1900 - NOW AP World Must Knows

Fall of the Russian Czar

Is overthrown by a Communist Revolution: Working conditions are awful, lowest wages in the industrialized world as they try to catch up to western Europe. Loss to Japan in Russo-Japanese War was an embarrassment. Then the Czar had peaceful protesters killed during Bloody Sunday. The final straw was World War 1. Russians are just getting slaughtered by more advanced Germans. Radical Marxist V.I. Lenin promises to end the war.

Russo-Japanese War

(1904-1905) War between Russia and Japan over imperial possessions. Japan emerges victorious. Is an embarrassment for Russia.

Bloody Sunday (Russia)

Part of the Revolution of 1905 in Russia, this massacre of peaceful protestors at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg triggered a revolution that overturned absolutist tsarist rule and Russia in a conservative constitutional monarchy.

Fall of the Ottoman Empire

Did not follow through with Tanzimat reforms, their economy is way behind. They support the Germans in World War 1. That doesn't work. The empire collapses.

Fall of the Qing Empire

The Self-Strengthening Movement was not enough. A revolt against the Qing who sold railroad rights to a British company that pushes people off rural land and disturbs some ancestor graves. A new Republic was formed in 1911, but the slow death of the Qing means that random warlords are controlling most of the rural areas.

Mexican Revolution

armed rebellion in which the Mexican people fought for political and social reform from 1910 t0 1920

Social Justice

The defense of human dignity by ensuring that essential human needs are met and that essential human rights are protected for all people

land redistribution

Give all land to poor mestizo farmers

Emiliano Zapata

Was a Mestizo activist and wanted land redistribution

Serbian Nationalists

Activists struggling for Serbia's independence from Austria-Hungary

MAIN causes of WW1

Militarism, failed alliance system, imperialist expansion and competition by European powers and Japan competition for resources, intense nationalism.

Total War

The channeling of a nation's entire resources into a war effort

Propaganda

Information that is spread for the purpose of influencing public opinion of some cause or action.

Participation of colonies in WW1

The British and French brought soldiers from their overseas colonies and commonwealths to fight on the Western Front (Indians, Canadians, and Australians for the British, Algerians and Senegalese for the French). In Africa and the Middle East colonized people fought brutal conflicts on the sides of their colonizers.

Chemical Weapons

weapons that contain chemical elements, such as chlorine gas and mustard gas

Tanks

First introduced in WW1 and could travel across barbed wire and enemy trenches while protecting the troops inside from attack.

Armenian Genocide

Young Turks claimed that Armenian Christians were supporting the enemy and 1.5 million men, women, and children are killed.

Ethnic Violence

Violence expressly motivated by ethnic hatred and ethnic conflict

Russian Revolution

Radical Marxist V.I. Lenin promises to end the war (WW1) and he gains lots of public support and is able to overthrow and establish an authoritarian communist government.

Authoritarian Communist

A communist government where all wealth is distributed from the wealthy to the citizens, but the state has a highly concentrated and centralized government power.

Soviet Union

A communist nation that was formed after the Russian Revolution and takes the place of the old Russian government.

Gavrilo Princep

A young Bosnian Serb that assassinated the heir to Austria-Hungary's empire which started WW1.

V.I. Lenin

The Radical Marxist that promises to end WW1 and gains public support and establishes an authoritarian communist government and creates the Soviet Union.

Versailles Treaty

The treaty that ended WW1. Germany forced to take blame for the war and pay reparations and can't have an air force or a big army. Colonized people mainly stay that way. In addition, much of the Middle East that was formerly part of the Ottoman Empire is turned into British and French "protectorates". Imperialism does NOT end like many people hope. Instead it actually INCREASES (in the Middle East) Countries like Italy, Japan, and China that greatly contributed to the Allied war effort are mostly ignored at the treaty conference

A new "League of Nations" (predecessor to the United Nations) is created, but the United States does not join, creating legitimacy issues

Increase of imperialism after WW1

Imperialism increases after WW1 as the Ottoman Empire collapses and France and England split the Middle East.

