APWH 20th Century Vocab

Pan-

all, entire

Artistic Modernism

rejecting the styles of the past and focusing on western art by experimenting forms, materials, and techniques that reflect society

Bloc

a group of countries that work closely together because they have similar political interests

Civilian

a person who is not in the military

Consumerism

the belief that buying and using goods is important for economic growth

Decolonization

the process by which colonies gain independence from imperial powers

Deforestation

the action of clearing a wide area of trees

Desertification

the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

Ecology

the study of how living things interact with each other and their environment

Ethnic Cleansing

the mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted ethnic or religious group in a society

Fascism

a political system headed by a dictator that calls for extreme nationalism, no tolerance of opposition, and emphasizes strong central control

Free Market

an economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses

Genocide

the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation

Geopolitical

relating to politics, especially international relations, as influenced by geographical factors

Globalization

process by which countries, economies, and cultures become connected and interdependent across the world

Green Revolution

a large increase in crop production in developing countries achieved by the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yield crop varieties.

Humanitarian

concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare

Liberalization

the removal or loosening of government restrictions on something, typically an economic or political system.

Liberation Theology

Christian movement primarily in Latin America linking faith to social justice and helping the poor

Metropole

the parent state of a colony

Militarize

to prepare for war

Mobilize

to organize and prepare people or resources for action, especially war

Multinational Corporation

an organization that manufactures and markets products in many different countries and has multinational stock ownership and management

Nationalization

takeover of private industries or assets by the government

Neo-colonialism

the use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former dependencies

Non-aligned

countries not formally siding with U.S. or Soviet Union during the Cold War

Partition

division of a country or territory into separate parts

Proliferation

a rapid increase, often of weapons and technology

Propagate

to spread ideas, beliefs, or information widely

Refugee

a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster

Regime

a government in power, especially an authoritarian one

Secession

a region formally leaving a country to become independent

Third World

countries not aligned with U.S. or Soviet Union during the Cold War; often developing nations

Totalitarian/Authoritarian

referring to a form of government in which one person or party holds absolute control

W

World Wars 1 and 2, shatter Western Europe’s power and leave US and USSR superpowers

R

Russian Revolution, leads to Soviet Union and other communist countries

A (1st)

Apartheid, in South Africa 1948-1994

D

Decolonization, ends European imperialism

C

Cold War, between US and USSR

A (2nd)

Alliances, such as NATO and the Warsaw Pact

P

Partitions of land such as India and Pakistan, North and South Korea, Palestine and Israel.

E

Empires end, such as Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans

S

Suffrage for women in most countries came after WWI