Comprehensive Study Notes - Revolutions and the -Isms

Vocabulary flashcards for review

Revolution

A rapid and significant transformation in social, political, or economic systems.

Political Revolution

Originates from Enlightenment thought; Aimed at fundamental shifts in political structures via mass mobilization; Challenged monarchy, aristocracy, and religious authority in favor of representative governance.

Industrial Revolution

Rooted in scientific advances; Represented a shift from agrarian, manual labor-based economies to industrialized, machine-powered ones; Sparked unprecedented connectivity and productivity.

"Taxation without representation"

Colonists rejected British Parliament's authority to impose taxes.

French Revolution Achievements and Legacy

Ended monarchy, feudal privileges, and religious dominance; Expanded political participation and secular state authority; Inspired 19th-century liberalism, nationalism, and constitutionalism.

Haitian Revolution Significance

First black-led republic and second independent country in Western Hemisphere; Abolished slavery permanently; Challenged white supremacy and colonial rule; Inspired global anti-slavery and independence movements; Forced France to abandon American territories (e.g., Louisiana Purchase).

Mechanization

Factory system replaced cottage industry.

Mass production

Division of labor increased efficiency.

Urbanization

Growth of cities, like Manchester.

Labor shifts

Rise in wage labor, child labor, worker exploitation.

Economic Impact of the Industrial Revolution

Boosted global trade and industrial output.

Social Impact of the Industrial Revolution

New working classes, unions, gender wage gaps.

Global Inequality (Industrial Revolution impact)

Industrial nations dominated non-industrial regions.

Communication Revolution

Telegraph and cable systems reshaped global connectivity.

Consumerism

A doctrine advocating a continual increase in the consumption of goods as a basis for a sound economy.

Capitalism

An economic system based on wage labour in which the means of production is controlled by private or corporate interests for the purpose of profit, with prices determined largely by competition in a free market.

Communism

A theory that advocates the abolition of private ownership, all property being vested in the community, and the organization of labour for the common benefit of all members; a system of social organization in which this theory is put into practice.

Nationalism

Advocacy of or support for the interests of one's own nation, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.

Consumer Society

A newer construct where ever-growing consumption becomes the principal aspiration, source of identity, and leisure activity for a significant portion of the population.

Material Culture

Culture expressed through physical objects and architecture.

Adam Smith's Core Idea

Advocating for a system of natural liberty.

Adam Smith

Scottish economist, student of the Scottish Enlightenment, and teacher of moral philosophy.

Elaboration of Adam Smith's Ideas

Laissez-faire; for 'allow to to'.

Karl Marx View of History

History as a manifestation of class relationships, determined by property ownership.

Szostak's view on Nationalism

Identification of the state with ethnicity.

'Imagined Community'

The nation seen as a territorial 'community of nativity' (birth) with a collective memory.

Napoleonic Expansionism

Lead to the first instance of conscription (compulsory enlistment of adult males into the army), vital for 20th-century wars. Militarism helped create a common sense of history and identity in France.

Qing Dynasty

Ethnically Manchu rulers over a Han majority; Controlled vast territory ; Administered through Confucian bureaucracy; Declined throughout the 19th Century due to internal and external pressures.

British Empire in the 19th Century

Dominated the Indian subcontinent through trade and military power.

French Empire in the 19th Century

Dominated Indochina (modern-day Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam).

Russian Empire in the 19th Century

Conquered Siberia in earlier centuries; 19th century saw push into Central Asia.

Japanese Empire in the 19th Century

Rapid modernization, centralization, and industrialization. By late 19th century, emerged as an imperial power.

Commodore Matthew Perry's arrival in 1853-54

Force Japan to open its ports, exposing it to Western technology and the imminent threat of colonization.

Fukoku kyohei

Rich country, strong army.

Japanese Expansion into Korea, Taiwan and Manchuria

Served as triggers for Japanese leaders to believed that controlling neighboring regions would serve as defensive buffer zones.

Outcome of the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895)

Japan’s victory shocked the world by recognition of Korean independence (paving the way for future annexation).

Certain Key Factors Throughout Empires

Embraced and expressed as The pursuit of resources and markets for financial gain, the securing of borders against perceived and/or potential enemies and the Need to maintain the powerful self-image of an empire, often tied to nationalist sentiments.

Imperialism

The creation and maintaining of hegemonic influence of varying degrees over foreign entities and states.

Recap (Global Connections)

The origins of imperialism are deeply rooted in trade and the pursuit of profit and power.

World War I (WWI)

Also known as the Great War, from 1914 to 1918.

League of Nations

Created to maintain peace and collective security, but it failed due to; Lack of enforcement mechanisms (no army), Key absences for failing to act and Poor responses to aggression.

First World

Economic system of USA, aligned, capitalist countries.

Second World

Economic system of USSR-aligned, communist countries.

Third World

Economic systems of economic independence from Cold War blocs.

Treaty of Versailles

The treaty signed in 1919 that officially ended World War I.

Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, beginning in the United States.

Rise of Fascism

A political ideology and mass movement that sought to regenerate the social, political, and cultural life of a nation, especially as distinguished from communism.

Benito Mussolini

Italian political leader who became the fascist dictator of Italy from 1925 to 1945.

Adolf Hitler

German politician and leader of the Nazi Party who became Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and Führer in 1934.

Appeasement

A diplomatic policy of making political, material, or territorial concessions to an aggressive power in order to avoid conflict.

World War II (WWII)

A global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945.

The Holocaust

A genocide during World War II in which Nazi Germany, aided by its collaborators, systematically murdered some six million European Jews.

The Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc, from 1947 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Proxy Wars

Conflicts in which major powers use third parties as substitutes instead of fighting each other directly.

Decolonization

The process by which colonies become independent of the colonizing country.

Globalization

The increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of countries through flows of goods, services, capital, people, and information.

Supranational Organizations

International

American Revolution

A conflict between Great Britain and its Thirteen Colonies in North America, resulting in American independence.

Causes of the American Revolution

Fueled by Enlightenment ideals and colonial grievances against British policies like taxation without representation.

Key Figures of the American Revolution

Key figures include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.

Outcome of the American Revolution

Established the United States of America as an independent republic, influencing future democratic movements.

French Revolution

A period of social and political upheaval in late 1700's France, ultimately overthrowing the monarchy and establishing a republic.

Causes of the French Revolution

Inspired by Enlightenment ideals, social inequality, and economic crisis.

Key Events of the French Revolution

Key events include the storming of the Bastille, the Reign of Terror, and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Key Figures of the French Revolution

Key figures include Maximillian Robspierre, King Louis XVI, and Marie Antoinette.

Outcome of the French Revolution

Led to the end of the monarchy, the rise of nationalism, and the spread of revolutionary ideas across Europe.