• 1900 - Present

• The 20th Century was one of the most transformative and conflict-filled centuries in human history

  • World Wars, Inventions, Communism (Rise & Fall), Feminism (Women’s Rights), Civil Rights, Medical/Scientific breakthroughs, computers, nuclear weapons (bombs & missiles)

Civilizations

• Countries involved in World Wars → Britain, Germany, Japan, USSR, and the USA

• Communist China and USSR

• Independence movement in India

• Apartheid in South Africa

• Decolonization in Africa (ex. Ghana)

• Emerging countries in S.E. Asia (ex. Vietnam)

• Latin America

• Israel

Interactions Between Humans and the Environment (Environment)

• Key Terms & Ideas: Deforestation, Desertification, Climate Change, Green Revolution, Medical Innovations (polio vaccine, antibiotics, artificial heart)

• Scientific Advances in the 20th Century

  • Improved life AND threatened life

  • Medical Advances

    • Medicine, Vaccines, Surgery, etc.

  • Atomic Weapons

    • Humans have the power to destroy the planet.

    • Mutually Assured Destruction

• Food Production

  • Commercial Farming (large-scale farming), Pesticides, GMOs, Green Revolution (science’s impact on agriculture)

• Transportation & Communication

  • Begin to “shrink” the world

  • Globalization, travel, trade, migration, diseases, etc.

• Pollution

  • Climate Change, Extinctions

Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems (Economy)

• Key Terms & Ideas: Anti-imperialism, communism, consumerism, free market economies/policies, free trade, Great Depression, NATO, OPEC, regional trade agreements (EU, NAFTA, ASEAN, etc.), third world/developing world, perestroika.

• Capitalism began to dominate the world’s economy

  • W. Europe & USA

• Developing Countries fought for political and economic freedom

• Socialism & Communism

  • Gained supporters globally → USSR, China, Cuba, N. Korea

• Globalization

  • Changed work, production centers, goods, prices, etc.

State Building, Expansion, and Conflict (Political)

• Key Terms & Ideas: Decolonization, appeasement, authoritarian regimes, containment, Fascism, government intervention in the economy, Indian National Congress, militarized states, proxy wars, segregation, superpowers, totalitarianism

• Conflict & State Building

  • World War I and World War II

  • Decolonization movements

    • Africa, India, Vietnam

  • Communist Revolutions

    • USSR, China, Cuba

  • Genocides

    • Armenian, Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda

  • Cold War

    • USA-NATO vs USSR-Warsaw Pact

  • Total War & Modern Weapons

    • Began to spread globally

    • Widespread death & destruction

  • Strongmen in Latin America

    • Pinochet (Chile) & Juan Peron (Argentina)

Development and Interaction of Cultures (Culture)

• Key Terms & Ideas: Culture convergence, cultural identities (Pan-Africanism, Pan-Arabism, Pan-Slavism, Negritude), popular culture (Dada, Socialism Realism), propaganda

• The spread of cultures accelerated during the 20th century

• Culture spread globally from the west

  • Pop Culture

  • Movies, music, sports, art, food, social networking, etc.

• Some societies saw the spread of Western culture (westernization) as a threat to their own culture, traditions, and beliefs.

Development and Transformation of Social Structures (Social)

• Key Terms & Ideas: Antisemitism, apartheid, exclusionary reactions (Xenophobia, race riots, citizenship restrictions), feminism, women’s suffrage

• Social structures transformed in the 20th century

  • Women began to gain rights (Suffrage) and equal treatment

    • Education, work, leadership, voting, etc.

  • “Classless” societies created

    • Primarily in communist countries (China & USSR)

    • Redistribution of land and resources

  • Racism

    • USA (Civil Rights → MLK) & South Africa (Apartheid → Nelson Mandela)

    • Opportunities in education, work, politics, etc.

Protests & Motives for Change

• Key Terms & Ideas:

• Env: Modern Tech and Globalization Caused Pollution

• Eco: Economic Inequalities

• Pol: Unfair & Ineffective governments

  • Colonial masters, between the wars governments, communist regimes, Arab Spring)

• Soc: Unfair social structures protested against

  • Women, Civil Rights, Apartheid

• Cul: Retain cultural identity

Int’l Organizations

• Key Terms & Ideas:

• Pol: UN (United Nations, EU (European Union)

• Env: WHO (World Health Organization)

• Eco: IMF (International Monetary Fund)

  • Transnational Organizations → Wealthy from the global spread