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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