League of Nations

Is the predecessor to the United Nations and is created by the US to keep peace, but the US does not join as Woodrow Wilson could not convince Congress leading to legitimacy issues.

Republic of Turkey

Was created as a secular state led by Mustafa Kemal, The Ataturk. He worked to create a new Turkish national identity and separate from the Ottoman empire. Ataturk banned hijabs and insisted on western styles of dress and writing.

Hijab Ban

Hijabs were banned by Ataturk for the Turkish state to become more secular and Ataturk instead insisted on Western styles of dress.

Iran

The old Qajar dynasty was overthrown by a nationalist, Reza Shah. Reza Shah insisted that his country be called Iran in a nod to the Safavid Empire. He also insisted on many of the secular reforms seen in Turkey.

Non-violent protest

Protesting done using peaceful methods, such as boycotts.

Chinese Civil War

War between communist Mao Zse Tong and nationalist Chaing-Kai Shek. The communists took over and forced the nationalists to retreat to Taiwan

Great Depression

The New York Stock Exchange crash in October of 1929 created financial stress around the world as banking institutions failed and unemployment rose. The resulting turmoil paved the way for the rise of extreme populist fascist leaders like Adolf Hitler.

Facist

Fascist were extreme nationalist who believed people should worship their warlike state. Fascist ideology believed that liberalism (free speech, free trade, individualism) was a sign of weakness.

New Deal

a series of public works projects, programs like Social Security, and financial reforms designed to help bolster the American economy

Social Security

(FDR) 1935, guaranteed retirement payments for enrolled workers beginning at age 65; set up federal-state system of unemployment insurance and care for dependent mothers and children, the handicapped, and public health

The Great Purge

The Bolsheviks feared that Stalin was not a true Lenin idealist and they paid for this dearly. Nearly a million communist party members were executed and another sent to labor camps during Stalin's Great Purge.

Ataturk

Atatürk was a former Young Turk who worked to create a new Turkish national identity separate from the Ottoman Empire. Atatürk banned hijabs and insisted on Western styles of dress and writing.

Mohandas Gandhi

Leader of the Indian independence movement and advocate of nonviolent resistance. Led nonviolent protests against British rule, exemplified by his famous Salt March in protest of British taxes on salt.

Mao Zedong

(1893-1976) Leader of the Communist Party in China that overthrew Jiang Jieshi and the Nationalists. Established China as the People's Republic of China and ruled from 1949 until 1976.

Adolf Hitler

Austrian born Dictator of Germany, implement Fascism and caused WWII and Holocoust.

FDR

Roosevelt, the President of the United States during the Depression and WWII. He instituted the New Deal. Served from 1933 to 1945, he was the only president in U.S. history to be elected to four terms

Joseph Stalin

Russian leader who succeeded Lenin as head of the Communist Party and created a totalitarian state by purging all opposition (1879-1953)

Nazi

A member of the fascist National Socialist German Workers' Party.

Pearl Harbor

Competition for resources (the US had cut Japan off from their oil supply and this was the main cause of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor)

Totalitarian States

nation with a one-party political system led by a powerful dictator who typically maintains control by force and directs many aspects of daily life during the course of conflicts and beyond.

Total War (again)

Governments use propaganda and media again during WWII leading to another total war.

Firebombing

A bombing technique that destroys a target through the use of fire; instead of a large blast from bombs incendiary devices are used to cause damage. One of many techniques used during WW2 to cause mass murder and destruction

Atomic Bombs

A nuclear weapon in which enormous energy is released by nuclear fission. The United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the led the Japanese to surrender and helped bring an end to WWII.

Holocaust

Germans use Social Darwinism as justification for murder of nine million people across east Europe including six million Jewish people.

Social Darwinism

The application of ideas about evolution and "survival of the fittest" to human societies - particularly as a justification for their imperialist expansion and discrimination.

