges including terrorism and the environment, with worked exam questions.
11 min answer →

How and why did the Cold War end, and what were the consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union?

Apply social science skills to understand the end of the Cold War: the reforms of Gorbachev, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the emergence of the United States as the sole superpower in a changed world (WHII.16).
A standards-level answer on the end of the Cold War for the Virginia World History SOL: Gorbachev's reforms, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the changed world that followed, with worked exam questions.
11 min answer →

How did the instability of the interwar period and the Great Depression lead to the rise of totalitarian dictatorships?

Apply social science skills to understand the interwar period: the economic and political instability after World War I, the Great Depression, and the rise of totalitarian regimes under Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy, Stalin in the Soviet Union, and the militarists in Japan (WHII.14).
A standards-level answer on the interwar period for the Virginia World History SOL: the instability after World War I, the Great Depression, and the rise of totalitarian regimes under Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and the Japanese militarists, with worked exam questions.
11 min answer →

What caused World War II, what were its major turning points, and what was the Holocaust?

Apply social science skills to understand World War II and its worldwide impact: the causes including aggression by totalitarian states and the failure of appeasement, the major theaters and turning points (Stalingrad, D-Day, Midway), the use of the atomic bomb, and the Holocaust and other genocides (WHII.15).
A standards-level answer on World War II for the Virginia World History SOL: the causes including totalitarian aggression and appeasement, the major turning points, the atomic bomb, and the Holocaust and other genocides, with worked exam questions.
12 min answer →