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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was Belisarius's first major reconquest?

2. How did Caesar achieve relatively bloodless victories?

3. According to one of the aphorisms introduced at the beginning of the book, what is the likely outcome for all nations that participate in a war?

4. William of Normandy was joined by an allied King from what nation?

5. What characteristic of the English occupation of France during the Hundred Year's war argues for the results being indecisive?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the nature of the Wars of Spanish Succession. What kinds of strategies were used, and what was unique about these wars?

2. How did the large size of the Persian army in the second Greek and Persian war cause problems for the Persians?

3. Describe the changes that took place in France that led to Napoleon becoming ruler of that nation.

4. Explain the concept of the "center" of a country's military power. What is the importance of "dislocating" this center?

5. What characterized the battles of William of Normandy?

6. Explain Napoleon's famous quotation regarding moral and physical conditions.

7. What were the strategies of the French and Germans during the First World War?

8. Why were decisive results difficult to achieve during the British Civil Wars?

9. How did Cromwell overcome his enemy's numeric superiority?

10. What instigated the Byzantine war against the Vandals?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

During the First World War, the Turkish theater saw the most mobile and strategic fighting of the war. Multiple invasions by France and England were fought back, and a vicious skirmishing guerrilla war was fought over the independence of emerging Arab states.

Part 1) Explain the importance of Turkey to the grand strategy of the first World War. Why did this country enter into the war, and what did it hope to gain? Why did the allies decide to invade this country directly?

Part 2) Discuss the war between Turkey and the western powers. What types of strategies were employed by each side? Why did France and England consistently fail to succeed in Turkey? Were the results of this war decisive or indecisive, and why?

Part 3) Discuss the war between Turkey and the Arab states. What distinct advantages and weaknesses did each side posses? Which side better utilized its own strengths and took most advantage of its enemy's weaknesses? What were the results of this conflict?

Essay Topic 2

Julius Caesar was a visionary and a brilliant general. In a few short years, he transformed Rome from a republic into an empire, a move that shook the ancient world and forever changed Rome's destiny.

Part 1) Who was Julius Caesar, what was the political and military atmosphere of Rome when he grew up and when he educated, and how did he begin his career?

Part 2) Outline Caesar's style of generalship, emphasizing his use of the indirect method using examples from the book.

Part 3) Explain how Caesar maneuvered himself to become dictator for life of Rome, and how he altered the empire. How was his approach to politics similar or different from his approach to warfare?

Part 4) Explain the reasons for Caesar's assassination, and briefly discuss his legacy to Rome in particular and to military strategy as a whole.

Essay Topic 3

Guerrilla warfare has been employed throughout history, but has flourished into a well-studied and effective method of warfare only within the last century.

Part 1) What is guerrilla warfare, and how does it differ from conventional warfare? What forces and methods are employed under this strategy?

Part 2) What factors led to the increased use of guerrilla warfare during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? Provide some examples from the book of the increasing use of this strategy.

Part 3) What major advantages and disadvantages does guerrilla warfare lead to? Under what conditions should a nation resort to these means?

Part 4) Summarize the overall historical effectiveness of guerrilla warfare, using examples from the book.

(see the answer keys)

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