Knowt
Practices of Wars and their Impacts Types of Wars Civil War
Political
Imperialism
The strategy of extending power
Competition over colonies and resources
Had an impact on relations in Europe and caused global tension
Ex. the Scramble for Africa
Militarism
Military planning
Nations rushing to get more and more weapons
Military leaders influenced politics
Ex. the Arms Race
Alliances
Forming alliances and their impacts (Ex. Triple Entente, Triple Alliance, etc.)
Balance of power and entangling alliances
Revolutions and Civil Wars
Russian Revolution and Civil War
Chinese Civil War
Great Depression (1929)
Global economic impact
Rise of extremist movements (Nazism, Fascism, etc.)
Colonial Independence Movements
Decolonization in Africa and Asia
European withdrawals impact
Territorial
Border Disputes
India and Pakistan
Arab and Israeli
Germany and Poland
Ideological Conflicts
Democracy v. Totalitarianism
Capitalism v. Communism
Class Struggles
Labor movements and social unrest
Marxism and socialism influence
Nationalism
Support of one’s nation to the extreme of putting down other nations
Ex. German nationalism during WWII
Foreign Influence
Japan’s influence in Asia
Germany’s influence in Europe
Economic
Resource Competition
Oil, rubber, weapons, and strategic materials
Economic sanctions
Trade embargoes
Practices of Wars and their Impacts
Types of Wars
Civil War
A war between groups or factions within the same country or state.
Often arises due to political, social, or economic disagreements.
Can involve both regular military forces and irregular fighters.
War Between States
A conflict between two or more separate, independent nations or states.
May be triggered by territorial disputes, resource competition, or ideological differences.
Generally involves organized military forces, with defined borders and formal declarations of war.
Guerrilla Warfare
A form of irregular warfare where small, mobile groups of fighters (guerrillas) use tactics like ambushes, sabotage, and hit-and-run attacks.
Typically employed by weaker forces against a stronger, conventional military.
Fighters rely on knowledge of the local terrain, surprise, and avoiding direct confrontations with a larger enemy.
Often used in resistance movements or insurgencies.
Technological Developments
Air Warfare
The use of aircraft, such as planes and drones, to engage in combat.
Involves tactics like bombing, airstrikes, and aerial dogfights.
Primarily focused on controlling airspace and gaining superiority over the enemy’s aerial forces.
Often used for reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and precision strikes.
Naval Warfare
The use of ships, submarines, and other watercraft to fight on or under the sea.
Includes tactics like naval blockades, surface combat, submarine warfare, and amphibious assaults.
Aims to control vital sea routes, project power, and defend or disrupt maritime trade.
Can involve large-scale fleet engagements or small, tactical skirmishes.
Land Warfare
Combat is fought on the ground, typically between armies and other ground-based forces.
Involves infantry, tanks, artillery, and other land-based military assets.
Focused on occupying and controlling territory, fortifications, and key infrastructure.
Often involves large-scale battles, sieges, and various tactics like flanking, trench warfare, or urban combat.
