Final Exam Study Questions
1 The central question concerning the origins of the Pacific War is how two nations,
united at the turn of the century and allied against Germany in World War I, became
adversaries in the next World War. In the following essay, focusing on the period
from the summer of 1937 to the autumn of 1941, explain why Japanese-American
relations eroded and why neither nation was able to arrest the decline prior to
December 7, 1941.
2
The historian Jeffrey Record titled his provocative study of Japan’s decision to go to
war
A War It Was Always Going to Lose.
Do you agree with Record?
Was the Pacific
War a war that Japan was destined to lose?
3 The US occupation of Japan has sometimes been described as "Japan's
American Revolution," meaning that Japan experienced revolutionary
change between 1945 and 1952. In the following essay review the
occupation period and then explain whether or not Japan experienced
revolutionary changes. Is postwar Japan fundamentally different from
prewar Japan?
4 Assess Mao's leadership of China between 1949
and 1976.
Your exams have a 90-minute time limit and require you to answer one of two
questions randomly selected by the computer from the list of final exam study
questions. I encourage you to carefully answer each of the study questions as you
finish the appropriate module so that you are well prepared no matter which
question appears on your exam. If you write your answer ahead of time you may
simply cut and paste the completed answer on the exam.
