AP World History Modern Key Events & People

This AP modern world history flash card set will give you some key events and people that could be used for LEQ.

Martin Luther

German monk who initiated the Protestant Reformation in 1517 by posting his 95 Theses.

Berlin Conference

Meeting in 1884-1885 where European powers established rules for colonizing Africa, disregarding African perspectives and boundaries.

Thirty Years' War

Series of conflicts fought largely in Central Europe from 1618 to 1648, involving most of the major European powers. It was one of the longest and most destructive wars in European history.

Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker who advocated for the separation of powers in government, influencing the structure of many modern democracies.

Social Darwinism

Application of Darwin's theory of natural selection to social and political realms; used to justify imperialism and social inequality.

Indian National Congress

Founded in 1885, it became a major political party in India, advocating for Indian self-rule and independence from British rule.

Boer Wars

Conflicts fought between the British Empire and the Boers (Dutch settlers) in South Africa from 1880 to 1881 and from 1899 to 1902, resulting in British control over South Africa.

Boxer Rebellion

Anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising in China from 1899 to 1901. It attempted to expel foreign influence from China but was suppressed by an international force.

Russo-Japanese War

Conflict fought between Russia and Japan from 1904 to 1905 over control of Manchuria and Korea. Japan's victory demonstrated its rising power and marked the first major military victory in the modern era of an Asian power over a European power.

Young Turks

Turkish nationalist reform party in the early 20th century, favoring the replacement of the Ottoman Empire's absolute monarchy with a constitutional government.

Mexican Revolution

Major revolution that lasted from 1910 to 1920, resulting in the overthrow of Porfirio Díaz's dictatorship and the establishment of a constitutional republic.

World War I

Global conflict fought from 1914 to 1918, primarily in Europe, involving the Central Powers and the Allied Powers. It resulted in significant geopolitical changes and laid the groundwork for future conflicts.

Treaty of Versailles

Peace treaty signed in 1919 that officially ended World War I. It imposed harsh terms on Germany, including territorial losses, disarmament, and reparations.

Russian Revolution

Series of revolutions in

New Economic Policy (NEP)

Introduced by Lenin in 1921, it allowed some private ownership in the Soviet Union to stimulate the economy after the Russian Revolution.

Great Depression

Global economic crisis that began in 1929, leading to widespread unemployment, poverty, and political instability.

Rise of Fascism

Political ideology that rose to prominence in the 20th century, characterized by dictatorial rule, nationalism, and militarism, notably in Italy under Mussolini.

Rise of Nazism

Political ideology that rose to prominence in the 20th century in Germany, characterized by dictatorial rule, ultranationalism, and racism under Hitler.

World War II

Global conflict fought from 1939 to 1945, primarily in Europe and the Pacific, involving the Allied and Axis powers. It resulted in immense destruction and loss of life.

The Holocaust

Genocide during World War II in which Nazi Germany systematically murdered six million Jews and millions of others.

Mahatma Gandhi

An Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British Rule, advocating civil rights and freedom through peaceful means.

Vladimir Lenin

A Russian communist revolutionary, politician, and political theorist who served as head of government of the Russian Soviet Republic from 1917 to 1924 and of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924, implementing Marxist ideas and establishing a one-party socialist state.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

An American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945, leading the country through the Great Depression and World War II with policies like the New Deal.

John Maynard Keynes

A British economist, whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments, advocating for government intervention during economic downturns to stabilize economies.

Mao Zedong

A Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which he ruled as the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976. He is known for his cultural revolution, implementing communist policies and reshaping Chinese society.

Apartheid

A system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that existed in South Africa between 1948 and 1994, enforcing racial hierarchy and oppression against non-white South Africans.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance established on April 4, 1949, with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty among North American and European countries to provide collective security against potential aggression, especially from the Soviet Union.

Warsaw Pact

A collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republics of Central and Eastern Europe in May 14, 1955, in response to NATO, solidifying the division of Europe during the Cold War.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in October 1962, during the Cold War, when the U.S. discovered Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war and resulting in the missiles' removal through diplomatic negotiations.

Vietnam War

A conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, escalating with involvement from the United States and becoming a major Cold War conflict.

Civil Rights Movement

A struggle for social justice that took place mainly during the 1950s and 1960s for Black Americans to gain equal rights under the law in the United States, challenging racial segregation and discrimination through nonviolent protests and legal action.

Perestroika

A political movement for reformation within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during the 1980s, widely associated with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his glasnost , aimed at restructuring the Soviet political and economic system to address stagnation and promote openness.

Glasnost

A Soviet policy of open discussion of political and social issues. It was instituted by Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980s and began the democratization of the Soviet Union.