ap world nationalism and political identities

Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress (INC) played a pivotal, dual role in the 20th century:

• first, as the primary force in achieving India's independence from British rule,

• second, as the dominant political party in shaping the newly independent nation. 

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

India's revered independence leader, a lawyer and activist who pioneered Satyagraha (truth-force) — nonviolent civil disobedience — to achieve political and social change, inspiring global movements for civil rights and freedom.

• spent 25 years in South Africa

• assassinated by Hindu extremist

ahimsa

meaning non-violence, non-harming, or harmlessness, extending to thoughts, words, and actions towards all living beings

satyagraha

a policy of passive political resistance, especially that advocated by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule in India.

harijans

meaning "children of God," is a term Mahatma Gandhi used for India's "Untouchables" to promote their dignity and upliftment from the lowest caste

India Act

a major British parliamentary act that served as India's constitution in its final years, introducing provincial autonomy, a federal structure with divided powers (Federal, Provincial, Concurrent Lists), a bicameral legislature, and a Federal Court, while expanding the electorate and increasing Indian participation in government.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

the influential lawyer, politician, and founding father of Pakistan, revered as "Quaid-e-Azam" (Great Leader) for leading Muslims of British India to create a separate nation

Xuantong

Puyi, last emperor of China

Sun Yatsen

a Chinese revolutionary leader, statesman, and "Father of Modern China" who led the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, ended millennia of imperial rule, and founded the Republic of China (ROC) in 1912, promoting his "Three Principles of the People": nationalism, democracy, and people's livelihood.

May Fourth Movement

a pivotal 1919 Chinese anti-imperialist, cultural, and political awakening, sparked by student protests in Beijing against the Treaty of Versailles' decision to give German territories in China (Shandong) to Japan

Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

the founding and sole ruling political party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, it defeated the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) in the Chinese Civil War and established the PRC in 1949. 

Mao Zendong

• the founding father of the People's Republic of China (PRC), leading the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to victory in the civil war and establishing communist rule in 1949 becoming China's paramount leader until his death,

• known for adapting Marxism to China through peasant-focused revolution and disastrous campaigns like the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution

• which transformed China but caused immense suffering

Guomindang

• the Chinese Nationalist Party, a significant political entity in modern Chinese and Taiwanese history. It was founded on the principles of nationalism, democracy, and the people's livelihood

Jiang Jieshi

• a Chinese military and political leader who headed the Nationalist (guomindang) government, first in mainland China (1928-1949) and then in Taiwan, leading the Republic of China (ROC) until his death in 1975.

• He unified much of China, fought the Japanese invasion during World War II, and then lost the Chinese Civil War to Mao Zedong's Communists, retreating to Taiwan where he established an anti-communist government that endured for decades. 

Long March

• the epic, grueling military retreat of the Chinese Communist Red Army, led by Mao Zedong, fleeing jiang jieshi's Nationalist forces

• covering 6,000 miles across China's treacherous terrain to establish a new base in Yan'an

• solidifying Mao's leadership and becoming a foundational myth of CCP resilience and determination

• inspiring future support despite massive losses

maoism

the teachings of Mao Zedong, adapting Marxism-Leninism for agrarian societies by focusing on the peasantry as the main revolutionary force instead of the urban proletariat

Inukai Tsuyoshi

served as Prime Minister, championing party government, universal suffrage, and civilian control, but his efforts to de-escalate military expansion and negotiate with China led to his assassination by ultranationalist naval officers in the "May 15 Incident," effectively ending Japan's brief democratic era before WWII and paving the way for increased militarization. 

Mukden Incident

• a staged false flag event on September 18, 1931, by Japanese military officers who detonated a small amount of dynamite near a railway in Mukden (Shenyang), China, then blamed Chinese dissidents to justify invading and conquering Manchuria

• establishing the puppet state of Manchukuo, and sparking the conflict that became the start of World War II in Asia

Mumbo Cult

a powerful, anti-colonial religious movement in early 20th-century Kenya (around 1912-1934) centered on a serpent god, Mumbo, residing in Lake Victoria, promising prosperity, ejection of Europeans/chiefs, and challenging colonial authority by blending traditional beliefs with new concepts of powerful, unseen beings

