🌍AP World History: Modern Unit 7 – Global Conflicts (1900-Present)

Key Events and Timeline

• World War I (1914-1918) began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and ended with the Treaty of Versailles
• Russian Revolution (1917) led to the establishment of the Soviet Union and the rise of communism
• Great Depression (1929-1939) caused widespread economic hardship and political instability
  • Stock market crash of 1929 triggered a global economic downturn
  • Unemployment rates soared and international trade declined
• World War II (1939-1945) started with Germany's invasion of Poland and ended with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
  • Holocaust resulted in the systematic murder of approximately 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany
• Cold War (1947-1991) characterized by ideological and geopolitical tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union
• Decolonization (1940s-1970s) saw the independence of former colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean
• Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) symbolized the end of the Cold War and the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe
• 9/11 terrorist attacks (2001) led to the global "War on Terror" and military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq

Major Global Conflicts

• World War I (1914-1918) involved the Allied Powers (France, Britain, Russia, Italy, and later the United States) against the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire)
  • Trench warfare and the use of chemical weapons resulted in unprecedented casualties
• World War II (1939-1945) pitted the Allies (United States, Soviet Union, Britain, and France) against the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan)
  • Largest and deadliest conflict in human history, with an estimated 70-85 million fatalities
• Korean War (1950-1953) fought between North Korea (supported by China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (supported by the United Nations, primarily the United States)
• Vietnam War (1955-1975) involved the United States supporting South Vietnam against the communist North Vietnam and the Viet Cong
  • Guerrilla warfare tactics and the use of napalm and Agent Orange had devastating effects on the population and environment
• Arab-Israeli conflicts, including the Six-Day War (1967) and the Yom Kippur War (1973), shaped the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East
• Gulf War (1990-1991) saw a US-led coalition force Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait
• War on Terror (2001-present) encompasses military interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other regions in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the threat of global terrorism

Causes and Triggers

• Nationalism and imperialism fueled tensions among European powers leading up to World War I
• Rise of fascism in Europe, particularly in Germany under Adolf Hitler and in Italy under Benito Mussolini, contributed to the outbreak of World War II
  • Hitler's expansionist policies and the invasion of Poland triggered the war in Europe
• Ideological differences between capitalism and communism underpinned the Cold War
  • Truman Doctrine (1947) pledged US support to countries threatened by Soviet expansionism
• Decolonization movements were driven by nationalist sentiments and the desire for self-determination in colonized regions
• Israeli declaration of independence (1948) and the subsequent Arab-Israeli wars were rooted in competing claims to the region and religious tensions
• Iraq's invasion of Kuwait (1990) led to the Gulf War, with concerns over oil supplies and regional stability
• 9/11 terrorist attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda, leading to the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and the broader War on Terror

Key Figures and Leaders

• Woodrow Wilson, US President during World War I, proposed the Fourteen Points plan for post-war peace and helped establish the League of Nations
• Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin were key leaders of the Soviet Union, shaping its communist ideology and policies
  • Lenin led the Bolshevik Revolution and established the Soviet state
  • Stalin's totalitarian rule (1924-1953) was marked by rapid industrialization, collectivization, and the Great Purge
• Adolf Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany, pursued expansionist and genocidal policies that led to World War II and the Holocaust
• Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, US Presidents during World War II, played crucial roles in the Allied war effort and post-war reconstruction
• Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were key figures in India's independence movement against British colonial rule
• Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese Communist Party, founded the People's Republic of China in 1949 and implemented sweeping social and economic reforms
• Fidel Castro led the Cuban Revolution (1953-1959) and established a communist government, leading to tensions with the United States
• Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid activist and later President of South Africa, played a pivotal role in the country's transition to democracy

Technological Advancements

• Machine guns, tanks, and chemical weapons were introduced during World War I, changing the nature of warfare
• Atomic bombs developed during World War II (Manhattan Project) and used against Japan, ushering in the nuclear age
  • Nuclear weapons played a central role in the Cold War arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union
• Jet aircraft and guided missiles revolutionized aerial warfare and defense systems
• Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union led to advancements in satellite technology and space exploration
  • Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite (Sputnik 1) in 1957 and sent the first human (Yuri Gagarin) into space in 1961
  • US Apollo 11 mission landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969
• Green Revolution (1950s-1960s) introduced high-yield crop varieties and modern agricultural techniques, improving food production in developing countries
• Advancements in computing and telecommunications, such as the development of the internet and mobile phones, have transformed global communication and information sharing

Geopolitical Shifts

• Collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I led to the redrawing of borders in the Middle East (Sykes-Picot Agreement)
• Rise of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers following World War II, dividing the world into spheres of influence
  • Proxy wars fought in various regions (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan) as part of the larger Cold War conflict
• Decolonization reshaped the political map, with newly independent nations emerging in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean
  • Bandung Conference (1955) marked the emergence of the Non-Aligned Movement, which sought to navigate a path between the US and Soviet blocs
• Sino-Soviet split (1960s) divided the communist world and altered the dynamics of the Cold War
• Collapse of the Soviet Union (1991) ended the Cold War and led to the formation of new independent states in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
• European integration, through the formation of the European Union, has created a significant economic and political bloc
• Rise of China and India as major economic and geopolitical powers has shifted the global balance of power in the 21st century

Social and Economic Impacts

• World Wars I and II resulted in massive loss of life, destruction of infrastructure, and displacement of populations
• Great Depression led to widespread poverty, unemployment, and social unrest
  • Rise of extremist political movements (fascism) in some countries as a response to economic hardship
• Cold War arms race diverted resources from social welfare and development in many nations
• Decolonization and the end of colonial rule had mixed social and economic outcomes for newly independent nations
  • Some countries experienced political instability, ethnic conflicts, and economic challenges in the post-colonial era
• Globalization, accelerated by advancements in transportation and communication, has increased economic interconnectedness but also contributed to income inequality and cultural homogenization
• Women's rights movements, such as the suffrage movement and the feminist movement of the 1960s-1970s, have fought for gender equality and improved the status of women in many societies
• Civil rights movements, such as the African-American civil rights movement in the United States, have challenged racial discrimination and promoted social justice

Legacy and Modern Implications

• League of Nations, established after World War I, laid the groundwork for future international organizations like the United Nations
• United Nations, founded in 1945, serves as a forum for international cooperation and conflict resolution
  • UN peacekeeping missions have been deployed to various conflict zones worldwide
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) set a global standard for the protection of individual rights and freedoms
• Nuclear non-proliferation treaties and arms control agreements, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968) and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties (START), have sought to limit the spread and development of nuclear weapons
• International criminal tribunals, such as the Nuremberg trials and the International Criminal Court, have held individuals accountable for war crimes and human rights abuses
• Ongoing conflicts, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Syrian civil war, continue to shape regional and global politics
• Climate change and environmental degradation, exacerbated by industrialization and population growth, pose significant challenges for the international community in the 21st century
• Rise of international terrorism, exemplified by the 9/11 attacks and the emergence of groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS, has led to increased global security measures and military interventions