Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in World History: v. 2

PART 1. The Modern World ISSUE 1. Did the Industrial Revolution Lead to a Sexual Revolution? YES: Edward Shorter, from "Female Emancipation, Birth Control, and Fertility in European History", The American Historical Review NO: Louise A. Tilly, Joan W. Scott, and Miriam Cohen, from "Women's Work and European Fertility Patterns", Journal of Interdisciplinary History Historian Edward Shorter argues that employment opportunities outside the home that opened up with industrialization led to a rise in the illegitimacy rate, which he attributes to the sexual emancipation of unmarried, working-class women. Historians Louise A. Tilly, Joan W. Scott, and Miriam Cohen counter that unmarried women worked to meet an economic need, not to gain personal freedom, and they attribute the rise in illegitimacy rates to broken marriage promises and the absence of traditional support from family, community, and the church. ISSUE 2. Was the French Revolution Worth Its Human Costs? YES: Peter Kropotkin, from The Great French Revolution, 1789-1793, trans. N. F. Dryhurst NO: Simon Schama, from Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921), a Russian prince, revolutionary, and anarchist, argues that the French Revolution eradicated both serfdom and absolutism and paved the way for France's future democratic development. Columbia University professor Simon Schama counters that not only did the French Revolution betray its own goals, it also produced few of the results that it promised. ISSUE 3. Did British Policy Decisions Cause the Mass Emigration and Land Reforms That Followed the Irish Potato Famine? YES: Christine Kinealy, from This Great Calamity: The Irish Famine 1845-52 NO: Hasia R. Diner, from Erin's Daughters in America: Irish Immigrant Women in the Nineteenth Century Christine Kinealy, fellow of the University of Liverpool, argues that the British government's response to the Irish potato famine was deliberately inadequate. The British government's "hidden agenda" of long-term economic, social, and agrarian reform was accelerated by the famine, and mass emigration was a consequence of these changes. Historian Hasia R. Diner documents large-scale emigration both before and after the Irish potato famine. Diner credits the Irish people with learning from their famine experiences that the reliance of the poor on the potato and the excessive subdivision of land within families were no longer in their own best interests. ISSUE 4. Did the Meiji Restoration Constitute a Revolution in Nineteenth-Century Japan? YES: Thomas M. Huber, from The Revolutionary Origins of Modern Japan NO: W. G. Beasley, from The Meiji Restoration Historian Thomas M. Huber states that the Meiji Restoration was responsible for the most dramatic change in Japan's history and deserves to be referred to as a revolution. Historian W. G. Beasley argues that when compared with other revolutions such as the French and Russian, the Meiji Restoration did not constitute a revolution in the classical sense. ISSUE 5. Were Economic Factors Primarily Responsible for British Imperialism? YES: Lance E. Davis and Robert A. Huttenback, from Mammon and the Pursuit of Empire: The Economics of British Imperialism, abridged ed. NO: John M. MacKenzie, from The Partition of Africa, 1880-1900: And European Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century Professor Lance E. Davis and Robert A. Huttenback state that, although statistics prove that British imperialism was not a profitable venture, it was supported by an economic elite that was able to promote and derive profits from it. Professor John M. MacKenzie argues that the motivation for British imperialism was multicausal and that most of the causes can be found in the general anxiety crisis permeating British society in the late nineteenth century. ISSUE 6. Were Indigenous Sex Workers in the British Empire Always Powerless? YES: Denis Judd, from Empire: The British Imperial Experience, From 1765 to the Present NO: Luise White, from "Prostitution, Differentiation, and the World Economy: Nairobi 1899-1939", in Marilyn J. Boxer and Jean H. Quataert, eds., Connecting Spheres: Women in the Western World, 1500 to the Present British historian Denis Judd finds that throughout the British Empire sexual contact with "native" women was one of the perks of the imperial system. He documents the abuse and exploitation of indigenous sex workers, or prostitutes, calling it part of a pattern of conquest wherever the British flag was raised. Historian of African history Luise White interviewed indigenous sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya, and concluded that rather