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Unit 7

Apr 29, 2025

AP World History Unit 7: Global Conflict 1900 - Present

Major Shifts in State Power

  • Decline of Western Dominance:
    • Changes in Western power dynamics in the 20th century.
    • Decline of land-based and maritime empires, emergence of new states.
  • Ottoman Empire:
    • Overthrown by Young Turks in 1908.
    • Secularized schools and laws, made Turkish the official language.
    • Alienation of minorities like Arabs, leading to nationalist movements.
    • Ended after World War I due to internal and external pressures.
  • Russian Empire:
    • 1905 Revolution led to demand for reforms.
    • Nicholas II’s limited reforms were insufficient.
    • World War I exacerbated issues, leading to 1917 Russian Revolution.
    • Bolsheviks under Lenin formed the Soviet Union.

Changes in China and Mexico

  • China:
    • Revolutionary movements against Western powers.
    • Fall of Qing Dynasty, end of imperial rule.
    • Provisional government failed, leading to civil war and communist state under Mao Zedong.
  • Mexico:
    • Mexican Revolution against Porfirio Diaz.
    • Land redistribution and social reforms were central issues.
    • New constitution in 1917 addressing revolutionary grievances.

Causes and Conduct of World War I

  • MAIN Causes of WWI:
    • Militarism: Arms race led by Britain and Germany.
    • Alliances: Triple Alliance (Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary), Triple Entente (Russia, France, Britain).
    • Imperialism: Competition for colonies in Africa and Asia.
    • Nationalism: Heightened national identities leading to conflicts.
  • Total War:
    • Mobilization of entire populations, including civilians.
    • Gavrilo Princip’s assassination of Archduke Ferdinand triggered alliances.
  • Technology and Propaganda in WWI:
    • Introduction of machine guns, chemical gas, tanks.
    • Trench warfare led to stalemates and high casualties.
    • Propaganda used to demonize enemies and boost nationalism.

Outcome of World War I & Global Economic Impact

  • End of WWI:
    • US intervention in 1917 aided Allied victory.
    • Treaty of Versailles punished Germany.
  • Great Depression:
    • US stock market crash in 1929 led to global economic crisis.
    • Roosevelt’s New Deal introduced to combat economic downturn.
  • Soviet Economic Policies:
    • Lenin’s New Economic Plan and Stalin’s Five Year Plans.
    • Collectivization of agriculture to support industrial workers.

Post-WWI Global Tensions

  • Colonial Tensions:
    • Colonized nations remained under foreign control.
    • League of Nations’ mandate system expanded Western control.
  • Japan’s Expansion:
    • Invasion of Manchuria in 1931.
    • Establishment of Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
  • India’s Resistance:
    • Growth of Indian National Congress under Gandhi.

Causes of World War II

  • Factors Leading to WWII:
    • Treaty of Versailles’ repercussions on Germany and Italy.
    • Imperial ambitions of Axis powers: Japan, Italy, Germany.
    • Global impact of the Great Depression.
    • Rise of fascist and totalitarian regimes.
  • Fascism:
    • Defined by extreme nationalism, authoritarianism, militarism.
    • Prominent in Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Conduct of World War II

  • Hitler’s Aggressions:
    • Renounced reparations, militarized Rhineland.
    • Annexed territories in Europe.
  • Start of WWII in Europe:
    • 1939 invasion of Poland by Nazis.
  • Comparison to WWI:
    • Both total wars involving mass mobilization.
    • Propaganda and alliances crucial in both conflicts.
  • Government Mobilization in WWII:
    • Fascist states prioritized state interests.
    • Stalin’s Five Year Plans in Soviet Union.
    • Democratic nations relied on public cooperation.

Repression During World War II

  • State Repression:
    • US internment camps for Japanese immigrants.
    • Germany’s Nuremberg Laws and concentration camps.
  • Military Innovations:
    • Firebombing and atomic bombs by Allied forces.

Mass Atrocities of the 20th Century

  • Armenian Genocide:
    • Turkish nationalism led to mass extermination of Armenians.
  • Holocaust:
    • Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews and others.
    • Driven by racial purity ideologies.
    • Compared to historical racial systems like the Casta System.