Period 6: Accelerating Global Change
and Realignments, 1900-Present
6.1: Science and the Environment
6.2: Global Conflicts and Their Consequences
6.3: New Conceptualizations of Global Economy,
Society, and Culture
6.1 Science and the Environment
 Rapid advances in science-new understandings of the universe and the
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natural world, new technologies
Unprecedented population growth
Altered how humans interacted with the environment and threatened
ecological balance
New modes of communication
Green Revolution-produced food for the world
Ne mechanical innovations (vaccines for example)
New energy technologies
Exploitation and competition over finite resources
Eradication of old diseases, challenge of new diseases
Birth control
Unprecedented wartime death and destruction due to technology
6.2 Global Conflicts and Their
Consequences
 Century began with a European dominated global order
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challenged as others sought to redistribute power
Ottoman, Russian, Qing empires collapsed
Colonies negotiated independence-India, W. Africa
Colonies fought for independence-Vietnam, Algeria
Anti-imperialism, nationalism-Gandhi, Nkrumah, Ho Chi
Minh)
Religious and ethnic movements-Muslim Pakistan
Transregional movements-communism, Pan-Africanism
6.2 Global Conflicts and Their
Consequences
 Ethnic and religious conflicts, secessionist movements,
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territorial partitions, economic dependency, legacies of
colonialism
Population resettlements-India/Pakistan, Zionist movement
and Palestine
Migration of former colonial subjects-Algerians to France,
Filipinos to USA
Ethnic violence-Rwanda, Armenia, Holocaust, Cambodia
Displacement of People-Darfur
6.2 Global Conflicts and Their
Consequences
 Unprecedented military conflict
 Imperialist expansion, resource competition, ethnic conflict,
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nationalism, economic crisis (great depression)
WWI, WWII, Cold War
Groups and individuals challenged violence-Gandhi, MLK, anti-nuclear
movement, art
Groups and individuals sought alternatives-Anti-Apartheid movement,
Lenin and Mao, counterculture of 1968
Dictatorship or totalitarianism in response to conflict
Terrorism
Conflict influence on global popular culture-James Bond, video games
6.3: New Conceptualizations of Global
Economy, Society, and Culture
 States responded in a variety of ways to economic challenges
 Communism in China and Russia
 Responses to Great Depression-New Deal, Fascism
 Government role in promoting economic life-Nasser in
Egypt
 Neoliberals at end of 20th Century-Ronald Reagan, Pinochet,
Thatcher
6.3: New Conceptualizations of Global
Economy, Society, and Culture
 States, communities, and individuals become increasingly
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interdependent
New international organizations-United Nations
New economic institutions-World Bank
Humanitarian organizations-Red Cross
Regional trade agreements-NAFTA
Multinational corporations-Coca-Cola
Protest movements-Greenpeace
6.3: New Conceptualizations of Global
Economy, Society, and Culture
 People conceptualized society and culture in new ways
 Human Rights-civil rights, women’s rights, U.N. Declaration
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of Human Rights
New cultural identities-Negritude
Exclusionary reactions-Xenophobia, race riots
New forms of spirituality-Hare Krishna, New Ageism
Sports-World Cup Soccer, Olympics
Music and Film-Reggae, Bollywood