---
title: "Contemporary Period — AP World Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "The Contemporary Period (1900-present) is AP World's final era, covering WWI, WWII, the Cold War, decolonization, and globalization across Units 7-9."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-world/key-terms/contemporary-period"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP World History: Modern"
---

# Contemporary Period — AP World Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

In AP World History, the Contemporary Period is the era from 1900 to the present, covering both world wars, the Cold War, decolonization, and globalization. It is the final chronological period on the exam and corresponds to Units 7-9 of the course.

## What It Is

The Contemporary Period is [AP World](/ap-world "fv-autolink")'s name for the chunk of history from 1900 to today. It opens with the buildup to World War I, runs through World War II and [the Cold War](/ap-world/unit-8/cold-war/study-guide/Jm5MneN0wUqba3InYG4k "fv-autolink"), and ends with the globalized, interconnected world you live in right now. On the exam, it covers Units 7, 8, and 9 (Global Conflict, Cold War and Decolonization, and Globalization).

Think of it as the era when conflict went global and so did everything else. The same forces that triggered World War I in Topic 7.2 (imperialist competition for resources, regional rivalries, a flawed [alliance system](/ap-world/key-terms/alliance-system "fv-autolink"), and intense nationalism) keep echoing through the whole period. Empires collapse, superpowers rise, colonies become independent nations, and new international organizations try to manage a world where a crisis in one place can pull in everyone. When a question stamps a date range like "1900-present," it's telling you to think within this period.

## Why It Matters

[Unit 7](/ap-world/unit-7 "fv-autolink") is literally titled "[Global Conflict](/ap-world/unit-7/causation-global-conflict/study-guide/ZUGcdmhokF2yCCksUci6 "fv-autolink"), 1900-Present," so the Contemporary Period is the frame for everything in the last third of the course. Learning objective AP World 7.2.A asks you to explain the causes and consequences of World War I, and those consequences are what launch the rest of the period. WWI's aftermath sets up WWII, WWII sets up the Cold War and decolonization, and the Cold War's end accelerates globalization. Knowing where the period starts (1900, not 1945) helps you pick the right evidence on continuity-and-change questions. If a prompt asks about change "in the Contemporary Period," you can legally pull from anywhere between WWI and today.

## Connections

### [Alliance System (Unit 7)](/ap-world/key-terms/alliance-system)

The flawed alliance system is one of the period's opening dominoes. Per the CED, alliances combined with [nationalism](/ap-world/unit-5/enlightenment/study-guide/baHBawqOSScLKnFlhLX2 "fv-autolink") and imperial rivalry to turn a regional assassination into the first global war, which is why 1900 (not 1914) marks the period's start, when those tensions were already building.

### Cold War (Unit 8)

The Cold War is the middle act of the Contemporary Period, not the whole thing. After WWII, the US and [USSR](/ap-world/key-terms/ussr "fv-autolink") emerged as superpowers, and their rivalry shaped politics worldwide from roughly 1945 to 1991. It's a chapter inside the period, with WWI and WWII before it and globalization after.

### Decolonization (Unit 8)

Both world wars drained European [empires](/ap-world/unit-2/trans-saharan-trade-routes/study-guide/Gu5njxsH2ldhQl40j0fv "fv-autolink"), and colonized peoples who had fought in those wars demanded independence. Dozens of new nations in Asia and Africa appeared mid-period, which is why so many Contemporary Period questions are really about the end of empire.

### Globalization (Unit 9)

Globalization is how the period ends. The competition for resources that helped cause WWI evolved into economic interdependence, with trade networks, technology, and international organizations linking economies instead of empires fighting over them. Great material for a change-over-time argument across the whole period.

## On the AP Exam

You'll see the Contemporary Period as a date frame more than a term to define. Multiple-choice stems use it to set boundaries, like asking which factor was NOT a cause of global conflict in the Contemporary Period (1900-present), which is really testing whether you know the WWI causes from Topic 7.2: imperialism, alliances, nationalism, and territorial conflicts. No released FRQ asks you to define the period itself, but Long Essay Questions regularly target 1900-present, and the periodization tells you which evidence is fair game. Mention the Congress of Vienna in a 1900-present essay and you're outside the window; mention decolonization or the Cold War and you're on target.

## Contemporary Period vs Cold War era

Lots of definitions (including casual ones) say the Contemporary Period starts after WWII, because that's when superpowers and globalization took off. But for AP World, the period runs 1900 to the present. The Cold War (roughly 1945-1991) is one phase inside it. If you treat "Contemporary Period" as Cold-War-only, you'll wrongly exclude WWI and WWII evidence that the exam absolutely expects.

## Key Takeaways

- In AP World, the Contemporary Period runs from 1900 to the present and covers Units 7 through 9.
- The period opens with the causes of World War I: imperialist competition for resources, territorial and regional conflicts, a flawed alliance system, and intense nationalism (AP World 7.2.A).
- The Cold War and decolonization are the middle of the period, when the US and USSR became superpowers and European empires broke apart.
- Globalization closes the period, as economies and societies became interconnected through trade, technology, and international organizations.
- When a question says "1900-present," any evidence from WWI through today is in bounds, but anything before 1900 is not.

## FAQs

### What is the Contemporary Period in AP World History?

It's the era from 1900 to the present, the final period of the course. It covers Unit 7 (Global Conflict), Unit 8 (Cold War and Decolonization), and Unit 9 (Globalization).

### Does the Contemporary Period start in 1945 after World War II?

No. While many features of the period (superpowers, globalization) took off after 1945, AP World dates the Contemporary Period from 1900 so it includes both world wars. Unit 7 is titled "Global Conflict, 1900-Present" for exactly this reason.

### How is the Contemporary Period different from the Cold War?

The Cold War (roughly 1945-1991) is one stretch within the Contemporary Period, not the whole thing. The Contemporary Period also includes World War I, World War II, decolonization, and present-day globalization.

### What events fall in the Contemporary Period for the AP exam?

World War I (1914-1918), World War II (1939-1945), the Cold War, the decolonization of Asia and Africa, and the rise of globalization and international organizations all fall within 1900-present.

### Why does the Contemporary Period matter on the AP World exam?

It defines the time boundaries for a huge share of questions. MCQ stems and LEQ prompts often specify "1900-present," so knowing the period tells you exactly which evidence counts, like the WWI causes tested under learning objective AP World 7.2.A.

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