WORLD HISTORY: 1871-PRESENT

Question 1

origins of European Imperialism
- def
- age of imperialism

Answer 1

a. (def) occurs when an industrialized nation takes control of other nations, lands, or territories for economic or political gain

b. 18th-20th c. Age of Imperialism
- the largest EU imperialist countries: Britain, France, and Germany

Question 2

motives and justifications of EU imperialism: the industrial revolution, foreign markets, nationalism, social darwinism

Answer 2

a. the Industrial Revolution
- the need for natural resources increased→ going to other countries to acquire those resources

b. expanding into other countries allowed a country to enter foreign markets
- which created more competition among other EU countries

c. nationalism
- people were proud of their countries conquests

d. Social Darwinism - EU felt superior to the native peoples of the land they conquered
- they felt they needed to bring western culture and educate the “savage” pop.
- Christian missionaries looked to convert natives

Question 3

EU imperialism in Africa
- scramble for Africa (1870-1914)
- King Leopold of Belgium (1876)
- Berlin Conference

Answer 3

a. the Scramble for Africa: occurred from 1870-1914 - major EU countries carried out competing campaigns to colonize Africa
- Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and Spain had territory in Africa

b. began w/ King Leopold II of Belgium occupying the Congo Basin (1876)
- created the International African Association to gain control over the region - wanted to claim the mineral resources over the region

c. in response to this, the Berlin Conference met in 1884 to determine how to divide the African continent between the EU countries
- gave Leopold international recognition of Congo in 1885

d. major EU powers sprung into action after this^
- only Ethiopia and Liberia remained independent

Question 4

Opium wars in China (EU Imperialism in Asia): 1830s Britain trading opium, opium wars (1839-42), Britain’s response, the treaty of Nanking, other EU countries control in China, beyond China

Answer 4

a. by the 1830s, Britain traded opium w/ China, making it Britain’s most profitable and important crop in world markets
- opium poured into China very quickly, which led to heavy drug addiction

b. 1839: the Chinese destroyed British opium in the port city of Canton→ Opium Wars (1839-42)

c. the British force blockaded Chinese ports, occupied Shanghai, and took control of Canton

d. the 1842 Treaty of Nanking granted Britain extensive trading and commercial rights in China→ the first of many unequal treaties between China and EU

e. by the end of the century, France, Britain, Germany, and Russia held territorial and commercial advantages in their respective spheres of influence
- included ports, shipping lines, rivers, etc.

f. beyond China:
- Britain moved into Hong Kong (1842), Burma (1886), and Kowloon (1898)
- France took control over the provinces of Indochina (modern-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia)

Question 5

EU Imperialism in the Middle East
- decline of the Ottoman Empire
- British and French imperialists - Skyes-Picot agreement
- Suez Canal

Answer 5

a. as the Ottoman Empire began to decline, many of its territories fell under EU control

b. by the end of WWI, British and French imperialists divided the Ottoman territories between them
- secret treaties, like the Skyes-Picot agreement, helped set the borders of many modern Middle Eastern nation states

c. the Suez Canal in Egypt was a significant region EU powers wanted to have control over
- a British and French company owned and profited off of Egypt’s canal

Question 6

beginnings of WWI (the great war)

Answer 6

b. sparked by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip in 1914

c. Central powers: Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire

d. Allied powers: Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Canada, Japan, and the US

Question 7

the Western Front
- where it is
- the first battle of the Marne
- trenches
- the battle of Verdun and Somme

Answer 7

a. 1914: established in France when German troops crossed the border into Belgium, toward France

b. the First Battle of the Marne: French and British forces confronted the invading German army
- the allied troops led a successful counterattack and the German moved back north

c. trenches were dug for protection and the Western Front was made

d. the Battle of Verdun (Feb-Dec 1916): the longest and bloodiest battle of the war

e. Battle of the Somme (July-Nov. 1916)

