AP World History Outline
Period I: Pre-History to 600 BCE
Period I is defined most by mankind’s switch from nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle to sedentary and
agricultural. From there, mankind developed civilizations and population grew.
1. Pre-history-8000 BCE, life is defined by hunter-gatherer lifestyle
a. Men hunted wild game
b. Women gathered nuts, berries, etc.
c. Small groups, high infant mortality rate,
2. 8000 BCE- Humans start to settle in one area and farm  Neolithic Revolution
3. Early Civilizations- defined by development of government, urban centers, and writing system.
ALL early civilizations were polytheistic
a. Mesopotamia- between Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In Middle East
i. Code of Hammurabi- first written law
ii. Cuneiform- writing system
b. Egypt-Nile River. In Middle East
i. Known for large construction projects
ii. Hieroglyphics- writing system
c. Indus River Valley- Indus River. In South Asia
i. Harappan- writing system (has not been translated to modern language)
ii. Developed systems of moving water for agriculture
d. Huang He (China) - Huang He or Yellow River. In East Asia. Later develops into Shang
i. Early writing system
ii. Agricultural improvements
e. Olmec and Chavin in Americas. In Mesoamerica and South America respectfully
i. Did not settle on along river valleys!
Period II: 600 BCE-600 CE
Period II is defined by the development of more complex civilizations. Trade develops more between
these civilizations (early Silk Road). Known as the Classical Period
1. In Europe
a. Greece- city-states such as Athens and Sparta; direct democracy
b. Roman Republic (later Empire)- expands across Europe and Northern Africa; eventually
splits into Eastern and Western half (west is taken over by Germanic invaders)
2. In Middle East
a. Persian Empire- created by Cyrus, and expanded under leaders like Darius and Xerxes
3. In South Asia
a. Mauryan Dynasty- Ashoka, Adoption of Buddhism,
b. Gupta Dynasty- Chandra Gupta, re-adoption of Hinduism in India
4. In East Asia
a. Zhou-took over after Shang, falls into long period of disorder known as Era of Warring
States
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b. Qin- used legalism to keep order following Era of Warring states; didn’t last long too
strict
c. Han-used Confucianism as guide; permanently impacts China
d. Sui- come to power following end of Han China, Golden Age starts toward the end of
their rule
5. Emergence of new religions and beliefs
a. Hinduism and Judaism both established prior to this time period
b. Buddhism in South Asiaspreads to East Asia through trade and missionaries
c. Christianity in Middle Eastspreads to Europe via the Roman Empire
d. Legalism, Confucianism, and Daoism in China
Period III: 600-1450 CE
Period III is defined by the emergence of Islam and the further expansion of trade. Since it has very little
positive contributions to the world during this time, Europe refers to this period as the Dark Ages.
However, there are many major developments throughout the rest of the world
1. Islam is established- Mohammed
a. Beliefs: Quran and 5 Pillars of Islam
i. Statement of Faith
ii. 5 required daily prayers
iii. Fasting during daylight hours in Ramadan
iv. Alms-giving (charity)
v. Hajj*—trip to Mecca at least once in lifetime (*must know this one)
b. Split in religion following Mohammed’s death; Sunnis (want established leaders to lead
community) and Shia (want decedents of Mohammed to lead)
c. Umayyad Caliphate- takes all of Arabian peninsula, expands into Northern Africa and
further into the east; moves capital to Damascus, Syria
d. Abbasid Caliphate-further expands into Northern and Western Africa, takes territory in
Southern Spain, expands into South Asia  leads to establishment of Delhi Sultanate
2. Expansion of trade
a. Silk Road- between China and Europe
b. Indian Ocean- Maritime trade between East Africa and South, Southeastern, and East
Asia
c. Trans-Saharan- between Middle East and Western Africa (Mali)
3. In Europe
a. Feudalism- societal structure in which lords rule over land that serfs (peasants) work
b. Crusades: “retake Holy Land;” diffusion of European and Middle Eastern ideas is good
for both Europe and Middle East, though militarily, it is a disaster for Europeans
c. Black Death (Black Plague)- coming from Central Asia and makes its way into Europe
(Italy) via trade routes
d. Great Schism- divide between Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity
e. Byzantine Empire-created out of Eastern Roman Empire, Justinian; falls to Ottomans
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f.
