World History AP Review

World History AP Review
1914 – Present

Age of Anxiety In the years after World War I, there was seen in the sciences and culture a general sense of uncertainty and suspicion about the values and ideas that were previously considered concrete and infallible. Literature grew darker in tone, art grew more abstract and science, through psychology, questioned morality and sought new explanations of behavior. Edvard Munch’s Anxiety

Created by the Afrikaner National Party in 1948, it was a policy of segregation for the purpose of controlling the majority black African population in South Africa. The blacks were placed on the least-agriculturally viable land, crammed in shanty towns with deplorable conditions. The African National Congress (ANC) were the loudest opponents of the policy but its leaders, notably Nelson Mandela, were jailed in an attempt to silence the opposition. Eventually, a combination of internal unrest, international condemnation and embargos ended the policy. In 1990, F.W. de Klerk of the National Party freed Mr. Mandela and worked with the ANC leader to abolish apartheid. Apartheid A beach in South Africa during the apartheid period

Arab nationalism This refers to the independence movement within the Middle East and Arab-dominated countries like Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan after WW II. Previously, European powers, notably the British and French, controlled portions of the Middle East as a result of the mandate system after WW I. In the years between the war, the British caused problems in Palestine through the Balfour Declaration – the British recognition for the need of a Jewish homeland. The move, in essence, created an Arab-Israeli conflict with Arab nationalists forming the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to fight the creation of Israel. Arab soldiers in the revolt during World War I against colonial rule

Asian Tigers This term refers to the economies of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. These economies benefitted from incredibly rapid growth between the 1950s and 1980s. These economies represented a threat to Japanese economic domination and soon, included the economies of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Atomic Bomb In the final blows against the Japanese, the Americans first warned and then unleashed two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and three days later, Nagasaki in the first days of August 1945. The bombs had a horrific effect on the Japanese population and led to the death of tens of thousands of people. Shortly thereafter, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and on 2 September, Japan surrendered to American forces. Atomic bomb detonated over Nagasaki

Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg was a German military tactic first unleashed on Poland during the Nazi invasion of the country on 1 September 1939. The tip of the blitzkrieg spear were quick and mobile armored units called Panzers (tanks). These Panzers were able to overwhelm Polish forces within weeks and the rest of Europe collapsed over the span of a month. The approach and its devastating ramifications gave little hope that the British and French would be willing or able to stop the Germans. Indeed, the first year of British and French participation in the war is known as the Phony War because of allied inaction. Germany storms into Poland in 1939

Chinese Civil War Upon the fall of the Qing Dynasty, China became a republic, ruled by the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) and Sun Yat-sen on the basis of the Three Principles (nationalism, democracy and livelihood). Retreating from Kuomintang (Nationalists) forces in 1934, the Chinese Communists relocated base camps in what is known as the Long March, a 6,000 mile journey that also led to the spread of their ideas. During the march, Mao Zedong emerged as the leader. The civil war was put on hold during World War II to deal with the Japanese invasion of China and after their defeat, the civil war continued with the Communists enjoying the upper hand. Driving the nationalists to Taiwan, Zedong declared the founding of the People's Republic of China on 1 October 1949. Chinese Communist forces on attack

In the wake of World War II, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. were the two most powerful countries and a rivalry began on ideology, foreign policy and eventually, nuclear weapons and control of space. The U.S. sought to contain the spread of Communism through the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan while the U.S.S.R. attempted to push the matter with an attempt to take West Berlin. As a result of the attempted communist take-over of West Berlin and the subsequent Berlin Air Lift, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact were created to keep an eye on the other side and to provide a military alliance in protection against the other. Throughout the period, the Russians used Eastern Europe as satellite countries with the express purpose of keeping an eye on the movements of the West. Cold War Nuclear missiles on the platform

Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev entered into a defense alliance after the Bay of Pigs incident, orchestrated by the U.S., Castro permitted the Soviets to introduce nuclear missiles on the island. President Kennedy responded with a blockade of Cuba and the two superpowers stared each other into a game of chicken over nuclear weapons. Eventually, the situation was resolved with the removal of Soviet missiles from Cuba, American missiles from Turkey and an American pledge to never attempt an invasion of Cuba in the future. Playing games with nuclear weapons are Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Krushchev

