* The Transition of the Ottoman Empire to Turkey
* Key Leader: Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
* Context: After siding with Germany and losing World War I (1914-1918), the Ottoman Empire dissolved.
* Atatürk's Goal: To transform the Turkish government into a secular (non-religious) state.
* Reforms:
* Made women politically equal to men.
* Replaced the Arabic alphabet with a new Turkish alphabet using Latin letters.
* Outcome: Atatürk's reforms were successful, leading to a modernized Turkish state (early 20th Century).
* The Iranian Revolution
* When: 1979
* Initial Modernization: Iran was modernized and Westernized under the Shah.
* Resistance: Many Iranians viewed the Shah as corrupt and a puppet of the United States.
* New Leader & Government: Ayatollah Khomeini established a theocracy.
* The Arab-Israeli Conflict (also Palestinian-Israeli Conflict)
* Key Groups: Arabs/Palestinians and Israelis/Jews.
* Historical Context:
* Jewish Diaspora.
* Zionism (20th century).
* Balfour Declaration.
* The Holocaust (post-1945).
* Establishment of Israel: 1948
* Wars & Territorial Changes:
* Initial War (1948): Israel gained more land.
* Six-Day War (1967): Israel significantly increased its territory.
* Peace Efforts:
* Camp David Accords (late 1970s).
* Palestinian Resistance:
* Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).
* Intifada.
* Current Situation (as of 2023): Ongoing conflict, complex territorial disputes.
* Modern Human Rights Issues
* UN Declaration of Human Rights: 1948
* Rwandan Genocide:
* When: 1994
* Context: Tutsis and Hutus ethnic conflict.
* Event: Hutus systematically murdered Tutsis.
* Impact: Approximately one million deaths.
* UN Involvement: Criticized for inadequate intervention.
* Significance: Genocides and human rights abuses continue to occur despite the UN Declaration.