World History Final

UNIT 1

Industrial Revolution, Economic systems and Imperialism

Adam Smith

He believed economies worked best when governments interfered very little in business. Smith supported free trade, competition, and capitalism, making him known as the “father of capitalism.”

Jeremy Bentham

English philosopher during the late 1700s and early 1800s who created utilitarianism. Bentham believed governments and laws should create “the greatest good for the greatest number” of people.

Karl Marx

German philosopher and economist who wrote The Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engels in 1848. Marx believed industrial capitalism exploited workers and predicted workers would overthrow the wealthy upper class to create a communist society. COMMUNISM

King Leopold ll

King of Belgium who controlled the Congo Free State from 1885–1908. Leopold forced Congolese people to collect rubber through brutal violence and forced labor. Millions died due to starvation, abuse, and executions.

Mohandas Gandhi

Leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule during the early 1900s. Gandhi promoted nonviolent civil disobedience through protests, boycotts, and marches like the Salt March in 1930. India gained independence in 1947.

Capitalism

Economic system where businesses and property belong to private individuals rather than the government. Competition and profit drive the economy. Capitalism expanded rapidly during the Industrial Revolution.

Laissez-faire Capitalism

Economic idea popular during the 1800s stating the government should interfere very little in business or trade. Supporters believed the economy worked best through free competition.

Utilitarianism

Philosophy created by Jeremy Bentham arguing that actions and laws should benefit the greatest number of people.

Socialism

Economic system where the government controls major industries and resources to reduce inequality. Unlike communism, private property and businesses may still exist.

Communism

Political and economic system created by Karl Marx in the 1800s. Communism calls for shared ownership of property and elimination of social classes.

Industrial Revolution

Period of rapid industrial growth beginning in Great Britain around the late 1700s. Machines and factories replaced hand production, changing economies and society around the world.

Enclosure Movement

Movement in Britain during the 1700s where wealthy landowners fenced off common farmland into private farms. Many poor farmers lost land and moved to cities for factory work.

Urbanization

Growth of cities caused by people moving from rural areas into industrial centers for work.

Imperialism

Policy where stronger countries control weaker countries politically, economically, or militarily. European imperialism greatly expanded during the late 1800s.

British East India Company (BEIC)

British trading company founded in 1600 that gradually took political and economic control of India before Britain officially colonized it.

Sepoy Rebellion (1857)

Major uprising by Indian soldiers against British rule. Causes included cultural disrespect, unfair treatment, and rumors that rifle cartridges used pig and cow fat. Britain crushed the rebellion and took direct control of India in 1858.

Berlin Conference (1884–1885)

Meeting where European nations divided Africa among themselves without African input. This increased European imperialism and led to the “Scramble for Africa.”

Scramble for Africa

Period during the late 1800s when European nations rapidly colonized Africa for raw materials, markets, and power.

Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in Great Britain first?

Britain had large coal and iron deposits, many navigable rivers, strong trade networks, overseas colonies, political stability, and available workers from the enclosure movement.

Positive effects of the Industrial Revolution

• Mass production lowered prices

• Railroads and steamships improved transportation

• More jobs created

• Economies grew rapidly

• Technological innovation increased

Negative effects of the Industrial Revolution

• Child labor

• Unsafe working conditions

• Pollution

• Long factory hours

• Overcrowded cities with poor sanitation

How did industrialization lead to imperialism?

Industrialized countries needed raw materials like rubber, cotton, oil, and metals. They also wanted new markets to sell goods, so they expanded into Africa and Asia during the late 1800s.

Unit 1 Timeline

1700s

• 1700s — Enclosure Movement begins in Britain

  • Wealthy landowners fence off farmland

  • Small farmers lose land and move to cities

• 1760s–1840s — Industrial Revolution begins in Britain

  • Factories and machines replace hand production

  • Steam engines, textile machines, and railroads spread

• 1776 — Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations

  • Promotes capitalism and laissez-faire economics

1800s

• 1848 — Karl Marx publishes The Communist Manifesto

  • Introduces communist ideas criticizing capitalism

• Late 1800s — New Imperialism expands

  • European nations colonize Africa and Asia for resources

• 1857 — Sepoy Rebellion in India

  • Indian soldiers rebel against British rule

  • Britain later takes direct control of India

• 1884–1885 — Berlin Conference

  • European powers divide Africa without African involvement

• 1885–1908 — King Leopold II controls Congo Free State

  • Forced labor and brutality kill millions

UNIT 2

World War 1

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination on June 28, 1914, by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip triggered World War I.