Cuban Revolution In 1959, a lawyer-turned-revolutionary named Fidel Castro overthrew the Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista. Castro immediately nationalized Cuba's industries, pursued aggressive land reforms and allied itself with the Soviet Union. In response to his policies, the U.S. initiated a trade embargo on Cuba that is still in place today. Lawyer turned revolutionary Fidel Castro in the field with his soldiers

Cultural Revolution Mao began the program of forced loyalty in the face of growing opposition and complaining of his previous Great Leap Forward. Millions of Chinese found themselves socially ostracized, jailed or killed. The group that suffered the most were the upper class such as teachers and intellectuals because of the perception that they would be more inclined to idealize foreign policies and traits. The Red Guards were the main enforcers of the policy and they set out to rid the country of dissidents. The movement stagnated China and it did not end until Mao's death. Subsequent leaders like Deng Xiaoping supported more moderate policies to right the country. Poster extolling the ideas of Mao

European Community In the aftermath of WW II, European countries expressed a greater enthusiasm in uniting, if not politically then economically. The thought was that the more united they were, the less likely war would erupt. In 1957, France, Belgium, West Germany, Luxembourg, Italy and the Netherlands formed the European Economic Community for the purpose of creating a single market and free trade. "Economic" was later dropped from the name and the organization eliminated tariffs and broadened free trade. In 1993, fifteen European countries signed the Maastricht Treaty, creating the European Union and adopting a common currency – the euro.

It is a political philosophy that arose, first out of Italy and then Germany; both countries were in the throes of economic depression and sought to combat growing communism. The thought is associated with extreme nationalism and the complete takeover of society by the state. In 1919, Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist Party while in Germany, Adolf Hitler climbed the ranks of the National Socialists German Workers' Party. Mussolini concentrated on the submission of the individual to the state within a totalitarian government while Hitler added a dose of anti-Semitism and militarism. The abdication of the Italian crown and the tacit approval of the Catholic Church brought the Fascists to power in Italy and the Nazis were able to win control of the German parliament with Hitler as its leader in the early 1930s. Fascism (Rise of) “Everything and Everyone for Victory” Fascist propaganda poster

Feminism Feminism refers to the movement to have women share a greater portion of the work force in countries, greater rights and liberties and a more equal share of participation in the government and the economy. In some countries like China, women have expanded rights but not in practical terms. It has often been said that the greater the opportunities for women, the greater the assessment of that culture’s civilization.

Five Year Plans (Soviet Union) When Josef Stalin rose to power, he set out, almost immediately, to improve industrial and agricultural output. He did this through direct government control of industries and mandated communes in the fields. Industry focused on the heavy goods and ignored consumer goods, creating shortages. China would later copy these methods with the leadership of Mao Zedong. While the plans had devastating effects on much of the Soviet population, Stalin's policies created a leading industrialized country. A call for support of a five year plan in Russia

Mohandas Gandhi A lawyer by trade, Gandhi evolved into a nationalist leader seeking Indian independence. He worked for Indians in South Africa before returning to India. He established the Indian National Congress and quickly became a widely known independence leader. Using tactics and convincing others to embrace non-cooperation and civil disobedience, as well as non-violence, he urged Indians to boycott British goods but their colonial master were not as restrained. In 1935, Britain agreed to self-rule for India and in 1947, granted full independence. Gandhi was assassinated a year before independence but his influence on the new country as well as American civil rights is unquestionable. Gandhi leading the Salt March to the Sea

Geneva Conference Convened in 1954, the conference divided Viet Nam into two temporary states with the north controlled by the communist leader Ho Chi Minh and the south controlled by non-communists (do not confuse non-communists with democracy advocates). The status of two states were to be solved with an election to unify the country under one banner or the other in two years time but the U.S. rejected the conference for fear of a communist victory and subsequently, its policy of containment. Delegates to the Geneva Conference from Great Britain discuss during a break.

Great Depression A typical sign and sentiment during the Depression It was caused by a combination of a stock market crash in the U.S. and European economies attempting to recover from World War I. During the war, American banks loaned millions to the Europeans but that, in conjunction with industrial and agricultural surplus resulted in falling prices. In October 1929, the American stock market crashed and banks on both sides of the Atlantic failed. Many people lost everything that had. The severe economic downturn led to political instability and radical philosophies.