Holy Roman Empire- established in Central Europe (breaks apart due to differences in
religion)
4. In Asiaa. China
i. Tang- Golden Age in China
ii. Song-Golden Age in China
iii. Yuan- created by Kublai Khan (Mongols), end to Golden Age in China
b. Mongols
i. Genghis Khan united nomadic tribes in Central Asia
ii. Mongols create the largest Empire in the world (up to this point) stretching
from Eastern Europe to Pacific Ocean
5. Africa-Kingdom of Mali (Mansa Musa) in Western Africa
a. Ibn Battuta- made Hajj and wrote information about his journeys
Period IV: 1450-1750 CE
Period IV is defined by the inclusion of the Americas into the global trade network for the first time. This
is because Europe came out of its “Dark Ages” as the dominant continent on the planet. As they grew,
Europe began to search for new trade routes to Asia (spice trade meant $). Long story short, Europe
discovered the Americas and began to settle there. Demand for silver and cash crops allowed the
Europeans to create a slave labor force from the Native American and African people.
1. European Discovery of the Americas
a. Columbian Exchange- exchange of crops, animals, and disease between Old and New
World
b. Effects on Native Americans- disease is highly impactful
c. European Settlement
d. Slave Trade- growth of cash crops in New World requires laborers; Native Americans
dying off and not a large enough populous to serve need  use of African slaves
2. European Power
a. Emerges as dominant continent
b. Individual countries battle for power (a lot due to religion. See Reformation)
c. Navies are the best indicator of power
3. New Ways of Thinking in Europe
a. Renaissance- rebirth of western civilization; due in part to cultural diffusion w/ Middle
East
b. Reformation- break between Protestantism and Catholicism (Luther, Calvin, King Henry
VIII are Protestant leaders), Catholics have counter reformation (Ignatius Loyola- Jesuits)
c. Scientific Revolution-Heliocentric Model of Solar System (Proposed by Copernicus and
Improved on by Galileo), Scientific Method also developed
d. Enlightenment- humans have natural rights, governments should be more democratic
4. In the Middle East and South Asia Islamic Gunpowder Empires
a. Ottoman (modern-day Turkey)- takes Constantinople, renames it Istanbul (marks end to
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b. Safavid- Religiously intolerant
c. Mughal-Akbar the Great, jizya, Taj Mahal
5. In East Asia
a. China- Ming Dynasty (becomes isolationist toward end of time period). Manchus invade
and establish Qing Dynasty in 1640s
b. Japan-Emergence of Tokugawa Shogunate (Japan becomes isolationist)
6. In Russia
a. Ivan IV or Ivan the Terrible - rules as an absolute monarch, changes position of title to
Czar; he kills off everyone who was a political threat to him, including his own sons,
following his death, there is no one to follow in his footsteps (as all heirs had been killed
off)
b. Time of Troubles- no clear ruler in Russia
c. Romanovs take control of Russia in 1613
i. Peter the Great and Catherine the Great- goals are to modernize/westernize
Russia. This causes major suffering within the serfdom, as they cannot afford to
modernize
Period V: 1750-1914 CE
Period V is defined by revolution, both political and industrial. With this comes the Age of Imperialism,
along with the further growth of military forces. Asia and Africa are overwhelmingly conquered by
Western powers.
1. Age of Revolution
a. American 1775-1783
b. French 1789-1799
c. Haitian 1791-1804
d. Other Latin American Independence Movements in Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, and other
places
2. Industrial Revolution
a. Started with improvements in Farm technology
b. Factory system, first water-driven then steam
c. Abundant source of coal and workers helped Britain thrive during this time
d. Industry expanded from Britain through cultural diffusion
3. Imperialism
a. Scramble for Africa- decided at Berlin Conference 1884-1885.
