AP European History AMSCO Guided Notes

8.1: Contextualizing 20th-Century Global Conflicts

AP European History
AMSCO Guided Notes

AP European History Guided Notes

AMSCO 8.1 - Contextualizing 20th-Century Global Conflicts

Essential Questions

  1. What was the context in which global conflict developed in the 20th century?
I. World War I and World War II Devastate Europe

1. What catalysts and tensions from the 19th century contributed to global conflict in the 20th century?

2. How did militarism, technological advances, and industrialization intensify the likelihood of war in Europe?

3. How did the 1919 Versailles Treaty contribute to the outbreak of World War II?

II. Economic Weaknesses and Ideological Struggles

1. What empires collapsed by the end of World War I and how did the redrawing of political boundaries affect European stability?

2. What were the three major competing political ideologies that emerged in the 20th century and what fundamental disagreements divided them?

3. How did competing economic beliefs about ownership of businesses and means of production contribute to international conflict?

III. Intellectual and Cultural Developments

1. How did scientific and technological advances in the 20th century both improve living standards and create potential for destruction?

2. How did the successes and tragedies of the first half of the 20th century lead Europeans to question traditional social and economic beliefs?

3. What changes occurred for women and democratic governance during the 20th century, and what contrasting developments also took place?