than being passive victims, these women acted as historical agents, doing through prostitution what in better times they would have done through marriage--stock their fathers' herds and keep livestock values competitive. PART 2. The Early Twentieth Century ISSUE 7. Were Environmental Factors and Their Psychological Effect on Chinese Society Responsible for the Boxer Rebellion? YES: Paul A. Cohen, from History in Three Keys: The Boxers as Event, Experience, and Myth NO: Henrietta Harrison, from "Justice on Behalf of Heaven: The Boxer Movement", History Today Professor Paul A. Cohen contends that while antiforeign and anti-Christian attitudes played a role in the start of the Boxer rebellion, a more immediate cause was a severe drought and its impact on Chinese society. Historian Henrietta Harrison concedes that while the Boxers were motivated by more than a single factor, opposition to Christian missionary activity was at the core of their rebellion. ISSUE 8. Were German Militarism and Diplomacy Responsible for World War I? YES: V. R. Berghahn, from Imperial Germany, 1871-1914: Economy, Society, Culture, and Politics NO: Samuel R. Williamson, Jr., from "The Origins of the War", in Hew Strachan, ed., The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War History professor V. R. Berghahn states that, although all of Europe's major powers played a part in the onset of World War I, recent evidence still indicates that Germany's role in the process was the main factor responsible for the conflict. History professor Samuel R. Williamson, Jr., argues that the factors and conditions that led to the First World War were a shared responsibility and that no one nation can be blamed for its genesis. ISSUE 9. Did the Bolshevik Revolution Improve the Lives of Soviet Women? YES: Richard Stites, from "Women and the Revolutionary Process in Russia", in Renate Bridenthal, Claudia Koonz, and Susan M. Stuard, eds., Becoming Visible: Women in European History, 2d ed. NO: Francoise Navailh, from "The Soviet Model", in Francoise Thebaud, ed., A History of Women in the West, vol. 5: Toward a Cultural Identity in the Twentieth Century History professor Richard Stites argues that in the early years of the Bolshevik Revolution, the Zhenotdel, or Women's Department, helped many working women take the first steps toward emancipation. Film historian Francoise Navailh contends that the Zhenotdel had limited political influence and could do little to improve the lives of Soviet women in the unstable period following the revolution. ISSUE 10. Was German "Eliminationist Antisemitism" Responsible for the Holocaust? YES: Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, from Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust NO: Christopher R. Browning, from "Ordinary Germans or Ordinary Men? A Reply to the Critics", in Michael Berenbaum and Abraham J. Peck, eds., The Holocaust and History: The Known, the Unknown, the Disputed, and the Reexamined Professor of political science Daniel Jonah Goldhagen states that due to the nature of German society in the twentieth century--with its endemic, virulent antisemitism--thousands of ordinary German citizens became willing participants in the implementation of Holocaust horrors. Holocaust historian Christopher R. Browning argues that Goldhagen's thesis is too simplistic and that a multicausal approach must be used to determine why ordinary German citizens willingly participated in the Holocaust ISSUE 11. Should Emperor Hirohito Have Been Held Responsible for Japan's World War II Actions? YES: Peter Wetzler, from Hirohito and War: Imperial Tradition and Military Decision Making in Prewar Japan NO: Stephen S. Large, from Emperor Hirohito and Showa Japan: A Political Biography Professor Peter Wetzler states that Emperor Hirohito bears responsibility for World War II because he did not oppose the war effort. This was in order to guarantee the continued rule of his Japanese imperial family. Author Stephen S. Large argues that Emperor Hirohito's lack of real political power to effect change absolves him from any direct responsibility for World War II. ISSUE 12. Was Stalin Responsible for the Cold War? YES: John Lewis Gaddis, from We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History NO: Martin J. Sherwin, from "The Atomic Bomb and the Origins of the Cold War", in Melvyn P. Leffler and David S. Painter, eds., Origins of the Cold War: An International History Historian John Lewis Gaddis states that after more than a half a century of cold war scholarship, Joseph Stalin still deserves most of the responsibility for the onset of the cold war. Historian Martin J. Sherwin counters that the origins of the cold war can be found in the