Important Periods During the Modern Global Age Cold War (1946-1989) The key political conflict between the two key world superpowers (U.S. and U.S.S.R) to spread their own political ideologies, while containing the spread of their opponents, through the use of spying, espionage, diplomacy, propaganda, and special operations. Known as the Cold War because both sides fought through surrogate countries instead of facing each other on the battlefield. Space Age (1957-Present) Exploration of what has been called the Final Frontier historical began with the launching of the Soviet satellite Sputnik and the U.S. satellite Explorer 1 and expanded rapidly due to the Cold War competition between the two superpowers, giving birth to the development of ICBM s, Shuttle Crafts, and the International Space Station. Information Age (1970 s-present) - With the development of the silicon chip and the personal computer, the information age has grown with the creation of the internet, cell-phones, fiber-optic communications, etc. Locations of the Modern World Locations of the Cold War (1945 Present) 1. Berlin (Capital of Germany that was divided in half at the end of World War II and Separated by the Berlin Wall until 1989) 2. Brussels (Capital of Belgium that became the site of NATO North Atlanta Treaty Organization) 3. Warsaw (Capital of Soviet Occupied Poland where the Warsaw Pact was signed) 4. Cuba (Caribbean Island where the Soviet Union set up Nuclear Missiles in the 1960 s causing the Cuban Missile Crisis) 5. 38 th Parallel (38 degree Latitude line used to divide North and South Korea after WWII) 6. North Korea (New Communist dominated country created by the division of the Korean Peninsula after WWII) 7. South Korea (New Democratic based country created by the division of Korean Peninsula) 8. 17 th Parallel (17 degree Latitude line used to divide North and South Vietnam after the defeat of the French in 1954) 9. Vietnam (Southeast Asian country where Communist backed North Vietnamese Troops fought U.S. backed South Vietnamese from 1959 1973) 10. Nicaragua (Central American country divided by a civil war between Communist backed Sandinistas and U.S. backed Contras between 1979 1990) 11. Poland (First of the former Soviet Countries to gain independence as a result of the Polish Solidarity Movement in the 1980 s) 12. Hungary (Second of the former Soviet Counties to gain independence in 1990 through a process of radical political, economic, and social reforms) 13. Germany (Central European Nation re-unified after the fall of the Berlin War and the Soviet Union in 1989-1990) 14. Balkans (Region of the former Soviet Union made up of former Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia that experienced constant turmoil during the 1980 s and 1990 s)
Locations of the Modern World New Nations in Asia (1945 Present) 1. India (A predominantly Hindu Nation in South Asia granted Independence from Britain in 1947 after years of Peaceful Resistance led by Mohandas K. Ghandi) 2. Pakistan (A predominantly Muslim Nation in South Asia partitioned from India in 1947 after a civil erupted between Muslims and Hindus over political control of India) 3. Kashmir (Extremely fertile region located along the northern border between India and Pakistan where a new civil war erupted in 1949 and continues to be a volatile area between the two countries to the present) 4. Bangladesh (Formerly known as East Pakistan, which declared its independence from West Pakistan in 1971) 5. Sri Lanka (Formerly known as Ceylon, it gained its independence from Britain in 1948) 6. Philippines (Granted independence in 1946 by the United States but remained a U.S. Sphere of Influence until 1992) 7. Burma (Nation located in Southeast Asia granted independence by Britain in 1948 and Re-named Myanmar in 1989) 8. Malaysia (Originally formed as the Federation of Malaya in 1957 and divided into several Separate countries beginning in 1959) 9. Singapore (Originally part of the Federation of Malaya and became an independent City- State in 1959) 10. Indonesia (Gained Independence from the Dutch in 1949 and has struggled with civil wars since 1965) New Nations in Africa (1945 Present) 1. Ghana (British Colony on the Gold Coast of West Africa that gained independence in 1957 after a decade long peaceful resistance movement led by Kwame Nkrumah) 2. Kenya (British Colony along the Swahili Coast of East Africa that gained independence in 1963 after a violent struggle led by Jomo Kenyatta and the Mau Mau) 3. Algeria (French Colony in North Africa along the Mediterranean that gained independence in 1962 after years of atrocities and violent fighting between French Troops and the FLN Algerian National Liberation Front led by Ahmed Ben Bella) 4. Congo (Belgian Colony in West-Central Africa granted independence in 1960 and immediately thrust into Civil War until stability was gained under Colonel Mobutu Sese Seko in 1965) 5. Angola (Portuguese Colony located southwest of the Congo and locked into constant conflict and turmoil, first between Portuguese Troops & Rebels until 1975, later between