Mid-Unit 7 – Global Conflict (c. 1900–1939)

 🔑 BIG IDEA

• Between 1900 and 1939, global conflict and economic crisis reshaped political systems worldwide.

• World War I introduced total war and mass mobilization.

• The interwar period saw economic collapse and the rise of authoritarian regimes.

• Governments expanded control over economies and societies in response to instability.

 🌎 7.1 – Shifting Power After 1900

Collapse of Land-Based Empires:

• Ottoman Empire

• Russian Empire

• Qing Dynasty

• Austro-Hungarian Empire

These empires collapsed due to:

• Military defeat

• Nationalism

• Economic strain

• Internal political unrest

Rise of New States

• Turkey

• Yugoslavia

• Czechoslovakia

• Soviet Union

New political ideologies emerged:

• Communism (USSR)

• Nationalist republics

• Anti-colonial movements

 🎯 Must-Know Examples (7.1)

• Russian Revolution (1917) – Overthrew the tsar and created the Soviet Union. Why it matters: Established the first communist state and reshaped global politics.

• Collapse of the Ottoman Empire – Defeat in WWI led to mandates in the Middle East. Why it matters: Created long-term regional instability.

• Mexican Revolution – Addressed inequality and foreign economic control. Why it matters: Early 20th-century example of social revolution.

• Treaty of Versailles (1919) – Punished Germany with reparations. Why it matters: Contributed to economic instability and political extremism.

 ⚔️ 7.2 – Causes of World War I

Long-Term Causes

• Militarism

• Alliances

• Imperialism

• Nationalism

Immediate Cause

• Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914)

 🎯 Must-Know Examples (7.2)

• Alliance System (Triple Entente vs Triple Alliance) Why it matters: Turned a regional conflict into a global war.

• Naval Arms Race (Britain vs Germany) Why it matters: Demonstrates militarism and industrial competition.

• Balkan Nationalism Why it matters: Destabilized multi-ethnic empires.

• Moroccan Crises Why it matters: Imperial competition increased tensions.

🔥 7.3 – Conducting World War I

Total War

Governments mobilized:

• Economies

• Industry

• Civilians

• Colonies

Industrialized Warfare

• Machine guns

• Poison gas

• Tanks

• Submarines

• Trench warfare

Social Transformation

• Women entered workforce

• Colonial troops fought in Europe

• Propaganda shaped public opinion

• Psychological trauma (“shell shock”)

 🎯 Must-Know Examples (7.3)

• Battle of the Somme Why it matters: Illustrates industrialized slaughter and trench warfare.

• Chlorine Gas at Ypres Why it matters: Introduction of chemical warfare.

• War Bonds & Propaganda Why it matters: Shows government expansion into civilian life.

• Indian and African troops in Europe Why it matters: Demonstrates global scope of the war.

• Women’s Land Army Why it matters: War altered gender roles.

 💰 7.4 – Economy in the Interwar Period

Post-WWI Economic Instability

• War debt

• Reparations

• Hyperinflation in Germany

• Infrastructure destruction

The Great Depression (1929)

Causes:

• Overproduction

• Speculation

• Bank failures

• Trade collapse

Effects:

• Mass unemployment

• Political extremism

• Collapse of global trade

Government Responses

Democratic Intervention

• New Deal (United States)

• Welfare expansion

• Public works programs

Authoritarian Control

• Nazi economic mobilization

• Fascist corporatism

• Soviet Five-Year Plans

Economic Nationalism

• Import Substitution Industrialization (Latin America)

• Oil nationalization in Mexico

 🎯 Must-Know Examples (7.4)

• German Hyperinflation (1923) Why it matters: Destabilized Weimar Republic and fueled extremism.

• Stock Market Crash (1929) Why it matters: Triggered global economic collapse.

• New Deal Why it matters: Expanded government role in economy.

• Five-Year Plans 

• Why it matters: Rapid industrialization through state control.

• Autobahn (Nazi Germany) Why it matters: Reduced unemployment and prepared for war.

• Oil Nationalization (Mexico, 1938) Why it matters: Example of economic sovereignty and anti-imperial policy.

 📌 AP Exam Skills to Focus On

Be able to:

✔ Explain causation (How did WWI lead to economic instability?)

✔ Compare government responses (New Deal vs Fascism vs Communism)

✔ Analyze continuity and change (Revolutions → authoritarian consolidation)

✔ Use specific evidence to support arguments

✔ Connect war, economy, and political transformation

 🧠 Big Picture Connection

World War I destabilized empires.

Economic collapse destabilized democracies.

Authoritarian regimes rose promising stability.

Unit 7 shows how crisis reshaped global power — and set the stage for World War II.