Militarism

Policy of building strong militaries and glorifying military power. European nations competed to increase armies and navies before WWI.

Alliances

Agreements between countries to support one another during war. The two major alliance systems before WWI were the Triple Alliance (Germany, Italy, Austra-Hungary) and Triple Entente (Britain, France, Russia).

Nationalism

Strong pride and loyalty toward one’s nation that can create rivalry and conflict between countries.

Trench Warfare

Type of fighting in WWI where soldiers fought from trenches separated by “no man’s land.” Conditions included mud, disease, rats, and constant artillery fire.

Stalemate

Situation where neither side can gain victory or advance.

War of Attrition

Strategy where each side attempts to wear down the enemy through continuous fighting and heavy casualties.

Battle of the Somme (1916)

One of the bloodiest WWI battles fought between Britain and Germany. Over one million soldiers were wounded or killed with little territorial gain.

Schlieffen Plan

German military plan to avoid fighting a two-front war by quickly defeating France through Belgium before turning to Russia.

Schlieffen Plan was the German military strategy to avoid a two-front war against France and Russia. It aimed to swiftly knock France out of the conflict by invading through neutral Belgium, before turning east to face the slower-mobilizing Russian forces. Led by marshal

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

Treaty ending WWI that blamed Germany for the war, forced Germany to pay reparations, limited Germany’s military, and took away territory.

War Guilt Clause

Section of the Treaty of Versailles making Germany accept responsibility for WWI.

League of Nations

International organization created after WWI to prevent future wars. It failed because it lacked military power and the United States never joined.

What were the long-term causes of WWI?

The MAIN causes:

• Militarism

• Alliances

• Imperialism

• Nationalism

These tensions built throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s.

What immediately caused WWI?

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand by the black hand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.

Why was trench warfare deadly?

Machine guns, artillery, poison gas, and barbed wire made attacks extremely dangerous while trenches protected defenders.

Why was the Treaty of Versailles controversial?

Germany viewed it as unfair because it accepted full blame, lost territory, reduced its military, and paid huge reparations. These problems contributed to political instability and Hitler’s rise.

Unit 2 timeline

Before the War

• Late 1800s–1914

  • Militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism increase tensions in Europe

• 1905 — Schlieffen Plan created

  • Germany plans to defeat France quickly before Russia mobilizes

World War I

• June 28, 1914 — Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

  • Austrian archduke killed in Sarajevo

  • Immediate trigger of WWI

• 1914 — World War I begins

  • Central Powers vs Allied Powers

• 1914–1918 — Trench warfare dominates Western Front

  • Soldiers live in muddy trenches with terrible conditions

• 1916 — Battle of the Somme

  • One of the bloodiest battles in history

  • Over one million casualties

• 1917 — United States enters WWI

  • Helps shift momentum toward Allies

• November 11, 1918 — WWI ends

  • Germany signs armistice

After the War

• 1919 — Treaty of Versailles signed

  • Germany blamed for war and forced to pay reparations

• 1919 — League of Nations created

  • Intended to prevent future wars

UNIT 3

Inter war period and WWll

Adolf Hitler

Leader of Nazi Germany from 1933–1945. Hitler promoted fascism, extreme nationalism, antisemitism, and expansionism. He began WWII by invading Poland in 1939 and carried out the Holocaust.

Benito Mussolini

Dictator of Italy from 1922–1943 and founder of fascism. Mussolini promised order and national strength after economic instability in Italy.

Emperor Hirohito

Emperor of Japan during WWII. Under his rule, Japan expanded militarily into China and the Pacific.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister during most of WWII. Churchill inspired Britain to continue fighting Germany despite heavy bombing during the Battle of Britain.

Franklin Roosevelt

President of the United States from 1933–1945. Roosevelt led the U.S. through the Great Depression and most of WWII.

Josef Stalin

Communist leader of the Soviet Union from the 1920s–1953. Stalin industrialized the USSR and helped defeat Germany during WWII.

Harry Truman

U.S. president who took office in 1945 after Roosevelt died. Truman authorized the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Weimar Republic

Democratic German government established in 1919 after WWI. It struggled with hyperinflation, political extremism, and the Great Depression.