Mikhail Gorbachev He was the leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until its collapse in 1991. Indeed, it was his policies of glasnost (opening) and perestroika (restructuring) that partly led to the country's dissolving. People were encouraged to speak out against corruption and the country's economic foundations were altered to include free market reforms. He also allowed satellite countries to follow their own political path and divert from communism. The former Russian leader and maverick in retirement.

A WW I veteran and disgruntled artist, Adolf Hitler found belonging within politics and the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NAZI). Rising through the ranks in the early 1920s, he attempted a coup d'état but was jailed. In jail, he wrote Mein Kampf, outlining his intentions were he to lead the country. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, his message of protectionism, the glorification of the German state and his anti-Semitic claims related to the economy won him appeal and the party votes. In 1933, he was appointed chancellor and later, took over the government, created a totalitarian state. Government spending in the areas of the military and public works brought in jobs and money. He dismissed the treaty of Versailles and began annexing neighboring countries. His Nuremberg laws codified anti-Semitic policies. His aggressive land grabs eventually brought about World War II. In search of living space, he invaded most of Europe and in the name of racial purity, killed anyone deviant of the ideal German. The Holocaust, aimed namely at Jews, led to the death of some 12m Europeans. His final defeat in 1945 convinced him to commit suicide. Adolf Hitler Hitler posing with some young members of the party

The Holocaust The Nazi government murdered over 6 million Jews and another 5 million Gypsies, homosexuals, Slavs and anyone else who were considered not pure of blood. At no other point in history has there been such a systematic killing of a group of people. Beginning with the SS Einsatzgruppen, roving bands of German soldiers who killed any Jews they came upon as they followed the German army, the German government eventually settled on what was called "The Final Solution" as devised during the Wannsee Conference. As a part of this plan, concentration camps were constructed with the sole purpose of killing Jews on a large scale. The worst of these death camps were in Poland with such places as Auschwitz, Belzec and Triblinka. Upon the German surrender, Allied advocates led the Nuremberg Trials on the charge of "crimes against humanity." Survivors of the Lager-Nordhausen Death Camp in Germany upon liberation

Indian National Congress (INC) The INC joined the Muslim League in an attempt to gain Indian autonomy from the British. After a massacre of defenseless Indians at the hands of British soldiers, the INC and others began clamoring for independence. It was headed up by influential leader Mohandas Gandhi. However, independence did not solve the differences along religious lines as the Muslim League pushed for its own country, Pakistan. After independence, the INC evolved into a political party that controlled Indian politics well into the 1970s and is still a viable force today.

Intifada Started in 1987 by Palestinians, this was an uprising against Israel using any weapons the populace could procure. Israeli attempts to crackdown on the insurgence only fueled the flames of the uprising. The ultimate goal of the Palestinians behind this movement was the creation of an independent Palestinian state and a diminishing or elimination of the Israeli state. Palestinian youths using rocks and slings to attack Israeli soldiers

Iran-Iraq War In 1979, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded and control some disputed territory along the border of the two countries. In 1980, Iraqi forces went into undisputed Iranian territory in the hopes of creating a pan-Arab movement (Iranians are Persians). After eight years and the death of over a million soldiers, the war ended with little solved but a whole bunch of distrust and hatred created. Iranian soldiers on the move

Iranian Revolution At the onset of WW II, the Allies supported the ascension of Muhammad Reza Pahlavi to the title of shah. In the subsequent years, he worked to modernize and westernize Iran but in doing so, persecuted Muslim activists who resisted the change, driving one particular leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, into exile. In 1979, a youth movement rose up and set in motion the creation of an Islamic Republic, leading to the re-emergence of Khomeini from exile to lead the new government. The theocracy overturned all of the shah's modernization and westernization measures and created a country based on a strict adherence to Muslim law. Tens of thousands of young people, the source of the movement, protest in Tehran in favor of a return of the Ayatollah Khomeini

Iron Curtain A phrase coined by Winston Churchill during a speech at an American university, the term was meant to illustrate the division of Europe as a result of Russia's takeover of eastern Europe. In the East, their government was communistic and their economy was a command one. In the West, their government was capitalistic and their economy was a market one. The "iron curtain" took a physical manifestation in the communist construction of a wall that separated East and West Berlin. The Iron Curtain highlighted the division of Europe.