Question 8

the Eastern Front (study the fronts)

Answer 8

a. Russian forces invaded German-held regions of East Prussia and Poland

b. the Battle of Tannenberg (Aug. 1914): fought between Russia and Germany, that ended in a German victory

Question 9

the Russian Revolution
- feb revolution
- october revolution
- russian civil war

Answer 9

a. 1917: the February Revolution - the first revolution where Russian citizens rioted against the monarchal gov.
- the Duma formed a provisional gov. > this marked the end of the Russian Romanov rule

b. October Revolution (1917): leftist revolutionaries led by Bolshevik Party leader Vladimir Lenin against the Duma’s provisional gov.
- he called for a Soviet gov. that would be ruled by councils of soldiers, peasants, and workers
- Lenin became the dictator of the world’s first communist state

c. Russian Civil War broke out after the Bolshevik Revolution
- Russia stepped back from WW1 and made a truce w/ the central powers in Dec. 1917
- the civil war ended in 1923 w/ Lenin claiming victory and establishing the Soviet Union

Question 10

end of WW1: Turkey, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the Paris Peace Conference

Answer 10

a. Turkey signed a treaty w/ the Allies in OCt. 1918

b. Austria-Hungary was dissolving from within due to growing nationalist movements > a truce on Nov. 4

c. lack of resources, discontent on the homefront, and the surrender of its allies forced Germany to seek a truce on Nov. 11

d. the Paris Peace Conference (consisted of the Allied powers) discussed the consequences of the Central powers
- the Treaty of Versailles was made and the League of Nations formed

Question 11

the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations

Answer 11

a. Treaty of Versailles: signed in 1919 and declared peace between Germany and the Allies
- held Germany responsible for starting the war, included loss of territory, massive reparations, and demilitarization

b. League of Nations: an international diplomatic group developed as a way to solve disputes between countries
- originates from President Woodrow Wilson’s fourteen points speech
- established in 1920 - 48 countries had joined
- ended during WW2

Question 12

origins of WW2: dates, allied vs. axis powers, the Potsdam Conference

Answer 12

a. 1939-1945: Axis vs. Allies
- Axis powers: Germany, Italy, and Japan
- as the war went on: Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Croatia
- Allied powers: Great Britain, the US, and the Soviet Union

b. began w/ Germany’s invasion in Poland (1939)

c. ended in 1945 when Germany finally surrendered

d. the Potsdam Conference (1945): the Allied powers met in Potsdam Germany to negotiate terms for the end of WW2
- divided Germany into 3 zones of occupation

Question 13

causes of WW2: authoritarianism and Nazi & Japanese aggression
- the Munich Agreement

Answer 13

a. the rise of authoritarianism in EU
- Hitler promised to improve Germany, created the Nazi party, got appointed Chancellor of Germany, and became dictator

b. Nazi and Japanese aggression
- Germany violates the Treaty of Versailles: re-armed their military (1935), occupied Rhineland (1936), unified w/ Austria (1938), takes over the German-speaking areas of Czechoslovakia under the Munich agreement > POLICY OF APPEASEMENT (Britain’s policy to prevent war)
- Japan: aggression increased due to fear of outside aggression, growing Japanese nationalism, and need for natural resources

c. the Munich Agreement (1938): Britain and France gave Germany Czechoslovakia to prevent war

Question 14

the Nazi-Soviet Pact (1939)

Answer 14

a. Aug. 1939: a pact between Germany and the Soviet Union - prohibited military action against each other for the next 10 years

b. Stalin viewed the pact as a way to keep his nation on peaceful terms w/ Germany and give him time to build the Soviet military

c. Hitler used the pact to ensure no disruption on their invasion in Poland

d. fell in 1941, when Nazi forces invaded the Soviet Union

Question 15

major battles of WW2 (pt. 1): Operation torch, Siege of Leningrad, Battle of the Atlantic, Battle of Britain, and Operation Barbossa

