Period 4: Accelerating Global Change and Realignments, c 1900 to the Present

These flashcards cover vocabulary terms and concepts relevant to the historical movements and conflicts discussed in the provided lecture notes.

Ottoman Empire

A historical empire that transformed into the nation of Turkey after World War I.

Communism

A political ideology advocating for classless society and government ownership of production.

Technological Stagnation

Failure of empires to modernize and adopt new military technologies.

Gandhi

A leading figure in India's independence movement advocating for non-violent resistance.

Negotiated Independence

Independence achieved through discussions rather than conflict.

Indian National Congress

Political party in India that played a crucial role in the independence movement.

Kwame Nkrumah

Leader of Ghana who successfully negotiated the country's independence from Britain.

Algerian Independence Movement

Began in 1954, it was a violent struggle for Algeria's independence from France.

Ho Chi Minh

Leader of Vietnam's fight for independence from French colonial rule.

Biafra

A region in Nigeria that attempted to gain independence, causing a humanitarian crisis.

Pan-Africanism

Movement aimed at unifying African people worldwide to improve socio-political conditions.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the US and Soviet Union over missiles in Cuba.

Proxy War

Conflict where two opposing countries support combatants in a third country.

NATO

Military alliance formed in 1949 for mutual defense between the US and Western allies.

Warsaw Pact

A collective defense treaty established in 1955 between the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries.

Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic downturn that began in 1929.

Glasnost

Policy of openness initiated by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980s.

Perestroika

Economic restructuring in the Soviet Union aimed at introducing market-like reforms.

Ethnic Violence

Violence rooted in the ethnic conflicts, often leading to genocide or displacement.

Armenian Genocide

The extermination of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Holocaust

The genocide of six million Jews and millions of others during World War II.

Rwandan Genocide

Mass slaughter of Tutsi by Hutu forces in Rwanda in 1994.

Cultural Revolution

A sociopolitical movement in China aimed at preserving communist ideology by purging remnants of capitalist and traditional elements.

Dadaism

An art movement that rejected traditional aesthetics and emphasized anti-war sentiment.

Tiananmen Square

1989 protests in China demanding political freedom, met with deadly government response.

Apartheid

A system of institutionalized racial segregation in South Africa.

British Raj

The period of British rule in India from 1858 to 1947.

Gurkha Soldiers

Soldiers from Nepal and India who served in the British army.

Military Conscription

Mandatory enlistment for state service, typically into the military.

Soviet Union

A socialist state in Eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991.

Vietnam War

Conflict between communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam, with US intervention.

Al Qaeda

A global militant Islamist organization founded by Osama bin Laden.

Domino Theory

The idea that the success of communism in one country would lead to its spread to neighboring countries.

Decolonization

The process of undoing colonial empires and gaining independence.

Indian Independence Movement

A movement that sought to end British rule in India.

Partition of India

The division of British India into two independent dominions, India and Pakistan in 1947.

Zionism

The movement for the re-establishment of a Jewish nation in Palestine.

Ikonoclasm

The destruction of religious icons and other images for religious or political reasons.

Socialism

A political and economic theory advocating for social ownership of the means of production.

Arab Nationalism

Political movement advocating for the unity and independence of Arab countries.

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States post World War II.

China's One Child Policy

Population control policy of China implemented in 1980 to limit families to one child.

Anti-Imperialism

Opposition to colonial or imperial rule.

Secularization

The process of removing religious influence from government and societal structures.

Collectives

Large farms or organizations collectively owned and operated by a group.

Berlin Wall

Barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989.

The Arab Spring

A series of anti-government protests and uprisings across the Arab world beginning in 2010.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

An international financial institution that offers financial and technical assistance to countries.

Cottage Industries

Small-scale industries run from homes, producing goods by hand.

Gulf War

Conflict that began in 1990 after Iraq invaded Kuwait, leading to a US-led coalition response.

Doctor Without Borders

An international humanitarian organization that provides medical care worldwide.