Geopolitics and Contemporary Conflicts Worksheet (Grade 12)

The Crimea crisis in 2014 had the following direct outcome:

• Ukraine’s independence from Russia

• Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula

• Russia’s defeat by European Union forces

• The end of Vladimir Putin’s government in Russia

One key reason that led to Russia’s annexation of Crimea was:

• The presence of military bases and a population of Russian origin in the region

• The United States’ interest in dominating the Black Sea

• The European Union’s expansion into Central Asia

• The creation of a new economic bloc between Russia and Ukraine

The Arab Spring (2010–2012) was characterized by:

• Popular uprisings against authoritarian regimes in Arab countries

• Civil wars driven by religious disputes between Christians and Muslims

• A colonial independence movement in Africa

• The creation of a military alliance among Egypt, Syria, and Libya

The spark that triggered the Arab Spring occurred when:

• A Tunisian street vendor set himself on fire in protest against unemployment and corruption

• An Egyptian military group seized power violently

• The Syrian government bombed civilians in Damascus

• Libyan leader Gaddafi was democratically elected

The Syrian Civil War (2011–2024) began after:

• Peaceful protests against Bashar al-Assad’s government were violently repressed

• The Islamic State advanced into the territories of Egypt and Libya

• A decisive military victory by the Kurds over the Syrian regime

• Russia withdrew from the international coalition

During the Syrian Civil War, Russia and Iran supported:

• Opposition rebel groups

• The Islamic State

• Bashar al-Assad’s government

• Kurdish forces

One of the gravest consequences of the Syrian Civil War was:

• The independence of Kurdistan

• The creation of the Arab League

• A humanitarian crisis with millions of refugees

• The establishment of a democratic and stable government

The conflict between Israel and Palestine remains unresolved mainly because:

• Both sides agree to create two independent states

• Extremists in Israel and Hamas reject mutual recognition and territorial division

• The United Nations ordered the dissolution of the State of Israel

• Iran took control of the Gaza Strip

Among recent episodes of the Israel–Palestine conflict, we can cite:

• The creation of the UN and Israel’s founding in 1948

• The Gaza War (2014) and Hamas’s attack in 2023

• The end of regional tensions after the Oslo Accords

• Political unification between Israel and Palestine

When comparing the studied conflicts (Crimea, Arab Spring, Syria, and Israel–Palestine), we can state that all of them:

• Were caused by religious disputes between Christianity and Islam

• Represent political and social tensions tied to struggles for power and autonomy

• Were resolved through UN intervention and peace agreements

• Resulted in the unification of territories at war