State Sponsored Violence

government support of violent non-state actors engaged in terrorism

New Superpowers after WW2: USA and USSR

A major power shift at the end of WWII. Britain is replaced by new SUPERPOWERS: United States, Communist Soviet Union (USSR)

Cold War

An ideological conflict and a power struggle between capitalism/democracy (USA) and communism/authoritarianism (Soviet Union: CommunistRussia) across the globe.

NATO

US and Western Europe: If communist attack any of us, then we all have each other's backs.

Warsaw Pact

Russia's pact with all communists in Eastern Europe to defend against NATO

Five Years Plans

Stalins Five Year Plans were based on complete state control of the economy. Stalin’s Five Year Plans set unrealistically high production quotas and also created collectivized farms (no more private ownership). Supposedly these farms would be more efficient, and agricultural workers could be diverted to work in industry. This proved not to be the case, and although the country did become more industrialized, there were massive deaths due to famine.

Great Leap Forward

Started by Mao Zedong, combined collective farms into People's Communes, failed because there was no incentive to work harder, ended after 2 years. Set unrealistically high production quotas and created collectivized farms. The thought was that everyone would just have to put forth a superhuman working effort and it would all work out.

Repressive policies

no free speech, no free elections

Ujamaa

A term used by the Tanzanian government to indicate a commitment to rapid economic development according to principles of socialism and communal solidarity. Ujamaa land reform in Tanzania (African style Communism)

Proxy Wars

During the Cold War, local or regional wars in which the superpowers (US and USSR) armed, trained, and financed the combatants.

Vietnam War

A proxy war. Vietnam War (Soviets with the North, US with the South) - Communists Win

Congo Civil War

A proxy war. Congo Civil War (Soviet supported President Lumumba, US supported Mobutu)

Non-Aligned Movement

The Non-Aligned Movement: a group of countries who desired to stay out of the US-Soviet rivalry. They saw that the US and Soviet were using the world as pawns. Goal was to promote nationalism and respect for the "Third World."

"Third World"

Term applied to a group of developing countries who professed nonalignment during the Cold War.

Reasons for Soviet Collapse

Communism doesn't work, US military spending and technological development, Soviet invasion failure in Afghanistan, Not enough jobs, cars, food in communist countries and many people flee because it sucks. The brightest doctors and scientists leave for better pay.

Decolonization

The collapse of colonial empires. Between 1947 and 1962, practically all former colonies in Asia and Africa gained independence.

Examples of Decolonization by Negotiation

India: Gandhi's nonviolent movement (Salt March), British Gold Coast becomes Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah uses Pan-African movement ("African identity" is created

Examples of Decolonization by armed conflict

Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh's guerrilla fighters defeat France, Kenya: Mau Mau Rebellion: various Kenyan tribes rise up against British settlers, use guerilla tactics. Algerian Civil War.

Salt March

Passive resistance campaign of Mohandas Gandhi where many Indians protested the British tax on salt by marching to the sea to make their own salt.

Ghana

British Gold Coast becomes Ghana

Pan-African Movement

Kwame Nkrumah uses Pan-African movement (“African identity” is created, Nkrumah argues that all “Africans” should join together to support each others independence movements against Europe) to put pressure on the British and negotiate for decolonization.

Mau Mau Rebellion

Various Kenyan tribes rise up against British settlers, use guerilla tactics. Rebellion is defeated but it is clear that the British can't stay. Freedom comes just 5 years later.

Indian National Congress

Indian nationalist group formed to work for rights and power for Indians under British rule.

Pan-Arabism

movement in which Arabs sought to unite all Arabs into one state

Muslim League

organization formed by muslims in 1906 to protect their interests against British Rule and they demand a separate Muslim country (Pakistan).

Pakistan

A separate Muslim country demanded by the Muslim league.

Biafra

Eastern Nigerian region inhabited mostly by the Ibo people who felt discriminated against in their own new country; in 1967 attempted unsuccessfully to secede from Nigeria; defeated and reintegrated in 1970.

