Unit 7 Content Overview: Global Conflict in the 20th Century

Essential Question

• What was the relative significance of the causes of global conflict from 1900 to the present?
• Focus primarily on World War I and World War II.

Organization of the Unit

• Chapters: Global Conflicts
  • Causes of World War I
  • Intervening events in the interwar period leading to World War II
  • Effects of mass atrocities

7.1 Shifting Power After 1900

• Countries with Significant Political Changes
  • Russia: First communist revolution; monarchy replaced by communist government under Lenin.
  • China: Fall of the monarchy; revolution led by Sun Yat-sen followed by communist revolution.
  • Ottoman Empire: Collapse due to World War I and subsequent breakup into modern Turkey.
  • Mexico: 1911 revolution against Western influence; introduction of socialist policies.

7.2 Causes of World War I

• Immediate Cause: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbian nationalists.
• Long-Term Causes (Acronym MAIN):
  • Militarism: Large armies created tension.
  • Alliances: Countries dragged into conflict due to alliances.
  • Imperialism: Conflicts over imperial ambitions.
  • Nationalism: Aggressive actions supported by citizens.
• Consequences: Fall of monarchies, redrawn colonial maps, high economic and social costs.

7.3 Conduct of World War I

• New Technologies and Strategies
  • Trench warfare leading to high casualties.
  • Total war: Economic and political involvement of populations.
  • Propaganda to garner support for the war.

Treaty of Versailles

• Allied Conflict: Punishment vs. peace philosophy.
• Outcome: Treaty blamed Germany, reducing its military and imposing reparations.

7.4 Interwar Economy

• Great Depression: Questioning of laissez-faire capitalism.
• Government Intervention: Adoption of Keynesian economics.
• Rise of Fascism: Economic troubles increase fascist popularity.

7.5 Unresolved Tensions and Nationalism

• Self-Determination
  • Principle claimed by Woodrow Wilson.
  • Rejected at Versailles leading to mandate systems.
  • Resistance movements in colonies, e.g., Gandhi in India.

7.6 Causes of World War II

• Europe: Rise of fascism, failure of appeasement, invasion of Poland.
• Asia: Japanese expansion, attack on Pearl Harbor.

7.7 Methods of Fighting World War II

• Comparative Methods
  • Propaganda use, economic management differences between democracies and totalitarian regimes.

7.8 Mass Atrocities

• Examples
  • Armenian genocide, Holodomor, Holocaust, Japanese invasion of China.
  • Question of genocide vs. collateral damage.

Conclusion

• Causes of World Wars I & II stem from complex interactions of political instability, economic pressures, and aggressive nationalism.
• Mass atrocities highlight the devastating human cost of these global conflicts.