Answer 15

a. Operation Torch (Nov. 1942): an allied invasion of (then) French North Africa - marked the first time the British and Americans worked together on an invasion
- aimed at opening the Mediterranean for allied shipping by opening access to southern EU and north Africa

b. Siege of Leningrad (sep. 1941- jan. 1942): Germany invaded Leningrad, Russia. took so long bc the winter made it hard for Germany to fight - they withdrew, Soviets accomplished

c. Battle of the Atlantic (sep. 1939-may 1945)
- naval warfare against German U-boats and the allied escort warships and convoys moving military equipment
- ended w/ Germans surrendering

d. Battle of Britain (july 1940-Oct. 1940)
- an air battle between the Germans and British (the Royal Air Force vs. the Luftwaffe (German air force))
- British victoru

e. Operation Barbarossa (june-dec. 1941): German’s (failed) invasion on the Soviet Union

Question 16

major battles of WW2 (pt. 2): battle of Stalingrad, battle of Okinawa, battle of Midway, the battle of the bulge, and battle of Berlin

Answer 16

a. battle of Stalingrad (aug. 1942-feb. 1943): major battle on the Eastern front where the Axis powers unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of Stalingrad in southern Russia

b. Battle of Okinawa (april-june 1945): major battle of the Pacific war fought on the island of Okinawa - ended w/ US victory

c. Battle of Midway (june 1942): a major naval battle in the Pacific between US and Japan - US victory

d. the Battle of the Bulge (dec. 1944-jan. 1945): called “the greatest American battle of the war” - the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front - they surrendered to the Allies

e. Battle of Berlin (april-may 1945): the final major battle in EU - the Soviet Union invaded Germany, causing Berlin to fall and Germany to surrender

Question 17

the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Answer 17

a. conducted by the US - the Manhattan Project, a group of American scientists

b. aug. 1945: dropped the first atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima

c. 3 days later, another bomb on Nagasaki

d. Japan’s emperor Hirohito announced their surrender

Question 18

the formation of the United Nations: the Atlantic Charter, Declaration of the UN, UN charter and their goals, current members

Answer 18

a. in August 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill held a secret meeting and came up w/ the Atlantic Charter: outlined ideal goals of war and paved the way for the development of the UN

b. Jan. 1, 1942: 26 Allied nations met in DC to sign the Declaration of the UN: described the war objectives of the allied powers
- led by the US, UK, and Soviet Union

c. United Nations Charter: signed on June 1945, at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Fran
- ratified by 51 members

d. goals: (1) maintain international peace and security - (2) achieve international cooperation in solving international problems - (3) develop friendly relations among nations - (4) be a center for harmonizing actions of nations

e. currently 193 members - headquartered in NYC

Question 19

origins of the Korean War

Answer 19

a. 1950-1953

b. North Korea vs. South Korea + the US

c. fought between the 38th parallel

d. ended in 1953 w/ an armistice between the 2 countries. the 38th parallel was kept

Question 20

origins of the Cold War:
- dates
- causes (4)

Answer 20

a. 1947-1991 - ongoing political rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union

b. causes:
- tensions between the two at the end of WW2
- ideological conflict
> capitalist/democratic US vs. communist/diplomatic USSR
- emergence of nuclear weapons
- fear of communism in the US

Question 21

the US vs. the Soviet Union on Eastern EU

Answer 21

a. after WW2, the Soviet Union was in charge of eastern EU

b. the democratic west expected a democratic future, bUUUT Stalin said “no, communist”

c. the Eastern Bloc (Soviet states) led to the Iron Curtain: a political boundary made by the Soviet Union that divided them from noncommunist areas

Question 22

the Truman Doctrine (1947) and the Marshall plan (1948, and how it led to the Berlin blockade

