AP World Unit 7.1 (Cram)

Suez Canal

A man-made waterway in Egypt (opened 1869) connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. It drastically shortened travel time between Europe and Asia, becoming a key strategic and imperial asset—especially for Britain.

Panama Canal

A U.S.-built canal (completed 1914) cutting across Panama to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It made global trade faster and was a flex of U.S. engineering and imperial influence in Latin America.

Causes of World War I (MAIN)

Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism. These tensions, plus the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, triggered WWI.

Imperialism

The domination of one country by another politically, economically, and/or culturally. In the late 19th/early 20th century, Euro powers scrambled for colonies, especially in Africa and Asia.

Nationalism

Pride in and loyalty to one's nation or ethnic group—often at the expense of others. Fueled independence movements and tensions between empires in the early 1900s.

Militarization (Militarism)

The belief in building up strong armed forces and being ready to use them. It created an arms race in Europe before WWI—everyone wanted the biggest, baddest military.

Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

A war where Japan shocked the world by defeating Russia—marking the first time an Asian power beat a major European empire. It boosted Japan's imperial status and exposed Russia's weakness.

Balkan Wars (1912-1913)

Conflicts in the Balkans as nations like Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece fought the Ottoman Empire and each other for territory. The region was a powder keg of nationalism before WWI.

Sick Man of Europe

Nickname for the Ottoman Empire in the 19th/early 20th century. It was weakened by internal corruption, nationalism, and military losses—European powers hovered, ready to carve it up.

Young Turks / Abdul Hamid II

The Young Turks were a reform movement wanting modernization and constitutional government in the Ottoman Empire. They overthrew Sultan Abdul Hamid II, who had suspended the constitution and ruled autocratically.

Xinhai Revolution (1911)

A revolution that ended over 2,000 years of imperial rule in China (goodbye Qing Dynasty) and led to the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912.

Yuan Shikai

A former Qing general who became the first president of the Republic of China. But…he tried to make himself emperor, which failed and led to political chaos.

Republic of China

The government established after the fall of the Qing Dynasty. It struggled with warlordism, foreign interference, and civil conflict until the Communist takeover in 1949.

Kuomintang (KMT)

A nationalist political party founded by Sun Yat-sen, aiming to unify and modernize China. It later fought the Chinese Communist Party in a civil war (spoiler: the KMT lost and fled to Taiwan).