b. China-spheres of influence
c. Imperial nations used their colonies as a source for raw materials
4. In East Asia
a. China under the Qing Dynasty slowly falls apart
i. Internal factors
1. White Lotus Rebellion
2. Taiping Rebellion
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ii. External factors
1. Establishment of Spheres of Influence by Western countries
2. Opium Wars
3. Boxer Rebellion
4. Wars against Russia, France, and Japan lead to lost territory
iii. Qing Dynasty collapses in 1910; also ending the Dynastic System in China
iv. The Republic of China is created in 1911
b. Japan- Meiji Restoration starting in 1853; characterized by major shifts to modernize
and westernize Japan. The name of the movement comes from the Emperor’s name
5. In South Asia
a. Sepoy Rebellion- Indian troops under employ by the East India Company Mutiny, Britain
steps in to intervene and end up taking India as its own colony
b. Sometimes, British rule in India may be referred to as the Raj, or the Jewel of the Crown,
because it was a highly valuable colony
Period VI: 1914-Present CE
Period VI is defined by two great World Wars, followed by increased international cooperation in the
form of the United Nations. However, the Cold War between the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United
States threatened, at times, to put the world on the brink of war. In certain respects, the world got
smaller during this time, as Globalization led to the increased and faster spread of culture and products.
1. World War I
a. Reasons for war: MANIA (Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism, Assassination
of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary)
b. Two sides:
i. Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire
ii. Triple Entente/Allies- UK, France, Russia, later USA
c. Characterized by: Trench warfare, first use of poison gas, planes, tanks, submarines, and
the machine gun in combat between two or more major nations
d. Treaty of Versailles ends the war, blames Germany for it and requires them to pay back
all war costs
2. Russian Revolution
a. Romanov family abdicates (or leaves) throne in March 1917
b. Bolsheviks (Communist group), led by V.I. Lenin, takes charge in Russia. Their beliefs
appeal to the extreme poor in Russia (a majority of the population).
c. Russia pulls out of the war in late 1917
d. Civil War breaks out in Russia between Red Army (Communists) and White Army (AntiCommunists). This lasts until 1923. Lenin dies in 1924, leaving Joseph Stalin as the
leader of the newly established Soviet Union
3. Depression
a. Worldwide impacts felt due to stock market crash
b. Leads to extremism in places like Italy and Germany
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4. World War II
a. Reasons: increased German aggression in Europe, Japanese aggression in Asia
b. Two sides:
i. Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan
ii. Allied Powers/Allies: UK, France, Soviet Union (USSR), later USA
c. Characterized by: Increased use of advanced weaponry, Holocaust, Island-hopping in the
Pacific, use of Nuclear Weapons by the USA on Japanese targets
d. Germany surrenders in May 1945 (V-E Day); Japan follows in August/September 1945
(V-J Day)
5. Establishment of UN
a. Goal: To increase international cooperation and keep peace around the world
b. Permanent Members of UN Security Council- USA, UK, France, China, Soviet Union
(USSR) now Russia
6. Creation of Israel
a. Zionist movement to reestablish a Jewish homeland gains steam following WWII
b. Palestine controlled by UK following WWII, land is set aside for the creation of Israel in
1948
c. Led to increased tensions and fighting between Israelis and their neighboring countries
7. Cold War- geopolitical struggle between powerhouse nations of USA (democratic, capitalist)
and Soviet Union (USSR) (communism)
a. Arms Race-following use of nuclear weapons in WWII, both USA and USSR race to
develop more and better weapons
b. Space Race- directly from Arms Race, both countries try to become the first to make
certain achievements in regards to Space (eg. First Man on the Moon)
8. Decolonization of Africa
a. African nations gain independence from European nations following WWII
b. Tensions between ethnic groups led to civil war in many African nations since the 1960s
c. South Africa-Apartheid ends in free elections in 1994 with Nelson Mandela as President
9. Decolonization of Asia
a. India- Gandhi is major independence figure within India. India gained independence
from Britain in 1947, but religious tensions in the region led to the creation of
predominately Hindu India and predominately Muslim Pakistan.
10. 20th Century Genocides
a. Armenian in Ottoman Empire
b. Holocaust in Germany
c. Khmer Rouge in Cambodia
d. Rwandan Genocide
e. Ethnic Cleansing in Bosnia and Serbia
f. Genocide in Darfur
11. Globalization- increased movement in ideas, culture, and products
a. The Internet
b. Brands such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Nike, etc.