Which statement about john d. rockefeller and j. p morgan is accurate?
a. they were the leading republican contenders in the 1916 presidential campaign.
b. they were railroad tycoons who collaborated to build the transcontinental railroad.
c. they were two of the richest, most powerful men in america during the gilded age.
d. they were muckraking journalists who exposed corruption in monopolies and trusts.

the second world war (wwii) was one of the major trans formative events of the 20th century, with 39 million deaths in europe alone. large amounts of physical capital were destroyed as well through six years of constant ground battles and bombing. many individuals were forced to abandon or give up their property without compensation and to move on to new lands. periods of hunger become more common even in relatively prosperous western europe. families were separated for long periods of time especially from their fathers. many including young children would personally witness the horrors of war as battles and bombing took place in the very areas where they lived. horrendous crimes against humanity were committed. due to wwii, political and economic systems in many countries would be permanently altered.

the expansion of the rule of empires over other territories took place as a result of several reasons including economic, ethnocentric, political, and religious, and exploratory purposes.

in terms of economic purposes: imperial governments aimed to maximize profits and with that purpose they neeeded cheap labor, access to or control of markets to sell or buy products. they also desired to find natural resources (precious metals and land). in the awake of   industrial revolution, dependent colonies provided the necessary raw materials that european factories and market needed to manufacture products.  

ethnocentric: many territories were conquered by imperial territories in an attempt to spread their cultures, values and belief as they considered them to be superior. in the late 19th century, for example, european powers held   the racist belief that inferior races should be conquered in order to “civilize” them.

political: another reason that drove conquer and expansion was patriotism and growing imperial power. it refers to national prestige, pride, and security. empires sought strategic territory to ensure access for their navies and armies around the world.

religious: the aim of converting new member of other religions was another factor that prompted expansion.   christian missionaries from europe established churches in conquered territories during the nineteenth century. thus, they spread western cultural values. furthermore, the imperial nation’s language was spread as well, through educational and religious interactions.

exploratory: imperial nations or their citizens aimed to explore territory that was unknown to them,   for different purposes including medical or scientific research, however, at the very   beginning, they did it to embark on adventure. furthermore, imperial explorers sought to discover, map, and claim territory before their imperial competition did, for national and personal glory as well as to realize the imperialist goal of expansion.