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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. Who led the second Persian invasion of Greece?

2. What two major elements of martial skill were combined successfully in Europe in the medieval era?

3. What factor aided Napoleon in his ascent to become ruler of a united France?

4. What methods characterized the Wars of Spanish Succession?

5. How were the Greeks able to fend off the Persian's first war against them?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was Marlborough's style of generalship and why was he not able to fully employ it?

2. What are some of the factors that caused the Germans to retreat and eventually surrender?

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

4. How did the Greeks achieve victory in the second Greek and Persian war?

5. What was Cromwell's strategy as he moved to engage the Scottish?

6. Describe some of Belisarius's conquests.

7. How did Constable du Geusclin overcome English technological superiority?

8. What is a "natural line of expectation"?

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

10. What were the results of the Hundred Year's War between England and France?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The western front during the first World War was bloody and generally indecisive. The eventual German retreat was not precipitated by military setbacks, but by mere strategic considerations of position. There is every indication that the war could have continued in its indecisive state for many more years.

Part 1) What nations participated in the war on this front? What were the strategies on both sides? How was the war expected to be fought and won?

Part 2) What difficulties became apparent once the war had begun? How did terrain and technology affect the maneuvers and strategies that could be employed by both sides? In actual practice, what types of strategies were employed during the war?

Part 3) Were the results of the war in this theater decisive or indecisive? What factors contributed to this outcome? How did grand strategy affect the results of the war? Why was Germany eventually forced to retreat and eventually to surrender?

Essay Topic 2

Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the most influential and successful military leaders in history. He turned France into a continent-spanning Empire and defeated nearly every opponent who stood before him.

Part 1) Explain the historical and political circumstances that allowed Napoleon to rise to power in France.

Part 2) Describe Napoleon's strategies. What types of methods did he employ? What were his typical tactical and strategic maneuvers? Overall, did he employ direct or indirect approaches?

Part 3) Explain Napoleon's eventual defeat. What factors of grand strategy contributed to this outcome? How could the course of Napoleon's wars have gone differently in order to forestall or prevent this turn of events?

Essay Topic 3

The War of Spanish Succession is cited as a major setback in military strategy. This war was fought in disparate theaters by nations with no real interest in the territory under dispute and with only the vaguest of grand strategies. The small number of commanders who endorsed a more indirect approach were consistently hindered by the ignorance of their superiors, and the war devolved into a bloody and indecisive war of direct approaches.

Part 1) Explain the background and progress of this war. What was unusual about the places where and the ways in which this war was fought?

Part 2) In general, what method were employed in this war? What factors contributed to these strategies?

Part 3) What were the grand strategies and national objects of the major participants of this war? How did these goals affects the course of the war? Did any nation succeed in achieving decisive results?

Part 4) Which commander or commanders sought to employ indirect methods during this war? Why were they hindered in their attempts? What would have been some possible results if they had not been blocked in their efforts?

(see the answer keys)

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