AP World Major Events/Empires Review

Byzantine Empire

Eastern Roman Empire, centered in Constantinople, preserved Roman law and culture, played a crucial role in the spread of Christianity

Abbasid/Umayyad Caliphates

they expanded rapidly, spreading islam across the middle east, north africa, as well as spain and india

Tang/Song Dynasties

presented china with a Golden Age, fostered the invention of gunpowder/printing/compass, was a major player in the Silk Roads

Mongol Empire

Genghis/Chinngis Khan and his children created the largest continuous empire in history. included things like the Pax Mongolica

Aztec Empire

powerful mesoamerican civilization in Mexico, known for agricultural techniques, architecture, and tribute system

Incan Empire

powerful mesoamerican civilization in the Andes, included a sophisticated system of roads, agriculture, and centralized bureaucracy

Crusades

religious wars by Christians to reclaim the Holy Land

Mongol Invasions

sweeping conquests over most of Asia and Europe

Black Death

plague that devastated Europe and Asia, causing major declines and shifts in things like economics and social structure

Ottoman Empire

powerful islamic empire that expanded into southeast europe, north africa, and the middle east, predominantly connected with janissaries and devshirme

Ming Dynasty

this empire solidified China’s dominance in asia and had major influence across the board

Spanish Empire

this empire expanded greatly following christopher columbus’s exploration of the new world. this empire established many colonies in the new world, making this empire extremely weathly

Portuguese Empire

this empire established trade post empires in places like Africa, India, and the Americas in places like Brazil

Tsarist Russia

under the rule of the romanovs, this empire expanded across siberia, and delt mainly in fur trade

Safavid Empire

persian empire in iran, very islamic and known for clashing with the ottoman empire

Age of Exploration

began with people like Christopher Columbus, Zheng He, and others to explore new places and begin new colonies around the world

Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther’s protest led to the creation of a new branch of Christianity

Atlantic Slave Trade

a series of voyages through the middle passage to bring slaves to the americas

Scientific Revolution

breakthroughs in science by people like Galileo and Newton

Qing Dynasty

was very strong, but internal struggles and pressure from the west led to its collapse

Mughal Empire

these people had firm control over India and influenced the culture of india heavily

Meiji Japan

began through a major restoration, transforming this country from a feudal country to an industrialized empire

Russian Empire

this empire maintained its aristocratic rule under Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks, but eventually paved a new way with their revolution in 1917

Industrial Revolution

a period of industrialization, technological advancements, and urbanization

American Revolution

thirteen colonies broke away from the british with the Declaration of Independence

French Revolution

large changes in France because of this, included the Reign of Terror, Napoleon, and the abolishment of the Estate’s system

Abolition of Slavery

slavery was eventually banned throughout the world due to revolutions, social changes, and other things

Opium Wars

china’s war with britain over trade

Soviet Union

communist superpower that emerged from this empire’s revolution, major player in the cold war

Nazi Germany

facist power led by Adolf Hitler. rose to power because of the treaty of versailles and started WWII

People’s Republic of China

communist state after this country’s revolution, founded by Mao Zedong, and still to this day one of the most powerful nations in the world

WWI

global conflict involving the world’s greatest powers, eventually was resolved by the treaty of versailles, the fall of empires, and the redrawing of borders

Russian Revolution

led to the overthrow of Tsar Nicholas and the rise of the Soviet Union under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin

WWII

a second total war between the central and axis powers that led to the establishment of the UN, and began the Cold War

Cold War

military and political standoff between the Soviet Union and USA that involved a series of wars between other nations (i.e. Vietnam, Korea, Cuba)

Decolonization

the process in which states in Africa and other places around the world were freed from their colonial powers