Hyperinflation

Extreme inflation in Germany during 1923 that made money nearly worthless.

Great Depression

Worldwide economic crisis beginning in 1929 that caused massive unemployment and instability.

Totalitarianism

Government system where one leader or party has total control over politics, media, education, and society.

Fascism

Authoritarian ideology emphasizing nationalism, dictatorship, militarism, and loyalty to the state.

Nazism

German form of fascism led by Hitler that added racial superiority and antisemitism.

Appeasement

Policy used mainly by Britain and France during the 1930s where they allowed Hitler to take territory in hopes of avoiding war.

Nuremberg Laws (1935)

Nazi laws removing rights and citizenship from Jewish people.

Kristallnacht (1938)

Violent attacks against Jewish synagogues, businesses, and homes across Germany and Austria.

Holocaust

Genocide during WWII where Nazi Germany murdered six million Jews and millions of others between 1941–1945.

Blitzkrieg

“Lightning war” tactic using fast-moving tanks, aircraft, and infantry to quickly overwhelm enemies.

Operation Barbarossa (1941)

Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union during WWII.

D-Day (June 6, 1944)

to launch the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The primary goal was to establish a major foothold in France, divert German forces from the Eastern Front, and begin the ultimate liberation of Europe from Hitler's control. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)

Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii that brought the U.S. into WWII.

Hiroshima (August 6, 1945)

Japanese city destroyed by the first atomic bomb used in warfare.

Why did many Germans support Hitler?

Germany faced unemployment, economic collapse, anger over the Treaty of Versailles, and fear of communism. Hitler promised jobs, military strength, and national pride.

Why did appeasement fail?

Britain and France allowed Hitler to expand into territories like Austria and Czechoslovakia, but Hitler continued aggressive expansion.

Why was Stalingrad important?

The Battle of Stalingrad (1942–1943) stopped Germany’s advance into the Soviet Union and marked a major turning point in WWII.

Unit 3 timeline

Interwar Period

• 1919 — Weimar Republic created

  • Democratic government established in Germany

• 1922 — Mussolini takes power in Italy

  • Fascist dictatorship begins

• 1923 — Hyperinflation crisis in Germany

  • German currency becomes nearly worthless

• 1929 — Great Depression begins

  • Worldwide economic collapse increases instability

• 1933 — Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany

  • Nazi Party gains control

• 1935 — Nuremberg Laws passed

  • Jewish people lose citizenship and rights

• 1938 — Kristallnacht

  • Violent attacks on Jewish communities

• 1938 — Munich Conference

  • Britain and France appease Hitler by allowing him land in Czechoslovakia

World War II

• September 1, 1939 — Germany invades Poland

  • WWII begins in Europe

• 1940 — Battle of Dunkirk

  • Allied troops evacuated from France

• 1940 — Battle of Britain

  • Britain defeats German air attacks

• 1941 — Operation Barbarossa

  • Germany invades Soviet Union

• December 7, 1941 — Pearl Harbor

  • Japan attacks U.S.; America enters WWII

• 1942–1943 — Battle of Stalingrad

  • Major Soviet victory against Germany

• June 6, 1944 — D-Day

  • Allied invasion of Normandy

• 1945 — Holocaust ends with Allied victory

  • Six million Jews murdered during Nazi genocide

• August 6, 1945 — Hiroshima bombed

  • First atomic bomb used in warfare

• August 9, 1945 — Nagasaki bombed

  • Second atomic bomb dropped

• September 1945 — WWII ends

  • Japan surrenders

UNIT 4

Cold War, china, and decolonization

Mao Zedong

Leader of the Chinese Communist Party who won the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and established the People’s Republic of China.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Leader of the Muslim League who pushed for the creation of Pakistan during the partition of India in 1947.

Augusto Pinochet

Chilean military dictator who took power in a 1973 coup supported by the United States during the Cold War.

Salvador Allende

Socialist president of Chile overthrown during the 1973 military coup.

Patrice Lumumba

First Prime Minister of the Congo after independence from Belgium in 1960. He was later removed and killed during Cold War conflict.

Joseph Mobutu

Anti-communist dictator supported by the United States during the Cold War.

Leonid Brezhnev

Leader of the Soviet Union from 1964–1982. Expanded Soviet influence and led during the Soviet-Afghan War.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Leader of the Soviet Union from 1985–1991. Introduced reforms called glasnost and perestroika that helped end the Cold War.