the Communist backed MPLA / Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola and the Democratic based UNITA / National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) 6. South Africa (Unified in 1910, became an Independent British Commonwealth in 1931, and an Independent Nation under the National Party of Afrikaners by 1948. Ruled by an All White s policy known as Apatheid until free elections established in 1994 elected the first African President, Nelson Mandella. Locations of the Middle East Conflicts (1945 Present) 1. Israel (British Protectorate recognized by the United Nations as an Independent Jewish State within the Arab dominated region of Palestine in 1948) 2. Suez (Canal region in Eastern Egypt linking the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and the location of a major conflict between Egypt and Israel during the 1956 Suez Crisis) 3. Palestine (Arab dominated region bordering Israel that gained recognition as an independent Arab State 1993 after years of conflict with Israel)
Locations of the Modern World Locations of the Middle East Conflicts (1945 Present) 4. Camp David (Presidential Retreat in Maryland that was the location of the 1979 Treaty between Egypt s President Anwar Sadat and Israel s Prime Minister Menachem Begin known as the Camp David Accord s) 5. Oslo (Capital of Norway where the 1993 Treaty between Palestine s Yasar Arafat and Israel s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin known as the Oslo Peace Accord) 6. Afghanistan (Central Asian Republic invaded in 1979 by the Soviet Union and defended for ten years by holy warriors known as the Mujahideen and controlled from 1989-2001 by a Conservative Islamic Group known as the Taliaban) 7. Iran (Central Asian Republic supported by the United States until 1979 when Anti-US religious rebels, under the Ayatollah Khomeini, overthrew the Shah. Later the site of conflict between Conservative and Radical Muslims during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War) 8. Iraq (Arab Republic that overthrew the traditional Monarch in a 1950 s Military Coup, followed by the rise to power of the Baath Party and its key leader Saddam Hussein by the 1970 s. Responsible for invading Iran in 1980 and Kuwait in 1990.) Groups of the Modern World Groups of the Cold War (1945 Present) 1. Red Guards (Chinese High School and College students who formed Militia Unit during the Cultural Revolution in China) 2. Viet-Minh (Members of the Vietnamese Nationalist movement of the 1950 s under Ho Chi Minh) 3. Viet-Cong (Members of the Communist North Vietnamese Guerilla forces who fought the U.S.) 4. Contras (Nicaraguan anti-communist Guerilla forces during the Civil War in Nicaragua) 5. Sandinistas (Communist rebel forces who overthrew the Nicaraguan dictatorship of Somoza) Groups for Independence in Africa (1945 Present) 1. Mau Mau (Secret Society of Kenyan Farmers who led the Nationalist Movement against the British in Kenya) 2. FLN (Algerian National Liberation Front who led Algeria s violent struggle for Independence from France) 3. MPLA (Communist leaning Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) 4. UNITA (Democratic backed National Union of the Total Independence of Angola) 5. Afrikaners (Dutch South African Nationalist Party that promoted White s Only policies in South Africa) 6. ANC (The African National Congress who promoted equality and the end of Apartheid in South Africa) Groups of the Middle East (1945 Present) 1. PLO (The Palestine Liberation Organization was formed by Arabs living within Israeli controlled Palestine in an effort to establish a free Palestine State) 2. Mossad (The Israeli Intelligence Agency and Secret Police) 3. Mujahideen (A Group in Afghanistan in the 1970 s known as the Holy Warriors for Islam) 4. Taliban (A Conservative Political Group in Afghanistan dedicated to eliminating Western Influences and re-establishing a strong Conservative Muslim State) 5. Al Qeida (Radical Terrorist Organization who promotes Extreme Fundamentalist ideals of Islam under their leader Osama-bin-Laden) 6. Fundamentalists (Groups who promote the strict adherence to the basic set of principles or doctrine within a religious, political, or cultural tradition)
Groups of the Modern World Groups for Global Change (1960 s Present) 1. Terrorists (Groups, usually made up of small cells of radical activists, who promote social, political, or religious change through the use of violence) Movement of People and Ideas During the Modern Age Major Social, Political & Economic Movements in the Modern World (1700 2000 C.E.) 1. Democratization (A Political Post-WWII effort to spread democracy to European Countries who were attempting to rebuild after the war in an effort to counter the spread of Communism in Eastern Europe and Asia) 2. Peaceful Resistance Movement (A Political and Economic movement to protest social, political and/or economic injustices that spread from India [Gandhi] to Ghana [Kwame Nkrumah], United States [Martin Luther King, Jr.] and South Africa [Nelson Mandella] during the 20 th Century) 3. Negritude