AMSCO 7.9 Causation in Global Conflict and Review Notes
UNIT 7 — Period 4: 1900 to Present
📖 AMSCO p.531 - p.539
Key Timeline
Timeline of events following causation in global conflict
Image Courtesy of Sarah
Practice Essay Questions
1️⃣
“From 1900 to the present, political and economic events have triggered global conflicts. Develop an argument that evaluates the extent to which different causes of global conflict are significant in the period 1900 to the present.” (From AMSCOWorld History: Modern 1200-Present, p. 538)
2️⃣
“Adolf Hitler’s campaign of terror against Jews in the 1930s and 1940s had its roots in earlier discrimination against Jews in Europe. Develop an argument that evaluates the extent to which the nature of anti-Semitism in Europe from the Middle Ages through World War II shows continuities or changes over time.”(From AMSCOWorld History: Modern 1200-Present, p. 538)
3️⃣
“Conflicts over territory helped cause two world wars in the 20th century, but they also led to self-rule for many peoples worldwide in the 20th and 21st centuries.Develop an argument that evaluates the extent to which territorial holdings from 1900 to present show continuity or change over time.” (From AMSCOWorld History: Modern 1200-Present, p. 538)
Prep for Unit 7 Essay Questions
Political Causes of Global Conflict in the 20th Century
| Cause | Significance | Impact |
| Nationalism and Fascism | A growing force across Europe, with Serbian nationalism sparking conflict in the Balkans. | Led to the expansion of WWI throughout Europe. |
| Balance of Power & Alliances | A system established in the 19th century that led to entangled commitments among European nations. | Escalated the scope of World War I as nations joined the conflict to honor alliances. |
| Arms Race | Competition among great powers for military superiority. | Overall, increased the likelihood of global war. |
| Imperial Rivalry | Competition for commerce and access to resources among Western nations and others like Japan and Russia. | Heightened tensions that contributed to global conflict. |
Economic Causes of Global Conflict in the 20th Century
| Cause | Significance | Impact |
| Control of Markets and Resources | Western nations' policies to dominate trade and territory in Asia and Africa. | Led to conflicts including the Opium Wars and both World Wars, due to rivalries over natural resources. |
| Industrial Revolution | Spread of industrialization increased the demand for markets and raw materials. | Motivated imperialistic policies and conflicts over trade. |
| The Great Depression | Economic crisis causing high unemployment and low wages. | Facilitated the rise to populist leaders who led their nations towards war. |
Effects of Global Conflict in the 20th Century
| Effect | Description | Examples |
| Loss of Life | Advancements in military technology and strategies caused unprecedented civilian and combatant casualties. | This was mainly due to the inventions of the aerial bomb and the atomic bomb, policies targeting specific minority groups (ex. Holocaust), but starvation and crimes also contributed to the numbers. |
| Political Changes | Global conflicts led to significant political shifts, including revolutions, the emergence of new states, and a power shift from Western Europe to the United States and later the emergence of the Soviet Union as a superpower. | An example is the Mexican Revolution, where Mexicans wanted economic and political change. Furthermore, both the Russian and the Ottoman Empire underwent major regime changes. |
| Independence Movements | Weakened colonial powers post-World Wars led to the growth of independence movements and the formation of new states. | The independence of India from British rule in 1947, leading to the partition into India and Pakistan. The formation of new states in Africa and Asia post-WWII as colonies gained independence. |
| Repositioning of Power | A shift in the global political order, with the United States emerging as a dominant world power due to its involvement in the world wars and the relative scale of destruction it avoided. | The United States played a dominant role in the transatlantic relationship post-WWII. The Soviet Union emerged as a second superpower, leading to the Cold War era. |
| Technological and Scientific Advances | War efforts spurred rapid advancements in science and technology, improving communication, transportation, industry, agriculture, and medicine. | Developments in radar, jet engines, nuclear energy, and antibiotics. Improvement in war-making capabilities, including more effective weaponry and logistics. |
| Humanitarian Consequences | The global conflicts resulted in mass starvation, crimes against humanity, and the displacement of populations. | Famine as a result of blockades and warfare, genocide including the Holocaust and other mass killings, refugee crises. |
