Phase 3

Industrialization

The process by which economies are transformed from primarily agrarian to industrial through the growth of factories and mass production.

Nationalism

The belief that a people with shared identity should have political self-rule and that loyalty to the nation should come first.

Militarism

The belief that military strength is essential to national success and that military solutions are acceptable tools of policy.

Triple Alliance

The military alliance formed in the 1880s between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

Triple Entente

The military alliance of Britain, France, and Russia that was a response to the Triple Alliance.

Appeasement

The policy of making concessions to an aggressive power to avoid conflict.

Genocide

The deliberate attempt to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.

Total War

A war strategy that involves the mobilization of all societal resources and the integration of military and civilian efforts.

The Great Depression

A global economic crisis that began in 1929, characterized by widespread unemployment and economic failure.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany's military strategy during WWI aimed at quickly defeating France before turning to fight Russia.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty that officially ended WWI, imposing heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

Fourteen Points

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s outline for a peaceful post-WWI world, emphasizing self-determination and collective security.

Nazi-Soviet Pact

A non-aggression treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union, allowing for the division of Eastern Europe.

Bolsheviks

A faction of the Russian socialist movement led by Vladimir Lenin, which seized power during the October Revolution of 1917.

Armenian Genocide

The mass killing and deportation of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I, recognized as genocide by many historians.

Blitzkrieg

A rapid and coordinated military offensive strategy employed by Germany during WWII, characterized by quick and overwhelming attacks.

Lend-Lease Act

A U.S. program that provided military aid to foreign nations during WWII, notably to the Allies.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

A milestone document in the history of human rights that was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948.

Holocaust

The systematic, state-sponsored genocide of six million Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during WWII.

Isolationism

A foreign policy doctrine that advocates for a country to remain apart from the affairs or interests of other groups, especially in regard to conflicts.

Cold War

A global rivalry for power and influence between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted from 1945 until the early 1990s.

Proxy Wars

Conflicts where major powers support opposing sides without directly fighting each other.

Liberals Democracy

A political ideology promoting multi-party elections and civil liberties.

Communism

An ideology promoting a one-party system and a planned economy, often described as totalitarian.

Ideology

A system of ideas and ideals forming the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

Buffer Zone

A region created to act as a barrier between hostile powers.

Marshall Plan

A program initiated by the U.S. in 1947 to aid the economic recovery of European nations after WWII.

Containment

U.S. policy aimed at preventing the spread of Soviet influence and communism.

Berlin Blockade

A Soviet attempt to block Western access to Berlin from June 1948 to May 1949.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

The military doctrine that both superpowers would destroy each other in a nuclear war, deterring such conflicts.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed in 1949 for collective defense.

Warsaw Pact

A collective defense treaty between the USSR and several Eastern European nations established in 1955.

Detente

A period of relaxed tensions and improved relations between the U.S. and the USSR during the 1970s.

Perestroika

Economic and political reform initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the USSR in the 1980s.

Glasnost

The policy of increased openness and transparency in government initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the USSR.

Decolonization

The process by which colonies gained independence from imperial powers.

Non-alignment

A policy of not formally aligning with either superpower during the Cold War.

Tiananmen Square protests

Pro-democracy protests in China in 1989 that were violently suppressed by the government.

Apartheid

A system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa.

Vietnam War

A conflict between North Vietnam (supported by the USSR) and South Vietnam (supported by the U.S.).

Cuban Missile Crisis

A confrontation between the U.S. and USSR in 1962 over Soviet missiles in Cuba, marking a peak in Cold War tensions.

Iron Curtain

A term used to describe the division between the Soviet bloc and the Western bloc during the Cold War.

Détente

The easing of strained relations, especially in a political situation, during the Cold War.

U.S. Doctrine of Containment

A strategic foreign policy adopted by the United States to prevent the spread of communism.

The Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy of providing political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces.

Berlin Airlift

An operation in which U.S. and British forces flew in supplies to West Berlin after the Soviet blockade.

The Khmer Rouge

A communist regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 and was responsible for the genocide of nearly two million people.

Zionism

A nationalist movement among Jews that supported the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Balfour Declaration

A statement by the British government expressing support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

OPEC

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, established to coordinate and unify petroleum policies.

Sharpeville Massacre

A 1960 incident where South African police killed 69 people during a peaceful protest against apartheid.

African National Congress (ANC)

A political party in South Africa that led the struggle against apartheid.

Geneva Accords

A 1954 agreement that temporarily divided Vietnam into North and South at the 17th parallel.

Globalization

The increasing interconnectedness of the world economically, culturally, politically, and environmentally.

Interconnectedness

The state of having connections or relationships with other entities, creating links that affect decisions, products, ideas, money, and problems.

Technological change

Advancements in technology that reduce the friction of distance and make global connections routine.

Economic integration

The process of reducing barriers and creating a tighter connection in the world economy through trade agreements and multinational corporations.

Cultural diffusion

The spread of cultural elements like music, fashion, and food between different societies.

Digital divide

The gap between those who have access to modern information technologies and those who do not.

Containerization

The use of standardized shipping containers that lowers costs, reduces theft, and makes long-distance manufacturing supply chains practical.

Remittances

Money sent by migrants back to their home countries, supporting families and local economies.

Green Revolution

Mid-to-late 20th-century agricultural changes that increased crop yields through improved technology, but also created environmental and social tradeoffs.

Neoliberalism

A policy approach emphasizing market-oriented reforms, including reducing trade barriers and privatizing state-owned industries.

Homogenization

The process where distinct cultures become more alike, often through the influence of global brands and dominant cultural elements.

Hybridization

The blending of cultural forms to create new local-global cultural hybrids.

Global civil society

Networks of organizations and activists operating across borders to address global issues outside formal government structures.

Structural adjustment

Economic policy conditions imposed by the IMF or World Bank on countries seeking loans, often requiring market-oriented reforms.

Multinational corporations (MNCs)

Companies that operate in multiple countries, often benefiting from lower costs and access to diverse markets.

Diaspora

Communities living outside their ancestral homelands while maintaining cultural and familial connections.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

A court established to prosecute individuals for serious international crimes, such as war crimes.

World Health Organization (WHO)

An international organization coordinating responses to global health crises.

Backlash against globalization

Opposition movements that arise in reaction to the perceived negative impacts of globalization on local cultures, economies, or political sovereignty.

Cultural hybridity

The creation of new cultural forms that mix global and local elements, reflecting both adaptation and change.

Environmental interdependence

The interconnectedness of countries and regions regarding environmental issues, which often require coordinated global responses.

Economic core and periphery

A model describing developed countries (core) that benefit from globalization, contrasted with developing countries (periphery) that are often marginalized.