Unit 7: The World Since 1945
• Unit Focus: How has the world changed and
developed since the end of WW2 until now?
Chapter 30: The Cold War (1945 – 1991)
Chapter Summary
• For almost a half century after World War II, the Cold War loomed over
Europe—pitting the West, led by the United States, against the Soviet
Union (Russia). Despite the constant threat, Western Europeans and their
North American allies enjoyed their most rapid and sustained economic
growth since the Industrial Revolution. The Soviet Union and its Eastern
European satellites also made efforts to rebuild after the war but were
held back by Stalin's repressive policies. In the 1980s, efforts at major
reform unleashed forces that brought the collapse of communism and an
end to the Soviet Union.
Chapter 30: The Cold War (1945 – 1991)
Chapter Outline
• Section 1: The Cold War Unfolds
– The Cold War between the United States and the
Union cast a shadow over the world for more than 40 years.
Soviet
• Section 2: The Industrialized Democracies
– As a result of government policies and international cooperation, the people
of the industrialized democracies—the United States and Canada, Western
Europe, and Japan—have enjoyed freedom and prosperity.
• Section 3: Communism Spreads in East Asia
– In the late 1940s, communism made advances in East Asia.
• Section 4: War in Southeast Asia
– Southeast Asian nations sought independence but also fell into divisive
conflicts in the decades after World War II.
• Section 5: The End of the Cold War
– After years of communist rule, the Soviet Union collapsed and was replaced by
Russia and other independent republics. After years of Soviet domination, the
countries of Eastern Europe were free of Russian control, facing new and
sometimes difficult challenges.
Ch. 31: New Nations Emerge (1945 – Present)
Chapter Summary
• At the same time that the Cold War was unfolding, a
global independence movement was reshaping the
world. Colonial rulers gradually relinquished their
hold over their overseas possessions. As
independence celebrations ended, new countries
and governments were faced with the task of nationbuilding.
Ch. 31: New Nations Emerge (1945 – Present)
Chapter Outline
• Section 1: Independent Nations of South Asia
– After winning independence, Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan pursued separate roads
to modernization.
• Section 2: New Nations of Southeast Asia
– Southeast Asian nations sought independence but also fell into divisive conflicts in the
decades after World War II.
• Section 3: African Nations Gain Independence
– As many African nations won independence in the 1950s and 1960s, they held great
hopes and faced great challenges.
• Section 4: The Modern Middle East
– Three forces shaping the modern Middle East are nationalism, religious and cultural
diversity, and access to resources such as oil and water.
Ch. 32: Regional Conflicts (1945 – Present)
Chapter Summary
• Many areas of the world have faced regional conflicts since the end of
World War II. Fighting broke out in several areas of Africa as colonies
gained independence, and in some African regions internal conflicts
continue today. Ethnic and political conflicts have affected Ireland, the
Balkans, Chechnya and Sri Lanka. In the Middle East, the Arab-Israeli
conflict has come to define relations between nations in the region.
Ch. 32: Regional Conflicts (1945 – Present)
Chapter Outline
• Section 1: Conflicts Divide Nations
– Political, religious, and ethnic unrest has disrupted lives in many regions of the globe.
• Section 2: Struggles in Africa
– As many African nations won independence in the 1950s and 1960s, they held great
hopes and faced great challenges.
• Section 3: Conflicts in the Middle East
– The Middle East has been the focus of conflicts that have had an impact far beyond the
region.
Ch. 33: The Developing World (1945 – Present)
Chapter Summary
• Development is the process of building a stronger and more
advanced economy and creating higher living standards. The
nations working toward development in Africa, Asia, and Latin
(South) America are known collectively as the developing world.
Each of these nations faces challenges of development as each
tries to create better lives for its citizens.
Ch. 33: The Developing World (1945 – Present)
Chapter Outline
• Section 1: The Challenges of Development
– Education, technology, the environment, and the economy: all of these, as well as
others, are factors in development.
• Section 2: Africa Seeks a Better Future
– Since 1945, more than 50 new nations have been born in Africa, each trying to improve
the daily lives of its citizens.
• Section 3: China and India: Two Giants of Asia
– China and India are home to two-fifths of the world's people, and their economies have
grown stronger over the past 60 years.
• Section 4: Latin America Builds Democracy
– Despite setbacks, Latin American nations have tried to sustain economic growth and
overcome a legacy of poverty and social inequality.
Ch. 34: The World Today
Chapter Summary
• Today's world is a culmination of the events and
developments of the past centuries. Technological and
economic changes have created new links between people
around the globe. These connections worldwide have also
made people and societies more aware of the challenges that
face the world today and in the years to come.
Ch. 34: The World Today
Chapter Outline
• Section 1: Industrialized Nations After the Cold War
– The end of the Cold War saw old empires crumble
and new nations emerge, along with new global economic trends.
• Section 2: Globalization
– Globalization defines the world of the post-Cold War, integrating economies,
politics, cultures and societies around the world.
• Section 3: Social and Environmental Challenges
– Globalization has brought all kinds of social and environmental issues to the
world's attention, such as poverty, disease, environmental threats and human
rights.
• Section 4: Security in a Dangerous World
– Just a decade after the end of the Cold War, people and nations are worried
about attack—from different, unpredictable sources.
• Section 5: Advances in Science and Technology
– Since 1945, scientific research and technological development have had a
transforming effect on human history.
Discussion Questions Ch. 30 - 34
• What was the Cold War and what impact did it
have on the world?
• What are some of the causes of the struggles and
conflicts taking place around the globe in modern
times?
• What kind of challenges do developing nations
face today?
• What is globalism?
– What are the possible positive and negative impacts
of globalism?