AP World History - Unit 7 Notes: Global Conflicts in the 20th Century

Power Shifts in the Early 20th Century

  • Revolutions challenged long-standing authoritarian governments in Russia, China, Mexico, and the Ottoman Empire.
  • Russia:
    • The Russian Revolution began in 1917, led by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks.
    • The Bolsheviks aimed to establish a communist government.
    • The revolution succeeded, making Russia the first large country with a communist government.
  • China:
    • Tensions existed between the Qing dynasty (Manchurian) and the Han Chinese.
    • The Han, led by Sun Yat-sen, overthrew the Qing dynasty.
    • The Republic of China was founded in 1912, establishing a more democratic government.
  • Mexico:
    • Mexico was ruled by dictator Porfirio Diaz.
    • Most land was owned by 1% of the population, leaving many peasants landless.
    • When Diaz imprisoned Francisco Madero (his political rival), a successful uprising occurred against Diaz's government after Madero escaped.
    • Madero was assassinated two years later, leading to socialist reforms.
  • Ottoman Empire:
    • The Ottoman Empire was known as the "sick man of Europe" due to military failures and a sinking economy.
    • Reforms (Tanzimat) from the 1840s to 1870s were insufficient.
    • The Young Turks advocated for a European-style constitutional government.
    • The Republic of Turkey was established in 1923 under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

World War I: Causes

  • M.A.I.N. causes:
    • Militarism: States focused heavily on military preparation to demonstrate power. Great Britain and Germany were especially focused on this kind of building.
    • Alliances: Countries promised to defend each other, escalating conflicts.
      • Triple Entente (Allies): Britain, France, and Russia.
      • Triple Alliance (Central Powers): Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.
    • Imperialism: Competition for colonial holdings created rivalries.
    • Nationalism: Strong national pride and the belief in one's country's superiority.

World War I: Events

  • The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by Serbian nationalists triggered the war in 1914.
  • The alliance system and imperial rivalries were activated.
  • World War I was a total war, meaning all resources, including civilians and manufacturing, were used for the war effort.
  • New technologies led to unprecedented bloodshed:
    • Machine guns delivered high volumes of fire.
    • Poison gas (e.g., chlorine gas) caused severe injuries and death.
    • Trench warfare led to stalemates and prolonged the war.
  • Propaganda: States used biased information to influence public opinion and demonize enemies.
  • The war ended in 1918 with the Treaty of Versailles.

Treaty of Versailles

  • The Central Powers lost, and the Allied Powers won.
  • Two provisions led to World War II:
    • War Guilt Clause: Placed all blame for the war on Germany.
    • Reparations: Germany had to pay for all war damages and surrender land.

Post-War Economy and the Great Depression

  • Germany's economy suffered hyperinflation due to diminished industrial capacity and reparations payments.
  • The German mark became devalued, leading to economic problems.
  • The worldwide Great Depression began in 1929 with the U.S. stock market crash.
  • Keynesian economics: Economist John Maynard Keynes argued for government intervention through deficit spending to stimulate the economy.
  • The United States implemented the New Deal under President Franklin Roosevelt, creating jobs through infrastructure projects.
  • Russia: Largely untouched by the Great Depression due to its communist-guided economy.
    • Vladimir Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy (NEP), allowing limited free trade.
    • Joseph Stalin implemented Five-Year Plans to industrialize Russia and collectivize agriculture.

Rise of Fascism

  • Fascism arose in Germany and Italy as a response to the Great Depression.
  • Fascism is authoritarian, nationalistic, and promotes heavy government intervention in the economy.
  • Italy:
    • Benito Mussolini organized the Italian state around corporatism, where every sector of the economy served the state.
  • Germany:
    • Adolf Hitler canceled war reparations payments and invested in the military, violating the Treaty of Versailles.

Colonial Discontent

  • Colonial people fought for their colonizers during the war, expecting decolonization in return.
  • Imperial powers resisted relinquishing their empires.
  • Colonial resistance movements emerged worldwide. (e.g., India)
  • India:
    • The Indian National Congress presented complaints to the British Parliament.
    • Mohandas Gandhi advocated civil disobedience against unjust British laws.
    • Full independence necessitated another world war.

World War II: Causes and Events

  • Causes: German resentment of the Treaty of Versailles, worldwide economic depression, and the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
  • The war began in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland.
  • Japan's aggressive expansion in Asia, including a full-scale invasion of China in 1937, marked the beginning of the Pacific theater.
  • World War II was a total war involving the mobilization of entire populations.
  • Major players:
    • Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, and Japan.
    • Allied Powers: France, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States.
  • The United States entered the war after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
  • Allied resistance and U.S. industrial capacity turned the tide against Germany.
  • Japan surrendered after the United States used atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing over 100,000 civilians.
  • The war ended in 1945 with a treaty signed in Paris, designed to avoid the issues that caused World War II.

Mass Atrocities

  • Armenian Genocide:
    • Starting in 1915, the Ottoman government accused Armenian Christians of colluding with the Russian army.
    • Armenians were forced into concentration camps and subjected to starvation, disease, burning, gassing, and drowning.
    • Between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians died due to ethnic cleansing.
  • The Holocaust:
    • Adolf Hitler was anti-Semitic and believed Jews were contaminating the human race.
    • Inspired by the perceived lack of consequences for the Armenian Genocide, Hitler began sending Jews to concentration camps like Dachau and Auschwitz.
    • Initially, Jews were subjected to hard labor. Later, gas chambers were built to kill hundreds at a time.
    • Approximately 6 million Jews were killed as part of Hitler's "Final Solution."