Islamic fundamentalism This term is used loosely to describe two different phenomenon: one, the attempt to eliminate secular states in the Middle East in favor of Islamic states and two, the repulsion of westernization and modernization movements and reforms. Some of the more noteworthy attempts include: Muammar al-Qaddafi's takeover of Libya in 1969 as part of a coup d'état and re-structuring of its government along Islamic ideas; the 1979 Islamic takeover of Iran by students, heavily influenced by the teachings of the Ayatollah Khomeini, overthrowing the western Shah Pahlavi; various attempts have been made to overturn the secular and westernization reforms created and instilled by Kemal Ataturk in Turkey. Rallies in Saudi Arabia pushing for stricter Islamic code and compliance

Israel It was the creation of a UN resolution in 1947, calling for a partition of Palestine between Jews and Palestinian Arabs. While the Jews accepted the plan, the Arabs refused to accept the partition, refused to recognize the new state and then declared war on it after Israeli independence in May 1948. A series of conflicts followed over the next five decades that included formal attacks by various Arab countries such as the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War as well as informal rebellions like the intifadas of the 1990s and 2000s.

Japanese invasion of China In the 1930s, Japan invaded China hoping to gain control over the country's natural resources. The bulk of Japanese control was in the north (Manchuria) and the east (where the bulk of the country's population is located). While there was a great international uproar, the League of Nations were not prepared to challenge Japan on this issue. China did not receive a reprieve until U.S. entry into the war which forced Japan to re-allocate its military forces. Japanese forces entering northern China

Jomo Kenyatta He was a key revolutionary leader against British rule in Kenya. The British chucked him into jail in 1953 in hopes it would weaken the revolutionary movement but the opposite happened. While in the short-term, British usage of modern weaponry led to an utter crushing of the independence movement and tens of thousands of African dissenters, Kenya ultimately gained its autonomy in 1963 with Kenyatta as its first prime minister.

Korean War After WW II, the Soviets occupied the northern Korean peninsula while the Americans occupied the southern half, as the peninsula was once in the control of the Japanese. In accordance to its occupier, each half developed similar political and economic ideas. In 1950, North Korean leader Kim Il Sung invaded the southern half and in keeping with its policy of containment, the U.S., as part of the UN, stepped in. In 1953, a cease-fire created a border along the 38th parallel with a demilitarized zone in between the two countries. The line of demarcation then and now – the 38th Parallel

League of Nations The brainchild of American President Woodrow Wilson and the key component to his Fourteen Points to end World War I, it was the first international peacekeeping organization. Borne out of the treaty at Versailles, it pressured member states to settle their disputes diplomatically. While it did enjoy some early successes after the war, namely in Scandinavia, it failed to check the ambitions of Mussolini in Italy and Tojo in Japan. It finally dissolved through incompetence in World War II. The first general assembly of the League of Nations

He was a student of Karl Marx and was responsible for the seeds of communist revolution in Russia. After the Russian Revolution, he took control of the Bolshevik Party and supported the spread of communism. Once in control after the Bolshevik (October) Revolution, he withdrew Russia from WW I and set forth changing the country politically and economically. After his ascension, civil war broke out and Lenin initiated his policy of war communism; large scale nationalization of businesses, industry and food production. Once the war was over, war communism transformed into the New Economic Policy (NEP). The new policy limited private business and entrepreneurship in response to the world wide depression; Lenin maintained the nationalization of banking, communications, resources and large scale industry. However, he did allow for small businesses and farmers could keep surpluses which drove them but they were also struggling with outdated equipment. Vladimir I. Lenin Vladimir Lenin in the 1920s

Mandate System Upon the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations thought it would be a good idea to divvy up the territory under the supervision of the Allied powers to make sure the transition to independence and self-determination (remember, this was Wilson's idea) went well. Well, it didn't. France took control of Syria and Lebanon and Britain oversaw Palestine and Iraq. The rising Arab nationalism and the fight between Jews and Palestinian Arabs for their own place created a hellish nightmare for the British and the French.