Answer 22

a. the Truman Doctrine: established in 1947 by president Harry S. Truman
- the US would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external forces

b. the Marshall plan: established in 1948, provided foreign aid to Western EU

c. Stalin saw this as a threat so he blocked all road, railway, and canal access to the West

d. in response to the blockade, US and British planes carried out the largest air relief operation (1948-1949)

e. the blockade was a fail

Question 23

the formation of NATO (1949) and the Warsaw Pact (1955)

Answer 23

a. the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, established in 1949 - primarily a security pact among the western nations that ensured collective security against the Soviet Union

b. established in 1955, in response to the formation of NATO, consisted of Communist govs.
- reinforced communist dominance in Eastern EU

Question 24

the nuclear arms race: the atomic & hydrogen bomb, GB, France, & China in the race, detente

Answer 24

a. aug. 29, 1949: the Soviet Union successfully tested its first atomic bomb > the arms race began
- 1952: the US detonated the first hydrogen bomb, and then the Soviets did the same in 1953

b. Great Britain, France, and the People’s Republic of China also developed the nuclear bomb and had their own nuclear weapons

c. detente: the US and Soviets improved their relations bc the war was becoming too costly and tensions were too high
- began in 1971 when pres. Richard M. Nixon met w/ the secretary-general of the Communist party)

Question 25

events leading to the end of the Cold war and the dissolution of the Soviet Union
- Gorbachev in power (1985)
- INF treaty (1987)
- fall of Berlin wall (1989) and unification (1990)
- end of war (1991)

Answer 25

a. 1985: Gorbachev came into power
- led the political movement for more openness and transparency
- restructured the Soviet political and economic systems
- believed the arms race needed to end to save the economy, which meant improving relation w/ the US

b. the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was made (INF treaty): eliminated intermediate range missiles
- signed on 1987 by Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan

c. the Berlin wall fell on Nov. 9, 1989 and Germany was unified in 1990
- eventually all of the Eastern Bloc states were non-communist

d. Gorbachev resigned from office in 1991, and the Cold War was officially put to an end

Question 26

decolonization of Asia
- what influenced the process?
- dates
- US & USSR

Answer 26

a. WW2 influenced independence movements in Asia

b. this was a gradual process and various parts of Asia were decolonized between 1945-1997

c. the decolonization saw the US and USSR trying to influence the new-nations to assert their supremacy

Question 27

decolonization of Africa: dates, how nations gained independence, aftermath

Answer 27

a. 1950s-1975 - after WW2, EU found it difficult to maintain their African possessions

b. during the independence phase, some African countries achieved it through non-violent means, but some countries did

c. aftermath of decolonization:
- civil wars erupted due to the fact that the borders were drawn in a way that hostile tribes were in the same nation
- the economy suffered from political turmoil and revolts
- although they were rich in cash crops and minerals, they couldn’t process the goods themselves
- lack of infrastructure, unorganized labor, and other issues impoverished the states

Question 28

decolonization of the Middle East (1932-1971)

Answer 28

a. 1932-1971

b. the Middle East was the most unstable of the post-imperial regions after WW2 - the collapse of the Ottoman Empire led to a wave of Arab nationalism

c. the region was fully independent of EU power by 1956 (the United Arab Emirates)
- Turkey was the first country to gain independence in 1932

Question 29

Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)
- led by
- the great leap forward
- partnerships
- red coats
- Lin’s power
- the end

Answer 29

a. formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution - 1966-76 led by communist leader Mao Zedong to reassert his authority
- nearly 2 million people were killed

b. his economic campaign the “Great Leap Forward” (1958-60) failed which decimated the economy and his power

c. to regain control, Mao partnered w/ a group of radicals, including his defense minister Lin Biao - they launched the Cultural Revolution in 1966

d. 1967: he shut down schools and mobilized youths into paramilitary units - Red Guards
- they attacked and killed teachers, intellectuals, and anyone who they suspected of undermining the communist system

e. 1969: Lin had taken power and wanted to institute China under martial law
- but Mao launched a campaign to reduce Lin’s power > dividing the ruling party
- Lin died in 1971 and his military was purged

f. a new leader took over, but revolutionaries were left disillusioned - the movement ended in 1976 when Mao died and his allies were purged from the ruling party