Movement (A movement to celebrate African Culture, Heritage and Values that began in the Regions of French West-Africa and the French West Indies to promote Independence of African dominated French Colonies after WWII) 4. Zionism (A Cultural and Political Movement founded in the 1890 s to promote the establishment of a Jewish Homeland in Palestine) 5. Jewish Exodus (The massive movement of European Jews [Survivors of the Holocaust] to their new homeland in Palestine between 1945 1947: later known as Israel) 6. Terrorism (The violent and destructive methods used against innocent civilians in crowded public locations by groups or organizations around the world intent on gaining media attention and/or public sentiment in support of their cause for political, social, or cultural change) 7. Refugees (People who voluntarily or forcibly leave their native country to find safety and/or shelter from political, social or economic turmoil in their own nation due to war or civil unrest) 8. Green Revolution (A Global movement by agricultural scientists in an attempt to increase worldwide crop yields, overall food production, and avert the spread of famine in less developed nations) 9. AIDS (A Global Health issue that stems from a disease that attacks the human immune system and has claimed the lives of over 25 million people and infected at least 42 million world wide) History Makers during the Modern World Leaders of the Cold War (1945 Present) 1. Douglas Macarthur (U.S. General of United Nations Forces during the Korean War) 2. Ho Chi Minh (Vietnamese Nationalist Leader of the Viet Minh during the Vietnam War) 3. Fidel Castro (Nationalist Leader of the Cuban Revolution who became Cuba s Communist Dictator) 4. Daniel Ortega (Revolutionary Leader of the Sandinistas during the Civil War in Nicaragua) 5. Ayatollah Khomeini (Muslim Religious Leader of Iran who led the overthrow of the U.S. backed Shah to rid Iran of Western Influences that threatened Arab/Muslim way of life) 6. Nikita Khrushchev (Soviet Leader who initiated Destalinization to rid the Soviet Union of the Influences of Stalin s policies) 7. Leonid Brezhnev (Soviet Leader who caused the Soviet-Chinese Split and coordinated the Installation of Missiles in Cuba) 8. John F. Kennedy (U.S. President who challenged the Soviet installation of Missiles in Cuba and Led the world to the Brink of Nuclear War during the Cuban Missile Crisis ) 9. Lyndon B. Johnson (U.S. President responsible for Increasing U.S. Combat Operations in Vietnam and escalating the war)
History Makers during the Modern World Leaders of the Cold War (1945 Present) 10. Richard M. Nixon (U.S. President who adopted a policy of Détente to reduce Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union, first President to Visit Communist China, and removed U.S. troops from Vietnam to bring an end to the war) 11. Ronald Reagan (U.S. President who increased tension between the U.S. and Soviet Union by Supporting conflicts in Iran, Afghanistan, and Nicaragua and promoting a new Strategic Defense Initiative called Star Wars ) 12. Mikhail Gorbachev (Soviet Leader who opened the Soviet Union to outside Influences through reforms known as Glasnost, Perestroika, and Democratization ) 13. Boris Yeltsin (Soviet Leader who reformed Russia s Economy by an abrupt shift to Free Market Economy known as Shock Therapy ) 14. Lech Walesa (Polish Union Leader who led the anti-communist Solidarity movement to gain Polish Independence) 15. Deng Xiaoping (Communist Chinese Leader who tried to reform China by adopting a set of goals known as the Four Modernizations and then cracked down on Student Protestors in Tianamen Square using Military Troops and Tanks) 16. Jiang Zemin (Communist Chinese Leader who reformed China b y adopting a Free Market Economy) Leaders of Independence Movements (1945 Present) 1. Nelson Mandela (Leader of the African National Congress, Imprisoned for 27 Years for opposing Apartheid, Elected the First African President of South Africa, Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize) 2. F. W. de Klerk (President of South Africa who pardoned Nelson Mandela and Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for brining Democracy to South Africa) 3. Jawaharlal Nehru (First Prime Minister of India after it gained Independence) 4. Ferdinand Marcos (President of the Philippines who imposed Martial Law and had his opponent, Benigno Aquino Jr., assassinated) 5. Jomo Kenyatta (Kenyan Nationalist who led Independence Movement of Kenya) 6. Kwame Nkrumah (Leader of Non-violent Protests & Peaceful Independence movement in Ghana) 7. Ahmed Ben Bella (Leader of Algerian National Liberation Front and the First President of Algeria) 8. Mobutu Sese Seko (Army Officer who seized power in the Congo after granted Independence) Leaders of the Middle East (1945 Present) 1. Gamal Abdel Nasser (Became President of Egypt through a Military Coup and responsible for causing tension between Egypt and Israel resulting into the Suez Crisis ) 2. Anwar Sadat (President of Egypt who planned joint attack of Israel that was known