Nelson Mandela He was a leader of the African National Congress (ANC) but was arrested by the South African government for agitating opposition to the country's apartheid policy. He was released after a quarter a century by President F.W. deKlerk in 1990. Four years later, he became the first black president of South Africa.

Marshall Plan Devised by U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall, the plan was designed to provide massive economic aid to America's former trading partners to re-establish the trade but also stave off poverty in those countries. By staving off poverty, it would limit the reach and appeal of communist ideals. Over the course of its implementation, over $13b was sent to western Europe. It was offered to eastern Europe and the Soviet Union but the Russians refused it out of hand. A Marshall Plan poster

Mukden Incident In September 1931, the Japanese, during the nascent stages of their Manchurian occupation, blew up portions of the South Manchurian Railway. The Japanese used the incident to fabricate a story that the damage was an example of Chinese sabotage. Subsequently, the Japanese formally annexed Manchuria and completely controlled it by 1932. While the League of Nations condemned the move, the Japanese simply ignored the body and eventually, withdrew from the organization. Once Japan withdrew, it began a much more aggressive policy of conquest over territories in East and Southeast Asia. Japanese inspectors survey the damaged rails

Benito Mussolini He created the Fascist Party in Italy in 1919. He was a World War I veteran who sought to strengthen Italy in the face of a depression and the rise of communism. He pushed for a return to the glory of the Roman Empire but in doing so, he limited liberties and functioned as a demagogue. In 1936, he officially allied himself with Hitler with the Rome-Berlin Axis and in 1940, joined Germany in their attempt to take Europe. Italian incompetence on the battlefield eventually led to Mussolini being ousted though he still enjoyed German support. In 1945, he was captured by the Italian resistance and executed. “Il Duce”

Nazi-Soviet Pact The pact refers to a non-aggression agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939, shortly before Germany's invasion of Poland. In the agreement, the two countries divided up northeastern Europe between themselves. The German invasion of Poland began World War II and shortly thereafter, the Russians moved into the Baltic states and Finland. The deal was shattered with the German invasion of the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941. The pact is also referred to as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

New Deal In response to the Great Depression, newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed a series of government programs (classified as either relief, recovery or reform) to lift the U.S. towards economic prosperity. The agencies were meant to reform industries and their practices, provide jobs and set up social security programs. These programs represented a major shift in the philosophy about the role of the government in the lives of its citizens.

Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) These are international groups with no connection to or funded by a particular government. The most famous and most enduring is the United Nations, borne out of the failed League of Nations. The Red Cross and Greenpeace are other examples. NGOs like the Red Cross provide relief throughout the world

North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a defense alliance borne out of the Berlin Air Lift and meant to provide military support to any member country threatened by the Soviet Union or its satellite countries. NATO included Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the U.S. Its creation led to the Soviet Union creating the Warsaw Pact. NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium

October Revolution The second stage of the Russian Revolution was also known as the Bolshevik Revolution and led by Vladimir I. Lenin and his Bolshevik Party. Lenin, a disciple of Karl Marx, sought for the proletariat (workers) to rise up against the bourgeoisie (business and industry owners). In October 1917, the Bolsheviks gained control over the Petrograd soviet (district) and overthrew the provisional government in a bloodless coup. With the Bolsheviks in control, Russia exited the First World War and redistributed land to the peasants. The country was renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and became the world's first communist country. Soviet supporters took to the streets in support of the Communists

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Started in 1960, the OPEC is an organization of oil producing countries (a cartel) formed to control the supply and thereby, the price of oil. In the past, it has worked in concert to “punish” those countries whose policies are contradictory to those of its member states, as in the energy crisis in Western Europe and the U.S. during the early and late 1970s. The official symbol of OPEC – it’s headquarters are in Vienna, Austria

Paris Peace Conference (Versailles) The Allies met in Paris in 1919. Some, like Woodrow Wilson of the U.S., wanted to treat Germany as only a portion of the issue and proposed his Fourteen Points. Within them, he sought to reverse the issues that caused the war in the first place. Others like British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and France's Georges Clemenceau wanted to punish the Germans. The resultant Treaty of Versailles did several things: the creation of the League of Nations (the only part of Wilson's 14 Points that was accepted), the break up of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire. With regards to Germany, the defeated country had to take responsibility for the war, loss of their colonies as well as their land nearest France which was then turned into a demilitarize zone, Germany's military was abolished and it was forced to pay billions in reparations. The subsequent economic depression in Germany led to the rise of radicalism and ultimately, dictatorship. Allied delegates gather in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles to watch the Germans’ official surrender

Pearl Harbor In response to American embargos upon natural resources the Japanese needed, the military government decided on attacking the American naval base in Hawai'i and did so on 7 December 1941. The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the day as one that will "live in infamy.” The U.S. shortly joined the Allies in their war effort.

