Modern World History & UPSC 2017

Dear All

Just to evaluate the efficacy of the book, I have carried out a quickfire analysis of UPSC History Optional Paper II as held on 03 NOV 2017

q 5a - off the track question on Kant

5 b - reforms of Napoleon 

Napoleon the general had merit, leadership, discipline, patriotism & sense of purpose

These qualities were transformed/reflected into Napoleon the Consul through his reforms

May see the section on Napoleon in Chapter 2 of my World History Book - WHB hereon.

5 c - chartist movement in Britain

May see the section on Chartist Movement in Chapter 2 of WHB

5 d - German unification & loss in WWI combined

Discussed in Chapters 4 & 7 respectively

5 e - repeat qs - 2011 

detailed hints in pg 11.7 of my World history book [WHB] 

6a Industrial Rev in England first, why?? 

Social Consequences of Ind Rev 

may see pg 3.2 , 3.5, 3.10 of WHB - for complete discussion

6b - WWI as TOTAL War 

fully solved in 7.13 of WHB 

bull's eye : this Qs was set as a sample qs in the book with full solution & had never appeared in UPSC before !!

6c - tricky qs - requires application of mind

See Industrial depression in England in 1815-30, peterloo massacre - pg 2.18 & 2.19 of WHB

coupled with Socialism before Marx
[Chapter 1 of WHB]

7a -german unification

Chapter 4 of WHB - fully discussed 

7b - Describe Bolshevism,
Focus on Stalinism & Cold War

See pg 6.14 of WHB 

7c - On Simon Bolivar 

Again, for the 1st time in UPSC this Qs has been asked - I have stressed umpteen number of times that any day this qs could come - finally, I feel vindicated

see pp 9.1 to 9.3 of WHB - for the discussion

However, failure of Bolivar to provide united stand was due to : civil wars, different nationalities, Chile having a different leader, heavy Spanish repression, Brazil was under Portuguese & hence had a different stream of political liberation working there

Nonehtless Bolivar cannot be termed to have failed as such

8a - Fascism in Italy

See Chapter 6 of WHB 

8b - repeat qs, was asked in 2007, 2013

fully solved in pg 12.10 of WHB

8c - Dutch imperialism in Indonesia

read pg 5.4 of WHB 

Again, question asked for the first time in UPSC 

So, in sum, apart from one qs, i.e. 5a, all other questions have been fully dealt with / solved in WHB.

Moreover, Q6b was predicted to 100%