Effects of 20th-century Wars
Political Effects
Redrawing of Borders
Treaty of Versailles and its impact on Europe; imposing harsh penalties on Germany, including territorial losses, heavy war reparations, and acceptance of blame for the war, which ultimately led to widespread resentment and contributed to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the seeds of World War II
Post-World War II borders and the division of Germany
Rise of Totalitarian Regimes
Nazi Germany
Fascist Italy
Soviet Union
Creation of International Organizations
League of Nations; overall impact on Europe was largely considered a failure due to its inability to stop major aggression from powerful nations like Germany, Italy, and Japan
United Nations; a platform for addressing issues like human rights, migration, sustainable development, and peacebuilding
Cold War Dynamics
USA v. USSR
Formation of NATO and Warsaw Pact; never directly waged war against each other in Europe
Economic Effects
Destruction and Reconstruction
Post-war reconstruction efforts (Marshall Plan); provided much-needed capital and materials that enabled Europeans to rebuild the continent's economy
Economic boom and industrial growth
Shifts in Global Economic Power
Decline of European colonial powers
Rise of the United States and the Soviet Union
War Economy and Technological Advancements
Military-industrial complex
Innovations in technology and industry
Social Effects
Human Cost
Casualties, displacement, and refugee crises
Psychological impact and trauma
Social Changes
Women’s role during and after wars
Civil rights movements and social reforms
Cultural Impacts
Changes in art, literature, and philosophy
Collective memory and commemoration of wars
Environmental Effects
Destruction of Landscapes
Impact of battles on cities and countryside
Long-Term Environmental Damage
Nuclear testing and radiation
Use of chemical weapons (Agent Orange in Vietnam)
Key Wars
World War I (1914-1918)
Caused by Assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, nationalism, militarism, and alliances
Major Battles: Battle of the Somme, Battle of Verdun
Effects: Treaty of Versailles, League of Nations, redrawn European borders
World War II (1939-1945)
Caused by Treaty of Versailles, expansionist policies of Axis powers, failure of appeasement
Major Battles: Battle of Stalingrad, D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
Effects: United Nations, Cold War onset, decolonization
Korean War (1950- 1953)
Caused by division of Korea, rise of Communism, Cold War dynamics
Major Battles: Battle of Inchon, Battle of Pusan Perimeter
Effects: Korean Armistice Agreement, ongoing North-South Korean tensions
Vietnam War (1955- 1975)
Caused by French colonialism, rise of Communism, Cold War dynamics
Major Battles: Tet Offensive, Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Effects: Reunification of Vietnam, significant US military and social impact
Cold War (1947- 1991)
Caused by ideological conflicts between US and USSR, nuclear arms race
Major Incidents: Cuban Missile Crisis, Berlin Blockade
Effects: Fall of the Soviet Union, end of bipolar world order
Arab- Israeli Conflicts (1948- present)
Caused by creation of Israel, territorial disputes, nationalism
Major Wars: Six-Day War, Yom Kippur War
Effects: Formation of new nations, legacy of colonial borders and conflicts
Key Figures
World War I
Archduke Franz Ferdinand (Austria- Hungary)
Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne
His assassination in Sarajevo triggered WWI
Kaiser Wilhelm II (Germany)
Emperor of Germany
Enforced aggressive foreign policy and militarism
Woodrow Wilson (United States)
28th President of the United States
Proposed the Fourteen Points and League of Nations
Georges Clemenceau (France)
Prime Minister of France
Strong advocate for punishing Germany in Treaty of Versailles
David Lloyd George (United Kingdom)
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Played a key role in the peace negotiations at Versailles
World War II
Adolf Hitler (Germany)
Leader of the Nazi Party
Initiated WWII with expansionist policies
Franklin D. Roosevelt (United States)
32nd President of the United States
Led the US through the Great Depression and WWII
Winston Churchill (United Kingdom)
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Famous for his leadership and speeches during the war
Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union)
Leader of the Soviet Union
Key figure in the Allied victory and post-war Soviet expansion
Benito Mussolini (Italy)
Fascist leader of Italy
Allied with Nazi Germany
Hirohito (Japan)
Emperor of Japan
Oversaw Japan’s military expansion and eventual surrender
Cold War
Harry S. Truman (United States)
33rd President of the United States
Implemented the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan
Nikita Khrushchev (Soviet Union)
Leader of the Soviet Union
Known for de-Stalinization and the Cuban Missile Crisis
John F. Kennedy (United States)
35th President of the United States
Faced the Cuban Missile Crisis and promoted the space race
Ronald Reagan (United States)
40th President of the United States
Played a key role in ending the Cold War with his aggressive stance against the USSR
Mikhail Gorbachev (Soviet Union)
Last leader of the Soviet Union
Implemented reforms like Perestroika and Glasnost
Other Wars
Kim Il-sung (North Korea) - Korean War
Founder and first leader of North Korea
Initiated the Korean War by invading South Korea
Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) - Vietnam War
Leader of the Vietnamese independence movement
Key figure in the fight against French and American forces
Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt) - Arab- Israeli Conflicts
President of Egypt
Led Egypt during the Suez Crisis and Six-Day War
Jawaharlal Nehru (India) - India- Pakistan Conflicts
First Prime Minister of India
Played a central role in India’s independence and early conflicts with Pakistan
