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💣AP World History: Modern Unit 7 Vocabulary

67 essential vocabulary terms and definitions for Unit 7 – Global Conflicts (1900-Present)

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💣Unit 7 – Global Conflicts (1900-Present)
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💣Unit 7 – Global Conflicts (1900-Present)

7.1 Shifting Power After 1900

TermDefinition
communist revolutionA violent or rapid political upheaval resulting in the establishment of a communist government and restructuring of society along communist principles.
land-based empiresEmpires that expanded and maintained control through territorial conquest and direct governance of contiguous lands, such as the Ottoman, Russian, and Qing empires.
maritime empiresEmpires that expanded and maintained control through naval power and overseas colonial possessions rather than contiguous territorial expansion.
Mexican RevolutionA major uprising in Mexico that arose from political crisis and challenged the existing political and social order in the early 20th century.
Ottoman EmpireA major Islamic empire that ruled from the 14th to early 20th century and was predominantly Sunni Muslim.
political crisisA severe breakdown in governmental authority and legitimacy that can lead to revolutionary change.
Qing EmpireA land-based Chinese empire that collapsed in the early 20th century due to internal and external factors.
Russian EmpireA land-based empire that collapsed in the early 20th century, leading to communist revolution in Russia.

7.2 Causes of World War I

TermDefinition
alliance systemA network of formal agreements between nations to provide mutual military support and defense, which played a key role in escalating World War I.
imperialist expansionThe process by which powerful nations extended their control over foreign territories and peoples to acquire resources and political influence.
nationalismA political ideology emphasizing loyalty to one's nation and the desire for national independence and self-determination.
regional conflictsLocalized disputes between neighboring nations or groups within specific geographic areas that contributed to broader international tensions.
territorial conflictsDisputes between nations over control of land and geographic regions, which heightened tensions in the lead-up to World War I.

7.3 Conducting World War I

TermDefinition
military technologyNew weapons and equipment developed during WWI, such as tanks, poison gas, and aircraft, that increased casualty rates.
mobilizeTo organize and prepare populations, resources, and military forces for war.
nationalismA political ideology emphasizing loyalty to one's nation and the desire for national independence and self-determination.
political propagandaInformation or messaging created and distributed by governments to influence public opinion and support for war efforts.
total warA form of warfare in which governments mobilize all of a nation's resources and population, including civilians, to support the war effort.

7.4 Economy in the Interwar Period

TermDefinition
economic crisisA severe disruption in economic activity, characterized by widespread unemployment, falling prices, and reduced production, such as occurred after 1900.
fascist corporatist economyAn economic system in fascist Italy and Germany where the state controlled major industries and organized economic activity through state-directed corporations.
Five Year PlansSoviet economic programs that centrally planned and directed the national economy, often implemented with repressive policies.
government interventionActive involvement by the state in economic affairs, including regulation, control, or management of economic activity.
Great DepressionThe severe global economic crisis of the 1930s that destabilized economies and contributed to the rise of authoritarian regimes.
New DealA series of U.S. government programs and policies implemented in response to the Great Depression to provide relief, recovery, and reform.

7.5 Unresolved Tensions After World War I

TermDefinition
anti-imperial resistanceOrganized opposition and movements against imperial rule and colonial control.
changesTransformations or alterations in conditions, control, or status over time.
colonial holdingsTerritories and regions controlled and administered by imperial powers as colonies.
conquestThe acquisition of territory through military force or warfare.
continuitiesElements, patterns, or conditions that remain unchanged or persist over time.
empiresLarge political units that extended control over diverse populations and territories through conquest or colonization.
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity SphereJapan's imperial ideology and territorial expansion program aimed at creating a Japanese-dominated economic and political bloc in East and Southeast Asia.
Indian National CongressA major political organization in India that led anti-imperial resistance and the independence movement against British colonial rule.
League of Nations mandatesA system established after World War I where the League of Nations assigned former enemy territories to Allied powers to administer as trustees.
ManchukuoA puppet state established by Japan in Manchuria in 1932 as part of Japanese imperial expansion.
territorial holdingsThe geographic areas and colonies controlled and governed by a state or empire.
treaty settlementThe formal agreement between nations that determines territorial boundaries and control following conflict.

7.6 Causes of World War II

TermDefinition
fascismAn authoritarian ideology emphasizing national power and state control, used by totalitarian governments to mobilize resources for war.
Great DepressionThe severe global economic crisis of the 1930s that destabilized economies and contributed to the rise of authoritarian regimes.
imperialismThe policy and practice of extending a country's power and influence over other territories and peoples, typically through colonization and military force.
militarismThe policy of building up military strength and using military force as an instrument of national policy.
Nazi GermanyGermany under the fascist regime of Adolf Hitler, characterized by aggressive expansion and militarism that led to World War II.
peace settlementThe formal agreement and terms imposed to end World War I, which created conditions that contributed to World War II.
totalitarianismA system of government that exercises complete control over all aspects of public and private life.

7.7 Conducting World War II

TermDefinition
atomic bombA new military technology developed during WWII that used nuclear fission to create an extremely destructive weapon.
communismA political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society where resources and means of production are collectively owned.
fascismAn authoritarian ideology emphasizing national power and state control, used by totalitarian governments to mobilize resources for war.
fire-bombingA military tactic involving the dropping of incendiary bombs to create widespread fires and destruction in enemy territories.
nationalismA political ideology emphasizing loyalty to one's nation and the desire for national independence and self-determination.
political propagandaInformation or messaging created and distributed by governments to influence public opinion and support for war efforts.
total warA form of warfare in which governments mobilize all of a nation's resources and population, including civilians, to support the war effort.
totalitarian stateA government that exercises complete control over all aspects of citizens' lives, including repression of basic freedoms.

7.8 Mass Atrocities After 1900

TermDefinition
ethnic violenceViolent conflict between groups based on ethnic or racial identity.
extremist groupsPolitical or ideological organizations that advocate for radical change and often employ violence to achieve their goals.
genocideThe deliberate and systematic attempt to destroy an entire ethnic, religious, or national group of people.
HolocaustThe systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II.
mass atrocitiesLarge-scale violent acts committed against civilian populations, causing widespread death and suffering.

7.9 Causation in Global Conflict

TermDefinition
communist revolutionA violent or rapid political upheaval resulting in the establishment of a communist government and restructuring of society along communist principles.
global conflictWidespread armed disputes and wars involving multiple nations or regions during the period from 1900 to the present.
land-based empiresEmpires that expanded and maintained control through territorial conquest and direct governance of contiguous lands, such as the Ottoman, Russian, and Qing empires.
maritime empiresEmpires that expanded and maintained control through naval power and overseas colonial possessions rather than contiguous territorial expansion.
Mexican RevolutionA major uprising in Mexico that arose from political crisis and challenged the existing political and social order in the early 20th century.
Ottoman EmpireA major Islamic empire that ruled from the 14th to early 20th century and was predominantly Sunni Muslim.
political orderThe system of governance and power relationships that organize states and societies at local, regional, or global levels.
Qing EmpireA land-based Chinese empire that collapsed in the early 20th century due to internal and external factors.
Russian EmpireA land-based empire that collapsed in the early 20th century, leading to communist revolution in Russia.
science and technologySystematic knowledge and practical applications that altered understanding of the universe and natural world from 1900 to present.
Western dominanceThe political, economic, and cultural supremacy of Western nations in the global order at the beginning of the 20th century.