Question 30

events leading up to the Cuban Revolution: Fulgencio Batista, Fidel Castro, the revolution in 1953

Answer 30

a. from the 1930s-40s, Cuba was under the power of Fulgencio Batista. he ran again for a second term in 1952, but was a loser → he overthrew the gov. and canceled the elections

b. Fidel Castro, a young lawyer and activist, was also running for congress as part of the Cuban People’s Party

c. he sought to arm a revolutionary opposition to the Batista regime

d. the first attempt of the revolution was in 1953, he led a raid against the Moncada army barracks in Santiago but failed
- him and his brother Raul fled to Mexico and began building his army

Question 31

the Cuban Revolution: the Sierra Mountains, Castro’s army, Batista’s escape, Castro in power, and relationship w/ the US

Answer 31

a. Nov. 1956: Castro returned to Cuba, but were ambushed → fled to the Sierra Maestra Mountains

b. Castro’s group attracted new members and began a guerilla campaign against Batista - over the next 2 years the group built their army and political ideas

c. Dec. 1958: Cuban people were extremely dissatisfied w/ Batista’s gov. → Batista loses the support of the Cuban army and leaves the country for Spain and Portugal

d. Castro arrived in Havana on Jan. 9 to take power

e. the relationship between Cuba and the US deteriorated as Castro implemented a communist regime and forged close ties w/ the USSR
- the US broke off diplomatic relations w/ Cuba in 1961 → Bay of Pigs invasion (1961) and the Cuban missile crisis (1962)

Question 32

events leading up to the Nicaraguan Revolution: Anastasio Garcia, the FSLN & their goals

Answer 32

a. since 1937, Nicaragua was ruled under dictator Anastasio Somoza Garcia
- ruled for the next 19 years - controlled the National Guard and appeased the US
- he was assassinated in 1956 → his son Luis assumed power immediately

b. the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) was established in 1961 by Carlos Fonseca, Silvio Mayorga, and Tomas Borge
- goals: national sovereignty, end US imperialism, and achieve a socialist revolution that would end the exploitation of Nicaraguan workers and peasants

Question 33

attacks conducted by the FSLN during the Nicaraguan Revolution: elites hostage (1974), congress hostage (1978)

Answer 33

a. Dec. 1974: they held a group of elites hostage and forced the Somoza regime to pay a ransom and release FSLN prisoners
- Jimmy Carter pressed the Somoza regime to end its abuse of peasants (using military aid as an incentive) → it failed, they violated it
- this^ kicked off the final phase

b. 1978: Sandinistas disguised as national guardsmen and assaulted the national palace and took the entire Nicaraguan congress hostage
- they demanded $$ and the release of all FSLN prisoners, to which the regime agreed

Question 34

the end of the Nicaraguan Revolution and interactions w/ the US: provisional gov., Reagan, end of the FSLN regime

Answer 34

a. the Sandinistas entered Managua victorious in 1979 and established a provisional gov.
- the revolution was responsible for the death of 2% of the pop.

b. w/ Carter in office, they were relatively safe from US aggression, bUT, when Ronal Reagan took office , economic assistance was halted in 1981

c. the US waged a war on the Sandinistas in the 80s

d. as a result of the FSLN having to defend itself against the Contras (a group of rebels fighting against the Sandinistas), the party lost power in 1990

Question 35

the overthrow of the South African Apartheid
- laws in 1948, white ruled nationalists, the ANC, the comprehensive anti-apartheid act, freedom of liberation groups, the first democratic election, Nelson Mandela