World War II diplomacy involving the use of the atomic bomb, and he places much of the blame for the cold war on the shoulders of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Winston Churchill. PART 3. The Contemporary World ISSUE 13. Are Chinese Confucianism and Western Capitalism Compatible? YES: A. T. Nuyen, from "Chinese Philosophy and Western Capitalism", Asian Philosophy NO: Jack Scarborough, from "Comparing Chinese and Western Cultural Roots: Why 'East Is East and...,'" Business Horizons Philosophy professor A. T. Nuyen maintains that the basic tenets of classical capitalism are perfectly compatible with the key elements of Chinese philosophy. Management professor Jack Scarborough contrasts the Western heritage of democracy, rationality, and individualism with Confucian values of harmony, filial loyalty, and legalism. Based on his comparison, Scarborough finds that Chinese Confucianism is incompatible with Western capitalism. ISSUE 14. Does Islamic Revivalism Challenge a Stable World Order? YES: John L. Esposito, from The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality? 2d ed. NO: Sharif Shuja, from "Islam and the West: From Discord to Understanding", Contemporary Review Professor of Middle East studies John L. Esposito sees the Iranian Revolution against Western-inspired modernization and Egypt's "holy war" against Israel as examples of the Islamic quest for a more authentic society and culture, which challenges a stable world order. Professor of international relations Sharif Shuja identifies the rise of Islamic movements as resistance to Western domination rather than as a threat to the West as such and traces Western fears of a monolithic Islamic entity to the errors of an "Orientalist" mindset. ISSUE 15. Are Africa's Leaders Responsible for the Continent's Current Problems? YES: George B. N. Ayittey, from Africa Betrayed NO: A. Adu Boahen, from African Perspectives on Colonialism Economics professor George B. N. Ayittey states that, since achieving independence, many African countries' interests have been betrayed by their own incompetent, corrupt, power-hungry leaders. African history professor A. Adu Boahen argues that major problems left to Africa by the departing colonial powers are at the root of many of the continent's current problems. ISSUE 16. Were Ethnic Leaders Responsible for the Death of Yugoslavia? YES: Warren Zimmermann, from Origins of a Catastrophe NO: Steven Majstorovic, from "Ancient Hatreds or Elite Manipulation? Memory and Politics in the Former Yugoslavia", World Affairs Career diplomat Warren Zimmermann, the United States' last ambassador to Yugoslavia, argues that the republic's ethnic leaders, especially Slobodan Milosevic, bear primary responsibility for the nation's demise. Political science professor Steven Majstorovic contends that while manipulation by elite ethnic leaders played a role in the death of Yugoslavia, the fragile ethnic divisions, formed by memory and myth, also played an important role in the country's demise. ISSUE 17. Will the European Economic and Monetary Union Increase the Potential for Transatlantic Conflict? YES: Steven Everts, from "America and Euroland", World Policy Journal NO: Werner Weidenfeld, from "The Euro and the New Face of the European Union", The Washington Quarterly Steven Everts, research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London, argues that the emergence of the euro as a world currency and Euroland as a united voice may lead to increasing rivalry between Europe and the United States, as both seek economic and political influence in the rest of the world. Werner Weidenfeld, director of the Munich Center for Applied Policy Research, sees the European Union as a vehicle for restructuring the transatlantic relationship between Europe and the United States. If they develop a partnership between equals, they will be positioned for international crisis management and other global challenges. ISSUE 18. Do the Roots of Modern Terrorism Lie in Political Powerlessness, Economic Hopelessness, and Social Alienation? YES: Anatol Lieven, from "Strategy for Terror", Prospect NO: Mark Juergensmeyer, from "Terror in the Name of God", Current History World policy analyst Anatol Lieven states that dated United States cold war policies and despair-inducing political, economic, and social conditions have contributed to the rise of radical Islamists, some of whom were responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks. International relations specialist Mark Juergensmeyer contends that the roots of the September 11, 2001, attacks lie in the radical views of the terrorists, especially the symbolism of cosmic war and the battle between good and evil.