AP World History Unit 4 Overview

• 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

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