Answer 35

a. apartheid: refers to a set of laws enacted in South Africa in 1948 to ensure the strict racial segregation of South African society and the whites

b. the white ruled Nationalist party legalized racism
- forbade interracial marriage
- separated schools and living areas

c. in opposition to this, the African National Congress (ANC) was formed to lead the anti-apartheid movement
- the end of the apartheid began in the early 90s

d. the US enacted the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act that imposed substantial economic sanctions to be levied against South Africa
- 1989: George H.W Bush declared full commitment to “full enforcement” of the anti-apartheid act

e. 1989: the ban on the ANC and other Black liberation parties were lifted - Nelson Mandela was freed from prison in 1990

f. 1993: the first democratic election took place and the US lifted all sanctions of the anti-apartheid act and increased foreign aid to South Africa

g. 1994: Nelson Mandela was elected as the first president of the nation’s post-apartheid era

Question 36

the Arab-Israeli conflict: resolution 181, conflict between Jews and Arabs, Arabs air attack, armistice agreements

Answer 36

a. 1947: Israel was declared an independent state and the UN adopted the Partition Resolution (Resolution 181)
- would divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states in May 1948 and the region would remain under international control administered by the UN

b. this resolution initiated conflict between Jewish and Arab groups within Palestine
- the goal of the Arabs was to block the Partition Res and prevent the establishment of the Jewish state
- goal of the Jews was to gain control over the territory that was given to them under the Partition

c. May 1948: the Arabs launched an air attack on Tel Aviv and didn’t end until 1949
- Arab armies = Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt

d. 1949: Israel and the Arab states made armistice agreements
- Israel: gained some territory granted to Palestinian Arabs under the UN Partition
- Egypt and Jordan: the Gaza strip and West Bank

Question 37

post WW2 EU: postwar reconstruction:
- countries –> famine, the Marshall plan, the 4 year plan

Answer 37

a. some of the leading industrial and cultural centers of Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium were on the brink of famine

b. transportation infrastructure suffered extensive damage

c. the Marshall Plan: also known as the EU Recovery Program - a US program providing aid to Western EU following WW2 signed by Harry Truman
- enacted in 1948 and provided more than $15 billion to help finance rebuilding efforts

d. crafted as a 4 year plan to reconstruct cities, industries and infrastructure, as well as foster commerce between those countries and the US AND stop the spread of communism

Question 38

the origins of Europe’s Common Market and how it led to the European Union: the Treaty of Rome, the ECSC, the 2 treaties, EC, the EU

Answer 38

a. 1957, the Treaty of Rome: France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg established the European Economic Community (EEC):
- to create a common market among its members through the elimination of most trade barriers and the establishment of a common external trade policy

b. the formation of European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) by France and West Germany in 1951 laid the groundwork for the EEC

c. on Mar. 1957, reps of 6 EU nations signed 2 treaties: (1) the EU Atomic Energy Community for the common and peaceful development of EU’s nuclear weapons and the (2) EEC

d. in 1967, the 3 organizations merged as the European Community (EC)

e. in 1993, the EC became the European Union through the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty
- called for strengthened EU parliament, the creation of a central EU bank and common currency, and common defense policy
- the EU currently has 27 member states

Question 39

work and women post WW2 in EU: “women’s work for women’s wages”, welfare state, equal pay campaign, and immigration

Answer 39

a. jobs were still segregated by gender, and routine repetitive work was categorized as women’s work for women’s wages (low pay)

b. the welfare state created many jobs for “women’s work”: nurses, midwives, cleaners, etc.
- the welfare state: the gov. provides a range of services to protect the health and well-being of its citizens

c. campaign for equal pay ran through the 50s - the Equal Pay Act was enacted in 1970
- the Ford strike at Dagenham in 1968 led to ^^: women machinists went on strike for equal pay - they won a pay increase to 92% of men’s wages

d. the UK gov. encouraged the immigration of migrant workers to rebuild Britain - most were women, but they only found low-paid, unskilled jobs open for them