Name _________________________
Unit VI: A Half Century of Crisis and Achievement (1900-1945)
A. World War I (1914-1918)
1. Causes of WWI (M.A.I.N.): MILITARISM, ALLIANCES, IMPERIALISM,
NATIONALISM.
2. The spark (or immediate cause) of WW1 was the assassination of Archduke FERDINAND
3. Triple Alliance (Central Powers) = GERMANY, Austria-Hungary, and Ottoman Empire.
The Triple Entente (Allied Powers) = Great Britain, France, and RUSSIA.
4. Nationalism in the BALKANS (known as the “Powder keg of Europe”) led Slavic people
to resist rule by Austria-Hungary, which is why the Archduke was assassinated.
5. WWI was fought on 2 fronts. The Eastern Front was Germany v. RUSSIA, and the
Western Front was Germany v. France and G.B. (fighting took place in TRENCHES).
6. Two reasons the U.S. joined WW1 (they were neutral at first) was German U-BOAT
attacks, sinking ships such as the LUSITANIA, and the ZIMMERMAN Note in which
Germany asked Mexico to attack the U.S.
7. Treaty of VERSAILLES - Treaty ending WWI that was very harsh on GERMANY:
a. Germany lost colonies and had to pay REPARATIONS (payments to other European
countries for the damages caused by WW1).
b. AUSTRIA-Hungary broken up, and new nations like Hungary and Yugoslavia formed.
c. Treaty blamed for created political instability and the eventual start of WWII.
B. Russian Revolution (1917)
1. Causes of the Russian Revolution:
a. BLOODY Sunday – Unarmed protestors killed by Tsar’s army, angering Russians.
b. Unequal distribution of wealth - Revolution promised land redistribution to peasants.
c. WWI devastated Russia – famine, shortages of supplies, cost a lot of money (when
revolutionaries got control of Russia, they immediately dropped out of WWI).
2. BOLSHEVIK Party – Political party promoting socialism; successfully led revolution.
3. Vladimir Ilyich LENIN - Leader of Bolsheviks (and of Russian Revolution); he worked
to eliminate all political opposition.
4. New ECONOMIC Policy (NEP) – Lenin’s economic plan to allow for some capitalism.
5. Joseph STALIN - Succeeded Lenin as leader of the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.)
a. FIVE-Year Plans – Stalin’s plan to build heavy industry by imposing quotas.
b. COLLECTIVIZATION - Stalin’s failed agricultural program in which the
government took over and combined farms.
c. Stalin intentionally created a famine in UKRAINE to punish the people there.
C. Time Between the Wars (1920s and 1930s)
1. KEMAL Ataturk – Nationalist leader who created a secular government and Westernized
Turkey. An example was he created a law allowing WOMEN to vote.
2. MOHANDAS Gandhi – Indian nationalist leader who used civil DISOBEDIENCE
(peaceful protest). An example was the SALT March.
3. Many Western nations (U.S., Canada, Finland, Germany, and Sweden) granted women
SUFFRAGE (the right to vote) during this time period.
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4. Great Depression:
a. Causes – Overproduction of goods, STOCK market Crash.
b. Results – Unemployment rose, loss of faith in DEMOCRACY (many countries turned
to totalitarian leaders, such as Mussolini and Hitler).
Totalitarianism – Government with ‘total’ control over citizens. Examples include:
Adolf
Hitler
Benito
Mussolini
 Nazi dictator of Germany
 Economic problems in Germany (reparation payments, Great
Depression, and failure of the short-lived WEIMAR Republic) led to
his rise to power.
 NUREMBERG Laws – German laws passed by Hitler to limit rights of
Jews (anti-Semitic laws).
 Began HOLOCAUST (systematic killing of Jews).
 Fascist leader of Italy.
 Took away freedoms, like no free speech or PRESS
 Fascist leader of SPAIN
Francisco  Helped by Italy and Germany, he won civil war in Spain to take power.
Franco
 Officially neutral in WW2
D. World War II (19139-1945)
1. WWII was caused by aggressive actions of totalitarian dictators. Examples include
JAPAN invading Manchuria, China (and other areas in Asia) in order to get raw
materials, and Germany adding land in Europe.
2. POLAND - This country was attacked by Germany, officially beginning WWII.
3. APPEASEMENT - Policy used by G.B. and France (and by the League of Nations) to
give in to dictators like Hitler in order to avoid conflict. It failed miserably.
4. Turning points in WW2 include:
a. Battle of STALINGRAD - Soviets defeated Germans due to harsh winter causing
Germans supply lines to be cut off. Soviets began advancing toward Germany.
b. D-DAY - Allied invasion across English Channel to drive Nazis out of FRANCE.
This caused the Germans to have to fight a two front war.
5. Hiroshima and NAGASAKI - Japanese cities atomic bombed by U.S. to end WWII.
6. Results of WWII:
a. Germany divided (West Germany, with help from the U.S., developed economically,
but East Germany fell under SOVIET control and struggled economically).
b. NUREMBERG Trials – Nazi leaders held responsible for violating human rights.
c. UNITED Nations formed to replace the ineffective League of Nations.
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