Jacobo Arbenz

President of Guatemala removed in a CIA-backed coup after U.S. fears he was too close to communism.

Cold War

Political, military, and ideological conflict between the United States and Soviet Union from about 1945–1991.

NATO

Military alliance formed in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and Western European countries to stop Soviet expansion.

Berlin Wall

Wall built in 1961 separating communist East Berlin from democratic West Berlin until 1989.

Berlin Airlift (1948–1949)

Operation where the U.S. and allies flew food and supplies into West Berlin after the Soviet blockade.

Decolonization

Process after WWII where colonies gained independence from European powers.

Partition of India (1947)

Division of British India into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan that caused massive violence and migration.

Great Leap Forward (1958–1962)

Mao’s economic program meant to rapidly industrialize China through collective farming. It caused widespread famine and millions of deaths.

Cultural Revolution (1966–1976)

Campaign started by Mao to restore communist ideology and remove political opponents.

Red Guard

Groups of young Chinese supporters of Mao who attacked intellectuals and perceived enemies during the Cultural Revolution.

Glasnost

Gorbachev’s policy encouraging openness and freedom of speech in the Soviet Union.

Perestroika

Gorbachev’s economic restructuring reforms intended to improve the Soviet economy.

Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989)

War where the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan but became stuck in a long, costly conflict that weakened the USSR.

Six-Day War (1967)

War where Israel defeated neighboring Arab nations and gained territory including the Sinai Peninsula and West Bank.

Camp David Accords (1978)

Peace agreement between Egypt and Israel negotiated by U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Why did conflict exist between the U.S. and Soviet Union?

The U.S. supported capitalism and democracy while the Soviet Union supported communism. Each feared the spread of the other’s ideology after WWII.

How did the Cold War affect Germany?

Germany divided into communist East Germany and democratic West Germany after WWII. Berlin also divided, leading to the Berlin Wall in 1961.

Why did WWII help lead to decolonization?

European nations weakened economically and militarily after WWII, making it harder to control colonies. Colonized people also demanded independence after fighting in the war.

What tactics did Gandhi use?

Gandhi used nonviolent civil disobedience including boycotts, hunger strikes, peaceful protests, and the Salt March.

What caused the fall of the Soviet Union?

Economic problems, expensive military spending, the Soviet-Afghan War, nationalist movements, and Gorbachev’s reforms weakened the USSR until it collapsed in 1991.

Uunit 4 timeline

Early Cold War

• 1945 — Cold War begins

  • U.S. and Soviet Union compete globally

• 1945 — United Nations created

  • Organization formed after WWII to maintain peace

• 1947 — India gains independence

  • Britain leaves India

• 1947 — Partition of India

  • India and Pakistan created

  • Massive violence and migration occur

• 1948–1949 — Berlin Airlift

  • U.S. supplies West Berlin after Soviet blockade

• 1949 — NATO formed

  • Military alliance against Soviet expansion

• 1949 — Chinese Civil War ends

  • Mao Zedong establishes Communist China

Mao’s China

• 1958–1962 — Great Leap Forward

  • Mao attempts rapid industrialization

  • Causes famine and millions of deaths

• 1966–1976 — Cultural Revolution

  • Mao targets opponents and intellectuals

• 1966 — Red Guard formed

  • Young supporters attack perceived enemies

Middle East

• 1948 — Creation of Israel

  • Arab-Israeli conflict begins

• 1956 — Suez Crisis

  • Conflict over control of Suez Canal

• 1967 — Six-Day War

  • Israel defeats neighboring Arab nations

• 1978 — Camp David Accords

  • Egypt and Israel sign peace agreement

Cold War Around the World

• 1960 — Congo gains independence

  • Patrice Lumumba becomes leader

• 1961 — Berlin Wall built

  • Divides East and West Berlin

• 1973 — Pinochet takes power in Chile

  • U.S.-supported coup removes Salvador Allende

• 1979–1989 — Soviet-Afghan War

  • USSR weakened by long conflict

End of the Cold War

• 1985 — Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader

  • Introduces glasnost and perestroika

• 1989 — Berlin Wall falls

  • Symbolic end of Cold War divisions

• 1991 — Soviet Union collapses

  • Cold War officially ends

Chinese civil war

The Chinese Civil War was caused by a fundamental struggle for power between the Nationalist government (Kuomintang) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)