Creation of Isreal

Created out of British Palestine. Instantly a million Arabs were displaced and became refugees. As a response, Arabs tried to go to war with Israel, but Israel was supported by the US and western Europe, so the only result was an even harsher crackdown on Arabs in Palestine and more refugees and therefore more hatred of Israel... the cycle continues to this day.

Partition of India

Muslims in India feared they would be dominated by 90% Hindu majority. They demanded their own country. Fighting and hatred broke out on both sides. Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu when we said that Muslims should be allowed a country if they wanted. Millions of people were forced to relocate. Pakistan was created.

Mixed Economy

An economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion.

Kwame Nkrumah

founder of Ghana's independence movement and Ghana's first president used nationalism to end colonization.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam used nationalism to end colonization.

Gamal Nasser

In Egypt, Gamal Nasser nationalized many industries that had previously been under British and French control. Most importantly, he nationalized the Suez Canal (brought it under Egyptian control).

Julius Nyerere

In Tanzania, Julius Nyerere pioneered the social and economic policy of ujamaa, which means "family hood" in Swahili. Under this policy, the Tanzanian government would take over control of banking and industry. People were encouraged to move from cities back to villages, which would in theory allow them to live a more traditional and morally upright life

Caravan of Death

Army officers who flew around killing people that Pinochet claimed were too liberal like union workers and teachers.

US Military Industrial Complex

Many US corporations make a LOT of money selling weapons/vehicles around the world increasing death counts and mass atrocities. They also apply political pressure inside in the US and through lobbyists, prevent the end of the Cold War and promote a culture of fear to ensure conflict (and profit) continue

Migration to land of former colonizers

As colonization ended, many people migrated to the land of their former colonizers. Ex: Algerians moved to France, Filipinos to the U.S., Indians, Pakistanis, Africans moved to England

Al-Qaeda

Hatred of all things American and Western that they see as immoral. Also extreme hatred for all foreign military troops on Islamic soil.

IRA

Hates British control of northern Ireland. Terror attacks throughout London and the UK.

Outlawing of the caste system

Ghandi in India: Salt March: led to independence for India and also the outlawing of the caste system

Voting Rights Act

law that banned literacy tests and empowered the federal government to oversee voter registration. Passed in 1965 after MLK led peaceful protests.

Tiananmen Square Protest

Student protests for freedom of the press, educational reform, and an end to political corruption in China in Tiananmen Square. After protesting for several days, hundreds of protesters were killed by the Chinese military.

Anti-Apartheid Movement

The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM), originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's non-whites. NOT necessarily non-violent as the leaders were not afraid to defend themselves against white brutality. Nelson Mandela was the leader and was jailed for decades. Eventually in 1994 he was released and became the first African President of South Africa

Iranian Islamic Revolution

revolution lead by Ayatollah Khomeini to topple Shah Reza Pahlavi and undo westernization; gives Iran a theocracy

Ayatollah

A fundamentalist Shia teacher that was put in control of Iran after the people of Iran revolted against the western-backed shah.

Taliban

Afghanistan fought secular communism and defeated Soviet Union. Taliban then came to power and forced extreme religious oppression on the people. Taliban are a fundamentalist Islamic militia.

Cambodian Genocide

During the late 1970s. Pol Pot came to power and brutally murdered anyone who was deemed against the communist party or peasants. Anyone with an education was a threat. Anyone who lived and worked in the city was a threat.

Rwanda Genocide

1994 Ethnic Hutu Militias took advantage of Rwanda's political turmoil and began killing Tutsi civilians. Hutu people in Rwanda hated the Tutsi people. The Tutsi were in favor during harsh Belgian rule. In the 1990s, a horrible genocide took place.

Idi Amin

Idi Amin killed 6% of all Ugandans during his reign of terror in the 1970s. He used "Pan-Africa" jargon to justify his rule. Really, he was just a power hungry murderer.

Augusto Pinochet

Augusto Pinochet in Chile: US supported a coup d'etat to replace Communists with this dictator. The Chilean economy did improve. But Pinochet killed many union workers and teachers that he claimed were to liberal. Known as the "Caravan of Death"