World History Final

Why did famines occur as a result of European imperialism?

Famines occurred because Europeans forced colonies to grow cash crops instead of food, leaving local populations without enough to eat.

What is imperialism? What are the motives for imperialism?

Imperialism is when a stronger nation dominates a weaker one for economic, political, or military gain, motivated by profit, nationalism, racism, and strategic power.

What was the purpose of the Berlin Conference?

The Berlin Conference aimed to divide Africa among European powers to prevent conflict between them.

Why was Africa a "prime candidate" for imperialism?

Africa was targeted because it had abundant natural resources, weak centralized governments, and was vulnerable to European military technology.

Who was King Leopold & what did he do in the Congo?

King Leopold II of Belgium brutally exploited the Congo for rubber, causing millions of deaths through forced labor and violence.

How did those in India feel about British imperialism? Describe the Sepoy Mutiny. What caused it and what was the response?

Many Indians resented British rule for its racism and economic exploitation, and the Sepoy Mutiny began when soldiers rebelled over rifle cartridges greased with animal fat, leading to harsh British retaliation.

Why did the British want to occupy Egypt?

Britain wanted Egypt to control the Suez Canal, the fastest trade route to India.

Describe the conflicts caused by British involvement in Jerusalem.

British rule in Jerusalem caused conflict by promising land to both Jews and Arabs, fueling tensions over immigration and political control.

Which countries were involved in the Opium War? What was the war about?

The Opium War was fought between Britain and China over Britain's illegal opium trade and China's attempt to stop it.

How did modernization / industrialization lead to Japan becoming an imperialist power? Which countries did they invade? Why were they being imperialistic?

Japan industrialized rapidly, built a modern military, and became imperialistic to gain resources, invading Korea, Taiwan, and parts of China.

List some of the places the U.S. imperialized.

The United States imperialized places such as Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Panama Canal Zone.

How were some African nations able to resist European colonization? Was Ethiopia able to? Why or why not?

Some African nations resisted through strong leadership and modern weapons, and Ethiopia succeeded by defeating Italy at the Battle of Adwa.

What were the MAIN causes of WW1?

The MAIN causes of WWI were militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism, creating tension and competition among European powers.

Describe the Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914 by a Serbian nationalist, triggering a chain reaction of alliance-based war declarations.

What is propaganda & how it was used?

Propaganda is biased information used to influence public opinion, and during WWI, it encouraged enlistment, support for the war, and hatred of the enemy.

List countries of the WW1 Alliances (Triple Alliance/Central Powers v. Triple Entente/Allied Powers)

The Triple Alliance (Central Powers) was Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire, while the Triple Entente (Allied Powers) was Britain, France, Russia, and the U.S.

What was the Zimmerman Telegram?

The Zimmerman Telegram was a secret German message urging Mexico to attack the U.S. in exchange for lost territory, pushing America toward entering World War I.

Describe trench warfare & technology (both new and updated) used during WW1.

Trench warfare involved soldiers fighting from long defensive ditches, combined with deadly new technologies like machine guns, poison gas, tanks, airplanes, and improved artillery.

Describe the results of the Treaty of Versailles.

The Treaty of Versailles punished Germany with harsh reparations, territorial losses, military restrictions, and blame for the war, contributing to future instability.

What was the Armenian Genocide?

The Armenian Genocide was the mass killing and forced deportation of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Russian Revolution: Who was Lenin and who were the Bolsheviks?

Lenin was the leader of the Bolsheviks, a radical socialist group that overthrew the Russian government and established a communist state.

What was the purpose of the League of Nations? What are some reasons it was not that successful?

The League of Nations aimed to maintain world peace, but it struggled because it lacked enforcement power, and major nations like the U.S. did not join.

Define Totalitarianism.

Totalitarianism is a system in which the government controls all aspects of life through dictatorship, censorship, and repression.

Describe Stalin's leadership.

Stalin ruled the Soviet Union with absolute power, using terror, purges, propaganda, and forced industrialization to control society.

List & describe some of the causes of the Great Depression and the global impact.

The Great Depression was caused by overproduction, stock market speculation, bank failures, and global trade collapse, which led to worldwide unemployment and economic instability.

Define Fascism.

Fascism is a political system based on extreme nationalism, dictatorship, and suppression of opposition.

List some of the characteristics that led to the rise of Hitler & Mussolini as leaders.

Hitler and Mussolini rose to power because of economic crisis, nationalism, propaganda, and promises to restore strength, which made people support authoritarian leaders.

How did the League of Nations react to aggressive actions of totalitarian leaders in the 1930's?

The League of Nations responded weakly to aggression in the 1930s, issuing protests but taking no real action because it lacked military power and key nations like the U.S. were absent.

Describe Japanese, Italian, and German aggression prior to WW2 (where did they each invade?).

Japan invaded Manchuria and China, Italy invaded Ethiopia, and Germany invaded the Rhineland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia before WWII began.

Describe the policy of appeasement.

Appeasement was the policy of giving in to Hitler's demands to avoid war, especially seen in the Munich Agreement.

List & describe the causes of WW2 (& where did Germany invade to make Britain & France declare war?).

WWII was caused by militarism, nationalism, economic crisis, and aggressive dictators, and Britain and France declared war when Germany invaded Poland in 1939.

Describe the German strategy of Blitzkrieg.

Blitzkrieg was Germany's fast-moving attack strategy using tanks, planes, and infantry to overwhelm enemies quickly.

List countries that are a part of the Axis v. Allied forces.

The Axis Powers were Germany, Italy, and Japan, while the Allied Powers included Britain, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France.

Describe Isolationism. How did it apply to the early years of the war?

Isolationism is avoiding involvement in foreign conflicts, and the U.S. practiced it early in WWII by staying out of European affairs.