as the Yom Kippur War, Assassinated after signing Peace agreement w/israel known as the Camp David Accords ) 3. Golda Meir (Israeli Prime Minister who was a survivor of the Holocaust and led Israel to victory during the Yom Kippur War ) 4. Yasir Arafat (Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization who fought for the rights of an Independent Palestinian State) 5. Yitzhak Rabin (Prime Minister of Israel who was Assassinated after signing Peace agreement With Yasir Arafat called the Oslo Peace Accords ) 6. Saddam Hussein (President of Iraq who caused conflicts with Iran, Kuwait, and Israel, Mass Murders of Sunni and Kudish citizens, and Opposed U.N. Sanctions until Captured, tried and executed by a new Iraqi Government) 7. Osama Bin Laden (Leader of the Terrorist Organization called Al-Qaeda responsible for the 911 Attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon)
Governance During the Modern World Post World War II (1945 1954): 1. Demilitarization (Process of Disbanding the Armed Forces of Germany and Japan after WWII) 2. Democratization (Process of Creating New Governments elected by the People after WWII) 4. United Nations (International Organization formed after WWII with the purpose of Protecting its Members from Aggression) The Cold War (1947 1989): 1. Containment (U.S. Foreign Policy focused on Blocking Soviet Influences and Stopping the Expansion of Communism around the world) 2. Truman Doctrine (U.S. Policy to Provide Support to Countries that Rejected Communism) 3. Marshall Plan (U.S. Program to Provide Financial Support to European Countries that needed To Rebuild after World War II) 4. Cold War (The Political Struggle between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. carried on Without the use of Direct Military Action) 5. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization A Defensive Military Alliance created by The U.S., Canada, and Ten Western European Nations against Communist Aggression) 6. Warsaw Pact (A Defensive Military Alliance created by the Soviet Union and Seven Eastern European Nations against a perceived NATO threat of aggression) 7. Brinkmanship (Term used to describe the willingness of the U.S. and Soviet Leaders to bring the world to the Edge of Nuclear War) 8. Domino Theory (U.S. Belief that if one country fell to Communism, neighboring countries would probably follow) 9. Third World (Newly Independent, Developing Nation not aligned with a World Superpower) 10. Non-Aligned Nations (Independent Countries that managed to maintain their Neutrality) 11. U.S.S.R. (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Communist Nations aligned with Russia) 12. Détente (Policy adopted by U.S. President Richard Nixon in an effort to Lessen Cold War Tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union) 13. Politburo (The Ruling Committee of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union) 14. Glasnost (New Soviet Policy of Political, Social and Economic Openness) 15. Solidarity (The Unified Movement of Polish Workers Demanding Government Recognition of the Union that led to Polish Independence) 16. Reunification (The Merging of the Two Germany s after the Fall of the Soviet Union) African Democracies (1950 Present): 1. Federal System (Government where power is shared between the States & Central Government) 2. Martial Law (Temporary Military Control or Rule over an Established Government) 3. Dissidents (Government Opponents) 4. Apartheid (Policy in South Africa centered on the Separation of Races and a White s Only Control of the Government) Middle East Conflicts & Terrorism (1947 Present): 1. Intifada (Widespread Campaign of Civil Disobedience by Palestinians against the Israeli Occupation and Control of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights) 2. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations Proclamation that established Human Rights Standards for all Nations) 3. Department of Homeland Security (New Agency created by the U.S. to Coordinate National Efforts against Terrorism) 4. USA Patriot Act (Anti-Terrorism Law passed by the U.S. to combat Terrorism)
Military Conflicts of the Modern World Conflicts during the Modern Global Age (1914 Present): Cold War (1948-1989 C.E.) The Political struggle for world dominance between the two key Superpowers (U.S. and U.S.S.R.) and their alliances (N.A.T.O. and the Warsaw Pact) dedicated to limiting the spread of Communism or Democracy to recovering and newly developing nations. Called the Cold War because the two Superpowers never directly fought against each other, except through surrogate or U.N. sanctioned Conflicts (like the Korean and Vietnam Conflicts). The symbolic end to the Cold War was the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union by 1989. Korean Conflict (1950-1953 C.E.) Conflict that erupted due to the division of the Korean Peninsula at the 38 th Parallel after WWII and the efforts of the Communist North to re-unite the north and south by military force. Never officially declared a war, the event was actually the first attempt by the newly