Persian Gulf War (1991) In 1990, Iraq's Saddam Hussein ordered soldiers into Kuwait to take over its oil fields. Many of the world powers began to assemble troops to respond to the oil grab by Hussein, who refused to withdrawal his soldiers. In January 1991, the combined forces, led by the U.S., attacked and within a couple of months, Iraqi soldiers were back home, Kuwait was liberated and some order was restored. An Iraqi tank that has obviously seen better days

“Rape of Nanking” Once Japan was in control of China, bombings and a plethora of individual cases of atrocities (not a part of a government-led or mandated policy) led to the death of hundreds of thousands of Chinese. In the city of Nanking, a combination of a war frenzy and a racial superiority complex led Japanese soldiers to the murder and rape hundreds of thousands of civilians. Chinese victims of Japanese soldiers in Nanking

Russian Revolution In February 1917, Czar Nicholas II abdicated the Russian throne after decades of unrest made worse by Russia's involvement in World War I. The provisional government tried to enact reforms to extend political and social liberties but did not address more basic needs of food and land redistribution. The Petrograd soviet (a local council that was bent on a revolution) gained increasing influence throughout the country. A street demonstration in Petrograd

Satellite Countries The term refers to the Soviet-controlled eastern European countries, including Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and to a lesser extent, Yugoslavia. The Soviet Union ensured communistic and one-party governments were created in the years that followed World War II. These countries were also forced to join the Warsaw Pact. The American policy was one of the containment of communism and to that end, did nothing to eject communists where they were.

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan In a head-scratching move with consequences reminiscent to the American experience in Viet Nam, the Soviets followed a communist coup in Afghanistan with an all-out invasion in 1978. The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) sought to institute a communist political and economic system, with ideas running contrary to Muslim ideas and beliefs. The PDPA placed BabrakKarmal as president and he took advantage of the Soviet invasion to gain complete control of the country. Over the next decade, the Soviets battled the Afghan mujahedeen, who were supported by countries like the U.S. The Soviet Union withdrew in 1989 but fighting raged until 1992. As a result of the subsequent political instability, the Taliban, an ultra-conservative Islamic group, were able to gain control of the country by 1994. Soviet tanks rolling into Afghanistan

Soviet Union collapse There were many factors responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union including the following: failed and expensive invasion of Afghanistan; the policies of Ronald Reagan that included massive military spending and the Soviets could not keep up; more liberal policies of Mikhail Gorbachev; fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989; the ultimate success of the Solidarity movement in Poland, led by Lech Walesa; the declaration of independence by the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1991. A collapsed statue of Stalin in a park in Moscow, Russia

Josef Stalin Josef Stalin was the Soviet leader that followed Vladimir Lenin and was known as the "man of steel" who became a dictator. He created a five-year plan in 1929 for the purpose of modernizing and industrializing the country through collectives and government controlled industries. The plan was a disaster as famine ensued and millions of peasants starved to death. In a move that would be mirrored by Mao Zedong in China, the growing opposition led to Stalin enforcing what he called the Great Purge – the jailing or executing of opponents. He led the Soviet Union through World War II and the defeat of Germany. He would also lead his country through the nascent stages of the Cold War. Stalin during a speech in the early 1930s

total war Total war is defined as the act of putting on all national resources towards the defeat of another's military and civilian populations to achieve victory. The worst of the term is associated with the targeting of civilians as they often help their own soldiers or their country's war effort and therefore, to supporters of this idea, were fair game. U.S. General William T. Sherman – one of the first practioners of total war.

Truman Doctrine Announced in 1947, U.S. President Harry Truman announced that it would be the policy of the U.S. to prevent any expansion of communism from its present locations. The policy is also referred to as containment. The first implementation of containment and the Truman Doctrine was in Greece and Turkey as the U.S. aided anti-communist forces and those forces were victorious in both countries. Harry Truman (left) signed it but George Kennan (right) created the policy behind the Truman Doctrine.

