World History (HIST 101) World War I and II Exam Review (Causes, Turning Points, Consequences)
University of Washington
World History (HIST 101) | Exam Review

Overview
A HIST 101 finals review that links the causes of World War I and World War II to key turning points and major consequences, with an emphasis on building clear thesis-driven short answers under time pressure.

Key topics
•WWI long-term causes (alliances, imperialism, nationalism, militarism) vs triggers
•WWI turning points and home-front mobilization
•interwar instability (Treaty of Versailles, Great Depression, rise of fascism)
•WWII theaters and major turning points (Europe + Pacific) in broad strokes
•postwar outcomes (UN, Cold War origins, decolonization momentum)

Suggested study tasks
•build a 12-event timeline from 1914 to 1945 with one-sentence significance notes
•write 4 thesis statements (causation + comparison) for common exam prompts
•practice 6 short answers using claim + evidence + explanation
•create a cause->effect chain for 3 interwar developments leading to WWII
•do a 10-minute turning points drill labeling 8 events with why they mattered

Common pitfalls
•listing events without linking them to a claim
•mixing up chronology between interwar and wartime periods
•overfocusing on one country without global context
•using vague terms like tensions increased without specifying mechanisms
•forgetting to address consequences (political + social + economic)