formed United Nations to regulate conflict between two separately recognized sovereign nations. After nearly three years of fighting, the conflict ended in a stalemate leaving North & South Korea divided at the 38 th Parallel. Vietnam Conflict (1957-1973 C.E.) Conflict that erupted due to French efforts to re-establish their control over Indo-China after WWII. Due to internal revolutionary forces under Ho Chi Minh (Viet-Minh), the French would struggle to maintain control until the disastrous Battle of Dien Bien Phu. As a result of the French withdrawl and the establishment of a divided Vietnam at the 17 th Parallel (created by the United Nations), the Communist North initiated a struggle to re-unite North and South Vietnam under Communist control. Assisted by the United States (under approval by the United Nations), the South tried to maintain its independence from the North until the withdrawl of U.S. Troops in 1973, at which time Vietnam came completely under Communist control. Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989 C.E.) Conflict between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan occurred due to several attempts by communist leaders to take over the country between 1973-1979. Due to conflicts with their Islamic beliefs, the Afghan organization known as the Mujahideen led a holy war against the Soviets. Secretly backed by the U.S., Afghan rebels waged a 10 year war of attrition against the Soviet military (which is often called the Soviet Union s Vietnam) until the Soviet Union withdrew its troops. As a result, a conservative Islamic group known as the Taliban emerged as the leading force in Afghanistan. Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988 C.E.) Conflict between the two Muslim states of Iraq and Iran erupted when a religious leader known as the Ayatollah Khomeini called upon all Muslims to overthrow their traditional secular governments. Although the conflict centered around religious and political differences, there were additional economic and cultural influences that ignited this struggled. As the war ragged on. the Soviet Union continued the provide aid to their Iraqi allies, while the United States provided aid to both sides. After over a million Arabs died, the United Nations negotiated a peace treaty in 1988. Persian Gulf War (1990-1991 C.E.) Conflict between Iraq and its Arab neighbors erupted when Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion of Kuwait (who he claimed to be a province of Iraq), the slaughter of many of its citizens, and the destruction of hundreds of Kuwaiti oil fields. Due to Saddam s refusal to recognize of obey numerous U.N. Resolutions and Sanctions, a U.N. approved multi-national military force (Under the overall command of the United States) invaded and defeated the Iraqi military and freed Kuwait. War in Iraq (2003-2010 C.E.) The second U.N. approved conflict in Iraq occurred after Saddam Hussein delayed and refused to allow U.N. inspectors into suspected chemical and biological munitions plants and factories within Iraq. After years of failed U.N. resolutions and sanctions, suspected ties to terrorism, and the 9/11 attacks in the United States, a second multi-national military force (under overall U.S. military command) invaded Iraq and removed Saddam Hussein and his regime from power. Continual attacks and bombings delayed the withdrawl of U.S. military forces until the establishment of a new Iraqi government and military / police presence in 2010. War in Afghanistan (2001-Present) Another U.N. sanctioned conflict occurred in Afghanistan after numerous terrorist attacks on U.S. and other European targets (Embassy Bombings, USS Cole Bombing, and 9/11 Attacks) linked to Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qeida. Dubbed the War on Terror, military operations and Intelligence efforts by the U.S. and British troops try to locate and eliminate Al-Qeida from the Pakistan to Iranian border.
Religious Motivated Actions and Beliefs in the Modern World New Nations (1946 1950) 1. Partition (Practice of dividing a country or state between two key groups based on ethnic or religious differences. This was done twice: Partition of India into Hindu dominated India and Muslim dominated Pakistan; Partition of Palestine in to Jewish dominated Israel and Muslim dominated Palestine) 2. Muslim League (A Political organization in India created to protect the Muslim interests in India) 3. Zionists (Members of a Jewish organization determined to re-establish a Homeland for the Jews in the traditional holy lands of Palestine) Middle East Conflicts (1947 Present): 1. Arab-Israeli Wars (Series of conflicts between the country of Israel and the Arab Muslim states over the Political and Religious rights to control the holy lands and territories of Palestine) 2. Mujahideen (Farsi term used to describe the Holy Warriors of Afghanistan who opposed Soviet Or U.S. Control of their country) 3. Islamic Fundamentalists (Religious extremists who promote conflict with the west based on their interpretation of the Quran and other Religious Leaders)