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

Power Shifts and Revolutions (Early 20th Century)

  • Russia:

    • Russian Revolution (1917): Led by Vladimir and the Bolsheviks.

    • Goal: Establish a communist government.

    • Outcome: Russia became the first large communist state.

  • China:

    • Tension between Qing Dynasty (Manchurian) and Han Chinese (resented Qing legitimacy).

    • Han revolt led by Sun Yat-Sen.

    • Qing Dynasty toppled; Republic of China founded in 1912 (democratic government).

  • Mexico:

    • Porfirio Diaz: Dictator who, despite some positive contributions, oversaw significant land inequality (1% of population owned most land).

    • Francisco Madero: Political rival imprisoned by Diaz, promised reforms. Escaped and led a successful uprising.

    • Madero assassinated, leading to further uprisings and socialist reforms.

  • Ottoman Empire:

    • Referred to as the "sick man of Europe" due to military failures and economic decline.

    • Tanzimat Reforms (1840s-1870s): Attempts to modernize, but insufficient.

    • Young Turks: Advocated for a European-style constitutional government.

    • Republic of Turkey: Established in 1923 under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

World War I: Causes

  • M.A.I.N.:

    • Militarism:

      • Aggressive military preparation and build-up.

      • Example: Great Britain and Germany.

    • Alliances:

      • Agreements to defend each other, escalating conflicts.

      • Triple Entente: Britain, France, Russia (Allies).

      • Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy (Central Powers).

    • Imperialism:

      • Rivalries due to competition for colonial holdings.

    • Nationalism:

      • Extreme pride in one's country, belief in its superiority.

      • "Our country is the best, and yours is not."

  • Trigger:

    • Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by Serbian nationalists.

    • Activated alliance system and imperial rivalries.

World War I: The War

  • Total War:

    • All resources of a state (civilians, manufacturing) are used for the war effort.

  • New Technology and Methods:

    • Machine guns: High-speed, high-volume lead delivery.

    • Poison gas (e.g., chlorine gas): Caused burns, vomiting, and suffocation.

    • Trench warfare: Defensive strategy leading to stalemates and prolonged war of attrition.

  • Propaganda:

    • Biased information to evoke strong emotional reactions.

    • Used to demonize enemies and maintain public support.

  • End of War:

    • Ended in 1918 with the Treaty of Versailles (Allied victory).

Treaty of Versailles: Consequences

  • Key Provisions:

    • War Guilt Clause: Blamed Germany for the war.

    • Reparations: Germany had to pay for war damages.

    • Territorial losses: Germany surrendered land, including colonies.

  • Economic Impact on Germany:

    • Diminished industrial capacity.

    • Hyperinflation: Devaluation of the German mark.

Economic Depression and Responses

  • The Great Depression:

    • Began with the US stock market crash in 1929.

    • Global impact due to interconnected economies.

  • Keynesian Economics:

    • John Maynard Keynes: Advocated for government intervention in economies.

    • Deficit spending: Borrowed money to stimulate employment and the economy.

  • The New Deal (United States):

    • President Franklin Roosevelt's program.

    • Government-funded infrastructure projects and public works.

  • Russia:

    • Largely unaffected by the Great Depression due to a guided communist economy.

    • New Economic Policy (NEP): Lenin's policy that reintroduced limited free trade.

    • Five Year Plans: Stalin's plans for industrialization and collectivization of agriculture.

  • Fascism:

    • Authoritarian, nationalistic, with heavy government intervention in economics.

    • Italy (Benito Mussolini): Corporatism, where each economic sector served the state.

    • Germany (Adolf Hitler): Canceled reparations and increased military spending.

Colonial Resistance Movements

  • Motivations:

    • Colonial subjects fought for imperial powers during WWI, expecting increased autonomy.

    • Imperial powers were unwilling to relinquish control.

  • India:

    • Indian National Congress: Presented grievances to the British parliament.

    • Mohandas Gandhi: Advocated civil disobedience against unjust British laws.

World War II: Causes

  • Main Causes:

    • German resentment of the Treaty of Versailles.

    • Worldwide economic depression.

    • Rise of the Nazi party and Adolf Hitler in Germany.

  • Start of the War:

    • 1939: Germany invaded Poland.

    • Britain and France declared war on Germany.

  • Pacific Theater:

    • Japan's aggression towards China and Korea.

    • 1937: Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China.

World War II: The War

  • Total War:

    • All participating states mobilized their entire populations.

  • Major Players:

    • Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan.

    • Allied Powers: France, Great Britain, Russia, The United States (after Pearl Harbor bombing).

  • Turning Points:

    • Resistance of Great Britain.

    • Entry of The United States.

  • End of War:

    • Japan's surrender after atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

    • 100,000+ civilians killed by the atomic bombs.

    • Ended in 1945 with a treaty signed in Paris.

Mass Atrocities

  • Armenian Genocide:

    • Ottoman government accused Armenian Christians of colluding with Russia (1915).

    • Armenians forced into concentration camps, died of starvation and disease.

    • Mass killings (burning, gassing, drowning).

    • Estimated 600,000 to 1,500,000 deaths.

    • Ottoman policy of ethnic cleansing.

  • The Holocaust:

    • Adolf Hitler's antisemitism: Blamed Jews for Germany's problems.

    • Concentration camps (e.g., Dachau, Auschwitz).

    • Initially, forced labor; later, mass extermination through gas chambers.

    • Approximately 6,000,000 Jews killed as part of Hitler's "final solution."