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AP World History

Unit 7: c. 1900-Present

Global Conflict

Main Ideas of the Unit:

  • The competition between the overly nationalistic European states came to climax in WW1, leading to huge casualties

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  • The interwar period had lots of political and economic instability, largely due to unresolved post-WW1 tensions

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  • WW2 was a result of unresolved political tensions from WW1, and it also led to huge casualties

Content Overview

Overview of World War 1

Important Topics

  • Causes of WW1

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  • Battles of WW1

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  • Aftermath of WW1​

Overview of the Interwar Period

Important Topics

  • The Great Depression

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  • Russian Communism

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  • Rise of Totalitarian States​

Overview of World War 2

Important Topics

  • Causes of WW2

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  • Battles of WW2

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  • Aftermath of WW2​

Theme 1:

Shifting Power After 1900

Main Ideas of the Topic

  • Western Europe dominated global politics at the start of 20th century, but toward the end of the 20th century, European empires started falling apart

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  • The older land-based empires of the Ottomans, Russia, and Qing Dynasty fell apart in beginning of 20th century

Theme 2:

World War 1

Main Ideas of the Topic

  • The MAIN causes of World War 1 were Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism

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  • World War 1 was a "total war," where soldiers used extreme weapons, and nations mobilized their home front and produced political propaganda to boost nationalism

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  • The use of extreme weapons and other wartime techniques led to massive casualties

Theme 3:

Interwar Period

Main Ideas of the Topic

  • As a result of the Great Depression, governments began to take a more active role in the economy

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  • In the Soviet Union (communist Russia), the government controlled economic development with Five Year Plans, which was often negative for the population

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  • Imperial states (Europe, US, Japan) largely held onto their colonies and even gained more territories via conquest or treaties

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  • Imperial states (Europe, US, Japan) faced more anti-imperial resistance in their colonies than before

Theme 4:

World War 2

Main Ideas of the Topic

  • The main cause of World War 2 was the rise of totalitarian regimes, which was caused by a variety of factors

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  • States used propaganda to boost nationalism, mobilized their colonial & home populations for war, and even repressed some basic freedoms for the war effort

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  • New military technology (atomic bombs, airplanes, etc.) led to a high amount of casualties

Theme 5:

Mass Atrocities After 1900

Main Ideas of the Topic

  • The rise of extremist groups led to the attempted destruction (genocide) of specific populations​

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