Jomo Kenyatta

Kenya's founding father, first Prime Minister (1963-64) and President (1964-1978), leading the nation from British colony to independent republic, uniting diverse groups, and fostering capitalist growth but also facing criticism for authoritarianism, corruption, and ethnic favoritism

pan-Africanism

a movement promoting unity, solidarity, and liberation for all people of African descent

• rooted in the shared heritage and interconnected destiny of Africans on the continent and in the diaspora

• challenging colonialism and systemic racism by advocating for political unification, cultural pride, and economic empowerment

• with key figures like W.E.B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey

W.E.B Du Bois

a pioneering African American sociologist, historian, activist, and writer

Marcus Garvey

a Jamaican political activist, orator, and proponent of Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism,

• called on blacks living in the african diaspora to “go back to Africa”

Fidel Castro

a Cuban revolutionary and politician who led Cuba from 1959 until 2008, establishing the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere after overthrowing dictator Fulgencio Batista

jose carlos mariategui

a Peruvian Marxist thinker who adapted classical Marxist theory to Latin America's unique realities, emphasizing indigenous issues, anti-imperialism, and agrarian reform, arguing for a unique "Indo-American Socialism" rather than copying European models, and co-founding the Peruvian Socialist Party.

aprismo

• the political doctrine and philosophy of Peru's Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana (APRA)

• founded by Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre in the 1920s

• combining anti-imperialism, nationalism, and a distinct Latin American path to social justice

• viewing imperialism as the primary stage of capitalism for "Indoamerica" (Latin America) and advocating for national reforms, economic justice, and democracy

Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre

pivotal Peruvian political theorist, activist, and founder of the Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana (APRA) party, a major force in Latin American politics, advocating for social justice, anti-imperialism, indigenous rights, and economic reform

Diego Rivera

• a revolutionary Mexican painter, a leader of the Mexican Muralism movement

• famous for vast, vibrant public murals depicting Mexican history, indigenous culture, labor struggles, and socialist ideals

• combining European techniques (like Cubism) with indigenous Mexican themes to create accessible, politically charged art for the masses

César Augusto Sandino

a Nicaraguan guerrilla leader, one of the most controversial figures of 20th-century Central American history

dollar diplomacy

• a U.S. foreign policy, prominent under President William Howard Taft (1909-1913)

• used economic power—like guaranteeing loans and promoting American business interests—instead of military force to create stability, further U.S. influence, and maintain order in strategically important regions, particularly Latin America and East Asia

• essentially substituting "dollars for bullets" to secure economic and political advantages.

Getúlio Vargas

• Brazil's most influential 20th-century politician, serving as president (1930-45, 1951-54) and modernizing the nation through populist policies, industrialization, and labor rights,

• also ruling as a dictator (Estado Novo) who centralized power, suppressed opposition, and left a complex legacy as the "Father of the Poor" and an authoritarian leader,

• famously dying by suicide in 1954. 

Good Neighbor Policy

• President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1930s foreign policy for Latin America

• shifting from U.S. military intervention to non-interference, mutual respect, and cooperation, aiming to build hemispheric unity against rising global threats like fascism,

• though it later faced challenges

Guarda Nacional

• a powerful, US-created military force that became the corrupt, brutal private army of the Somoza dictatorship (1936-1979)

• infamous for human rights abuses, torture, and control over state functions

• ultimately serving the Somoza family's interests until it was overthrown by the Sandinista revolution in 1979

Anastacio Somoza Garcia

• the patriarch of Nicaragua's notorious Somoza family dynasty

• ruling as a military dictator from 1937 to 1956, establishing a corrupt regime built on control of the National Guard, close ties with the U.S., and personal enrichment,

• ultimately paving the way for his sons to continue the family's oppressive rule for decades

• ending only with the Sandinista revolution in 1979. 

Lazaro Cardenas

transformative Mexican president (1934-1940) who enacted radical reforms embodying the Mexican Revolution's goals, most famously by nationalizing the oil industry (creating Pemex) and overseeing massive land redistribution to peasants, establishing collective farms (ejidos)

Carmen Miranda

a Portuguese-born, Brazilian-raised singer/dancer famous in the 1940s as the "Brazilian Bombshell," known for her flamboyant fruit-laden hats, platform shoes, and samba music that brought Latin culture to mainstream America

United Fruit Company

a dominant U.S. corporation in the early-mid 20th century, controlling vast banana plantations in Central America and the Caribbean

• appropriated carmen miranda as advertisement