Twenty-one Demands During WW I, Japan, at war with the Central Powers, took German territory in China. China asked that Japan leave and instead, Japan delivered an ultimatum of twenty-one points in 1915 which would have, in effect, given it complete economic and military control over China. China resisted, with the help of the British but Japan left the world with the impression that it was their aim to create a single Asian empire with itself as the head. Chinese officials are forced to sign the Japanese ultimatum

United Nations During World War II, the mood of the Allies led to the need for an international peacekeeping organization that was more efficient and effective than the defunct League of Nations. Originally created with the sponsorship of the British, Americans, Chinese, Russians and French, the charter was signed in 1944 and finalized in San Francisco, California in 1945. The United Nations General Assembly Room

Upon the French defeat in Viet Nam in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu, the Americans took up the containment cause and over the next decade, slowly built up their advisors and later soldiers in the country. By 1968, the troop level was at an all-time high but public opinion against the war was growing more vociferous, leading to Lyndon Johnson not seeking re-election and his successor, Richard Nixon, facing a growing civil unrest. President Nixon and his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, devised a plan called Vietnamization where South Vietnamese slowly took over the responsibilities of the war from the Americans. In 1973, the Paris Peace Accords ended the war and in April 1975, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the National Liberation Front (NLF) took Saigon, completing their conquest of the country. Viet Nam War American soldiers moving out

Warsaw Pact It was a defensive alliance of the Soviet Union and its satellite countries of eastern Europe in response to the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Original members included the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia (present-day Czech Republic and Slovakia), Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

World War I There were several long term causes that led to the First World War. One was nationalism, used to build empires but were also key in destroying them as ethnic minorities pushed for their own governance. Second, imperialism saw European powers competing for land, resources and ultimately, wealth. Third, many European countries, to create a power balance, entered into alliances – namely, the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy and the Triple Entente of Britain, Russia and France. Fourth, the strong military build-up pitted countries with large armies and the nationalistic fervor to want to use them. However, the spark that kindled the war was the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo by a Serbian nationalist. Russia supported its Slavic brothers, Germany moved in to assist Austria, France mobilized to help Russia and Britain, in protection of Belgium who Germany invaded, declared war on the aggressor. The main technological advancements of the war lay with weapons including machine guns, trench warfare, poison gas, armored cars, aerial combat, submarine warfare and heavy artillery. Gassed and blind soldiers follow one another for treatment in France.

World War II (Origins) There were a couple of causes to the breakout of the Second World War. First was territorial ambition seen in Japan's invasion of Manchuria, Italy's attacks on Ethiopia and Albania and Germany's entry into the Rheinland and Sudetenland. Second, was international weakness in response such as the League of Nation refusing to take definitive action against Italy and Japan for its aggression and the former World War I allies of England and France not taking a firmer stand sooner against Germany. Once the war began, Europe divided up into alliances, much like it did in World War I with Germany, Italy and Japan making up the Axis Powers and Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, China and the U.S. making up the Allied Powers. A Frenchman cries as the Nazis march into Paris

Deng Xiaoping Taking control of China after the death of Mao Zedong, he was more flexible on issues of economic freedom but maintained a strict communist control over political freedom. His Four Modernizations included an trade, agriculture, science and technology and defense. At Tiananmen Square in 1989, Chinese youth and dissidents protested for more political freedom and Deng called in the military who opened fire on the crowds, killing or wounding thousands. The event showed Deng to be an economic reformer but not progressive enough to extend political freedoms.

Mao Zedong The head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the wake of the Long March, Mao led a civil war against the Kuomintang and Chiang Kai-shek, creating a communist China in 1949. China became the largest communist country and Mao created a five-year plan to increase industrial and agricultural output. This Great Leap Forward did not work as there was little incentive to do well and production actually decreased. Mao later introduced the Cultural Revolution to restore loyalty; the Red Guards, mostly young people, enforced loyalty to the state, leading many Chinese into jails, torture chambers or the grave. Mao remained in power until his death in 1976. Mao Zedong greeting crowds in Beijing

World History AP Review