The virtual study session is now available for your questions and comments. I will check it periodically and post answers to your questions. If you would like to post your question anonymously you can also mail it to me directly at (lloyd.benson@furman.edu) and I'll post your question for you.

Are the online articles on Charles I going to be test material on the test Wednesday or is it just to broaden our horizon on the famous ruler?

Q. Are the online articles on Charles I going to be test material on the test Wednesday or is it just to broaden our horizon on the famous ruler?

A. Consider them a valuable way of reinforcing your knowledge of the major stages and sequences associated with the English Civil War. I will expect you to know the general outlines of each piece.

what was Bismarck's political affiliation? I understand he was against socialism and from that spawned communism, but where did he stand in the political spectrum?

Q. what was Bismarck's political affiliation? I understand he was against socialism and from that spawned communism, but where did he stand in the political spectrum?

A. Bismarck is often described as a realpolitik conservative, who was willing to adopt liberal or even seemingly socialist ideas (nationalism, universal manhood suffrage, social insurance programs) in order to protect the interests of the Junker landed classes and the authority of the Emperor.

At the Congress of Berlin, Serbia is created. Why? I have in my notes that the Austrians needed more protection since the Russians had prevailed over the Turks, and they Austrians were afriad of Russian power. Bismarck is trying to help Austria but I don't know what creating Serbia has to do with it.

Could someone clarify the relationship between Gorbachev and Yeltsin prior to 1991? How does the Russian Republic fit into the structure of Gorbechev's Soviet Union?

Q. At the Congress of Berlin, Serbia is created. Why? I have in my notes that the Austrians needed more protection since the Russians had prevailed over the Turks, and they Austrians were afriad of Russian power. Bismarck is trying to help Austria but I don't know what creating Serbia has to do with it.

A. The Turkish defeat gave the Russians a huge advantage in the region. Even as an Ottoman province Serbia had been under Russian influence, but also controlled Bosnia. With the Turkish defeat of 1875-1878, these areas would be independent anyway -- the question became who their friends would be. The Treaty of San Stefano that created Serbia gave Russia predominant influence over all of the territory. Austria and others complained, and turned to Germany as the "honest broker." The Congress of Berlin (also 1878) reduced Russia's influence by placing Bosnia under Austrian rather than Serbian control. In the process it denied Serbia a seaport on the Mediterranian.

The consequences. Serbia became independent but had lost influence over Bosnia, and this created further resentments against the Austrians.

To balance out the powers against Russia, the Germans reopen conversations with their erstwhile enemies the Austrians. This will lead to the Dual Alliance and then the Triple Alliance.

In the less capable hands of Bismarck's successors, the German-Austrian alliance will remain, and Serbia will turn to Russia for aid and guarantees of protection.

In short, this little episode provokes an important shift in traditional alliances, and will go a long way to setting things up for WWI. Unless the Serbs are angry at Austria and have the Russians at their back, and the Austrians have the Germans behind them, neither side talks tough in 1914, and neither side draws their allies into a worldwide conflict. Fairly important.

Q. Could someone clarify the relationship between Gorbachev and Yeltsin prior to 1991? How does the Russian Republic fit into the structure of Gorbechev's Soviet Union?

A. Short answer: Yeltsin is the foremost advocate of full democracy, and a powerful critic of Gorbachev, who (though a reformer) is in no hurry to dismantle the entire soviet state.

Long Answer: This will not appear in either the short or long answer sections.

Study Session

Just a reminder that the study session will be in FH 204 at 6:30 today (Friday). Since this is the dinner hour for many of you, I plan to bring a few pizzas.

Should we expect detailed material from the Cold War and any real material from the post-Cold War text reading (600-627) to be on the exam? We talked about the Cold War as a result of WW1 and as a result of the Yugoslavia-British conflict, but beyond that, we did not get to much more of the text. What should we expect?

Q. Should we expect detailed material from the Cold War and any real material from the post-Cold War text reading (600-627) to be on the exam? We talked about the Cold War as a result of WW1 and as a result of the Yugoslavia-British conflict, but beyond that, we did not get to much more of the text. What should we expect?

A. It will not hurt to have a basic understanding of the main landmark Cold War events as listed in the textbook chronologies on pp. 585 and 590.

I need a topic to write about for a paper 4-6 pages...But i have no idea what to write and its due on tuesday

What is the Study of Western Civ?