Describe the role of Pearl Harbor attacks and the U.S. response.

Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. into WWII as America declared war the next day.

Why was the Battle of Stalingrad a turning point in the war?

The Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point because the Soviet victory stopped German expansion and began pushing Germany backward.

Explain Hitler's Final Solution.

Hitler's Final Solution was the planned genocide of Jews and other targeted groups through mass shootings, ghettos, and extermination camps.

What happened in Hiroshima & Nagasaki?

The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, killing hundreds of thousands and forcing Japan to surrender.

Describe what the Nuremberg Trials were for and the principle(s) they established.

The Nuremberg Trials prosecuted Nazi leaders for war crimes and established the principle that individuals are responsible for their actions in war.

Describe D-Day (where/what/who) and why it was important

D-Day was the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944, which opened the Western Front and helped lead to Germany's defeat.

What happened at the Yalta Conference?

At the Yalta Conference, the Allied leaders planned post-WWII Europe by dividing Germany, creating the UN, and allowing Soviet influence in Eastern Europe.

Explain the difference between Communism and Capitalism regarding economics.

Communism has government-controlled economies with no private property, while capitalism is based on private ownership and free markets.

What did Churchill mean when he used the term "Iron Curtain?"

Churchill's "Iron Curtain" referred to the political and ideological division between democratic Western Europe and communist Eastern Europe.

List the countries involved in NATO (original 12) v. the Warsaw Pact. What was NATO formed to do? What was the Warsaw Pact formed to do?

NATO's original members were the U.S., Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Portugal, while the Warsaw Pact included the USSR and its Eastern European satellites, with NATO formed for collective defense and the Warsaw Pact formed to solidify Soviet military control.

Explain the purpose of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.

The Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan aimed to stop the spread of communism by giving military aid and economic recovery funds to threatened nations.

List & describe some of the Cold War hotspots (major conflicts).

Cold War hotspots included Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Afghanistan, and Berlin, where the U.S. and USSR competed indirectly through proxy conflicts.

Why was the Berlin Wall built? What did it symbolize?

The Berlin Wall was built to stop East Germans from fleeing to the West and symbolized communist oppression and Cold War division.

What countries were satellite nations? What purpose did they serve for the Soviet Union?

Satellite nations included Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, serving as a protective buffer zone for the Soviet Union.

Describe what precipitated the Cuban Missile Crisis and how it was resolved.

The Cuban Missile Crisis began when the USSR placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, and it ended when the Soviets agreed to remove them in exchange for a U.S. promise not to invade Cuba and a secret missile removal from Turkey.

Why did the U.S. go to Korea and Vietnam? What policy/strategy did they follow?

The U.S. entered Korea and Vietnam to stop the spread of communism, following the containment policy.

What was the Arms Race? What was the principle of deterrence? What was the goal of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty?

The Arms Race was the competition to build nuclear weapons, deterrence meant preventing war by threatening massive retaliation, and the ABM Treaty limited missile-defense systems to maintain that balance.

Describe Gorbachev's policies as the leader of Russia.

Gorbachev's policies of glasnost and perestroika promoted openness and economic reform, weakening Soviet Control. Perestroika was an economic reform, while glasnost was an openness reform.

How did the Cold War end?

The Cold War ended when Eastern European communist governments collapsed and the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.

Describe Mao Zedong's "Great Leap Forward." Was it successful?

Mao's Great Leap Forward attempted rapid industrial and agricultural growth but failed disastrously, causing massive famine and millions of death

Define decolonization and self-determination.

Decolonization is the process of colonies gaining independence, and self-determination is the right of people to choose their own government.

Describe the partition of India. Was it a solution that everyone agreed with?

The partition of India divided British India into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, but it was highly controversial and caused massive violence and displacement.

What is apartheid & who was Nelson Mandela? What was his role in ending apartheid?

Apartheid was a system of racial segregation in South Africa, and Nelson Mandela led the anti-apartheid movement and became the first Black president after its collapse.

What type of leadership/government took power in Latin American countries (e.g. Argentina, Chile, & Brazil)?

Many Latin American countries fell under military dictatorships that used repression, censorship, and violence to maintain control.

What happened at Tiananmen Square? What was being asked for? Did China make those changes or something else?

At Tiananmen Square, Chinese students demanded democracy and political freedoms, but the government responded with military force instead of reforms.

What are NSGTs? How many exist today? What does the United Nations do to help?

NSGTs (Non-Self-Governing Territories) are regions without full self-rule; about 17 remain today, and the UN monitors them and supports decolonization efforts.

What is the purpose of the Human Rights Watch?

Human Rights Watch works to investigate and expose human rights abuses worldwide and pressure governments to stop them.

Why was the Indian National Congress formed?

The Indian National Congress was formed to give Indians a political voice and push for greater rights and eventually independence from Britain.

Describe the impact of the Partition of India.

The Partition of India caused mass migration, communal violence, and long-term conflict between India and Pakistan.

Describe the events leading up to and during the following genocides along with what if any intervention there was (Cambodia, Bosnia, and Rwanda)

Cambodia's genocide under the Khmer Rouge, Bosnia's ethnic cleansing by Serb forces, and Rwanda's genocide against the Tutsi all involved mass killings with limited or delayed international intervention.

What is value extraction (in the context of colonization) and how does it affect decolonization?

Value extraction refers to colonizers taking resources and wealth from colonies, leaving newly independent nations economically weak and dependent.

What happened with Algeria's attempt to gain independence?

Algeria's independence movement led to a brutal war against France, which eventually resulted in Algeria's victory in 1962.

Describe two economic and two political challenges for many African nations following independence

After independence, many African nations faced economic challenges such as poverty and a lack of infrastructure, and political challenges such as corruption and ethnic conflict.