AP World History Study Guide

Unit 1: The Global Tapestry (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

Developments in East Asia

• Significance of the Song Dynasty
  • Wealth, political stability, and innovation.
  • Manufacturing and commercialization flourished.
  • Bureaucracy and meritocracy expanded.
• Economic Developments
  • The Grand Canal enhanced trade.
  • Spread of gunpowder and agriculture boosted productivity.
  • Tributary system provided income.
• Social Structures
  • Aid for the poor; public hospitals.
  • Gender roles persisted; foot binding for women.
• Religious Diversity
  • Spread of Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism.

Developments in Japan, Korea, Vietnam

• Japan: Feudalism dominated; shogunate established.
• Korea: Close ties to China; centralized government with limited social mobility.
• Vietnam: Greater independence for women; village-based governance.

Developments in Dar al-Islam

• Innovations: Advances in mathematics, literature, and medicine.
• Social Structures: Merchants held high prestige; women had relatively more rights.
• Transfers: Preserved Greek philosophy and facilitated cultural exchanges with Europe.

Developments in South and Southeast Asia

• South Asia: Divergence in political stability between north and south; rise of the Delhi Sultanate.
• Religion: Contrast between Hinduism (polytheism) and Islam (monotheism).
• Social Structures: Caste system continued; rise of the Bhakti Movement.
• Southeast Asia: Influence of Hinduism and Buddhism; sea-based kingdoms like Srivijaya.

State Building in the Americas

• Mississippian Culture: Matrilineal society.
• Maya City-States: Height of civilization; linked science and religion.
• Aztecs: Established Tenochtitlan; tributary system; human sacrifices.
• Inca: Mita system; sophisticated agriculture.

State Building in Africa

• Political Structures: Kin-based networks and chiefdoms.
• West & East Africa: Islam spread; Mali and Zimbabwe prominent.
• Social Structures: Kinship, age, and gender defined roles; slave trade grew.
• Cultural Life: Music, art, griots as history keepers.

Developments in Europe

• Feudalism: Society structured around land and agriculture.
• Political Trends: Rise of monarchies; Hundred Years War.
• Roman Catholic Church: Great Schism; established universities.
• Christian Crusades: Aimed to reclaim the Holy Land.
• Renaissance: Revival of classical learning and humanism.

Unit 2: Network of Exchange (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

The Silk Roads

• Causes of Growth: Crusades, Mongol Empire, transportation improvements.
• Effects of Growth: Urban centers flourished; financial systems evolved.

The Mongol Empire

• Genghis Khan's Conquests: Expanded from China to Persia.
• Impact: Established trade routes; spread medical and numeric knowledge.

Exchange in the Indian Ocean

• Causes: Spread of Islam, demand for products, advances in maritime tech.
• Effects: Diasporic communities, Swahili city-states wealth.

Trans-Saharan Trade

• Trade Network: Gold was key; spread of Islam.
• Empire Expansion: Mali and its wealth; development of Timbuktu.

Cultural Consequences of Connectivity

• Spread of Religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam across Asia.
• Scientific Innovations: Translations, mathematics, papermaking.

Environmental Consequences

• Agriculture: Population growth; environmental degradation.
• Epidemics: Black Death spread via trade routes.

Unit 3: Land-Based Empires

Empires Expand

• Gunpowder Empires: Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal reliance on firearms.
• Europe & Russia: Post-plague recovery; emerging literacy.

Empires: Administration

• Centralization: England's divine rights vs. French absolute monarchy.
• Religious Legitimacy: Islam in Songhai; architecture in Ottoman.

Empires: Belief Systems

• Protestant Reformation: Luther's 95 Theses; Calvinism; Anglicanism.
• Scientific Revolution: Empiricism and laws of motion.

Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections

Technological Innovations

• Voyages: Columbian Exchange, linking Afro-Eurasia and Americas.
• Naval Technology: Advances in shipbuilding.

Columbian Exchange

• Disease: Indigenous populations devastated.
• Animals & Foods: New crops and livestock exchanged.
• Labor: Forced labor systems arose with cash crops.

Maritime Empires Established

• State-Building: Expansion led to new trade networks.
• European Rivalries: Competing for influence across continents.

Unit 5: Revolutions

The Enlightenment

• Ideas: Philosophical movement emphasizing reason.
• Feminism & Zionism: Early movements for women's rights and Jewish homeland.

Nationalism and Revolutions

• French Revolution: Liberty, equality; rise of Napoleon.
• Haitian Revolution: Toussaint L'Ouverture's leadership.
• Unification: Italy and Germany's nationalistic movements.

Industrial Revolution

• Technology Growth: Spinning jenny, water frame.
• Spread: Industrialization of Europe and the US.

Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization

Rationales for Imperialism

• Nationalism & Cultural Motives: European superiority, Social Darwinism.
• Economic Motives: Maximizing profits through colonization.

State Expansions

• Scramble for Africa: Berlin Conference and arbitrary borders.
• Imperialism in East Asia: Spheres of influence in China.

Indigenous Responses

• Resistance: Native American and Southeast Asian revolts.

Global Economic Developments

• Technological Advances: Railroads, telegraphs transformed economies.
• Agriculture: Shift to cash crops and monocultures.

Economic Imperialism

• Asia: European powers exploited resources and labor.

Migration

• Labor Systems: Indentured servitude replaced slavery.
• Challenges: Poverty drove migration; ethnic enclaves formed.

Unit 7: Global Conflict

Shifting Powers

• Russia:
  • Revolution and rise of communism under Lenin.
• China:
  • Struggle between Nationalists and Communists.
  • Population challenges and ethnic diversity.
• Mexico:
  • Political upheavals led to a new constitution.

Causes of World War I

• MANIA: Militarism, alliances, nationalism, imperialism, assassination.

Conduct of World War I

• Trench Warfare: New weapons and strategies.
• U.S. Involvement: Lusitania sinking, Zimmerman Telegram.
• Paris Peace Conference: Treaty of Versailles.

Interwar Economies

• Great Depression: Global downturn, U.S. New Deal.
• Rise of Right-Wing Governments: Fascism in Italy and Spain.

Unresolved Tensions

• Post-War Effects: Mandate system, Middle East changes.
• Anti-Colonialism: Movements in South Asia and the Middle East.

Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization

Setting the Stage

• Post-WWII Plans: Conferences shaping Europe and Asia.
• Balance of Power: Shift towards the U.S. and Soviet Union dominance.

Spread of Communism

• China: Communists under Mao Zedong.
• Latin America: Land reforms and resistance.

Decolonization

• Africa: Ghana and Algeria's paths to independence.
• Asia: Vietnam's struggle against colonial powers.

End of Cold War

• Resistance Movements: Civil rights in the US, anti-apartheid in South Africa.

Unit 9: Globalization

Technological Advances

• Green Revolution: Increased agricultural productivity.
• Energy Technologies: Rise of fossil fuels, environmental concerns.

Economics in the Global Age

• Free-Market Economies: Economic liberalization.
• Knowledge Economies: Shift towards technology and innovation.

Cultural Changes

• Global Culture: Rise of shared consumer and popular culture.
• Resistance: Backlash against globalization and environmental concerns.

These notes cover major developments and shifts in societies from the 13th to the 20th century, touching on economic, social, cultural, and political changes across various regions globally.