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Opium Wars
Europeans, especially the British fought the Qing Dynasty over opium and the Qing dynasty had to concede. This was one of the main catalysts for the downfall of the Qing dynasty. -
Franco-Prussian War
France loses to Germany in this War prompting France to start its massive colonization in Africa. -
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Second industrial Revolution
This was a time of scientific growth, mass production and industrialization in Europe and America. This was influential in globalization. -
Russo-Turkish War
This was a battle between the Ottoman Empire and eastern orthodox Christians and was fought in the Balkans. This was an important event in colonization as well as polarization. -
Berlin Conference
This was a conference held in Berlin where leaders discussed how to appropriately divide Africa and share its recourses. As might be assumed this had large implications for colonization. -
Spanish American War
The US won this war giving them control of Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. This played an important role in both colonization, and globalization. The war took place mainly in Cuba and the Philippines. -
Second Boer War
The British defeat the republics of Boer and take control of the lucrative area of South Africa a case example of imperialism and colonization. -
Boxer Rebellion
This was an uprising by a secret Chinese organization aimed at stopping western and Japanese influence in northern China. This is a good example of polarization. -
Exposition Universelle
A fair held in Paris to celebrate the achievements of the nineteenth century which was part of Globalization. -
Russo Japanese War
Japan won this war which emphasized the need for Russia to industrialize. This is another case of extreme colonization and imperialism. -
Trans -Siberian Railroad
This railroad, aimed at expanding Russian power in Asia brought the empire into the modern era and exemplified industrialization and globalization. -
Bloody Sunday
Unarmed demonstrators fired upon by the Imperial Guard in St. Petersburg killing and wounding hundreds. This event gave a glimpse of the flaws of the Tsarist regime and was one of the events that was influential in its decline. -
Xinhai Revolution
This revolution ended China's last imperial dynasty and ushered in the Republic of China. This revolution could be considered one of the fruits of globalization in a world that was quickly changing. -
Panama Canal
Started by the French in the 1880's, the Panama Canal was completed by the US in 1914. This canal played a key role in globalization and was dug through Panama, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. -
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World War One
The great war fought between the triple alliance and the triple entente wreaked havoc on Europe claiming the lives of millions, destroying the land and leading to the formation of new governments and policies. -
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian nationalist assassinates Franz Ferdinand who was air to the Austro - Hungarian throne in what seemed to almost spark the beginning of the war. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The sinking of the Lusitania and four other unarmed merchant ships in 1917 pushes the US over the edge and they join in the war against Germany. -
Stalin' Revolution
Stalin assumed full control of the soviet union evicting Leon Trotsky. He took measures against the kulaks who he suspected were undermining the Soviet State and implemented policies toward rapid industrialization, collectivization of agriculture and the expansion of Autocratic rule. -
Stock Market Crash
The value of the Dow Jones fell by 13 percent and thousands lost their investments and life's savings while the federal reserve did nothing to help. This started the Great Depression where inflation and unemployment ruined peoples lives. -
Nuremberg Laws
These were anti-Semitic laws enacted by the Nazi party aimed at limiting the Jewish people and taking away their German citizenship. These laws were the first steps that Hitler took in his inhumane and unreasonable quest to eradicate the Jewish people. -
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Great Purge
A Stalinist program aimed at eradicating all forms of dissent within the Soviet Union. an estimated one million people were killed which Stalin cloaked in the concept of fighting counter revolutionaries. -
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Spanish Civil War
Led by Francisco Franco, the National Front started planning an overthrow of the government which was also supported by Germany and Italy because of its fascist ideals. Their opponents were the Republican army backed by the USSR and other socialist parties. This was a brutal civil war stained with differing radical political beliefs which claimed the lives of close to 500,000 people. -
Invasion of Poland
Germany invades Poland marking the start of WW Two and prompting Britain and France to declare war on Germany. This was the first real invasion by Germany was influential in showing their willingness and ability to take on and defeat other countries in their quest for power and creating an Arian race. -
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World War Two
This war was the most deadly in human history, claiming the lives of some 80 million people. The war was fought between the Allied forces and the Axis powers and involved all the main world powers at the time. The massive use of aircraft, bombs and nuclear weapons defined this war and ultimately led to the Allied victory after six years of fighting. -
Atlantic Charter
A statement which outlined American and British goals for he world following the second world war. These was pretty much a document which made sure that people would be treated fairly on both sides of the outcome of the war. -
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Greek Civil War
This civil war threatened the stability of Europe as the US backed the kingdom of Greece and the Soviet Union backed the Greek communists, escalating tensions in Europe. Eventually the US backed Greek Kingdom won restraining communism in Greece but increasing the arms race between the Soviet Union and the US. -
Potsdam Conference
This conference was held in Germany following the end of WW Two and was participated in by most notably the big three: Truman, Churchill. and Stalin. The goal of the conference was to decide how to administer Germany and establish some order to counter the effects of the war. During this conference they also decided to divide Germany into four zones. -
Arab League
This league was originally formed by six of the Arabic speaking countries in Africa and Asia in order to promote their independence and protect their interests. Another reason for its forming was to form stronger relationships between Arab countries. -
Berlin Airlift
This was the first notable conflict of the cold war. The soviets cut of power and transportation to west Berlin. In order to avoid a conflict, Truman had supplies airlifted to West Berlin, bypassing the Soviet blockade. This event eventually led to the formation of the German Federal Republic. -
Marshall Plan
This was a program aimed at giving aid to western Europe in response to the devastation of World War Two. The Marshall plan was also directed to prove the value of democracy and capitalism as well as promoting free trade. This is a key development in post war globalization. -
Indian Constitution
After successfully gaining independence from Great Britain, India finally had hope for the future. The constitution is the frame work for a democratic nation and supports the concept of universal suffrage. India was also considered the largest functioning democracy at the time. -
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Green Revolution
This was a period of time where the transfer of technology was intended to increase global agricultural production. Some of the technologies used were high yielding crop varieties, fertilizers, new irrigation methods, mechanized cultivation, and scientific farming methods. These methods targeted areas of potentially high yield like Mexico, India, and China, but also brought environmental problems with the growth in production. -
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Algerian War of Independance
Fought between Algeria and France, this war resulted in the Algerians winning and gaining their independence. This was an incredibly brutal fight in which the French used torture and the Algerians used acts of terrorism in guerilla warfare. -
Great Leap Forward
The Great Leap Forward was a program implemented by Mao Zedong aimed at rapidly developing China's agriculture and industry. It was also supposed to revolutionize education, and bring education to the country side, however this plan was somewhat unsuccessful and resulted in famines. -
United Arab Republic
This league was formed when Nasser merged Syria and Egypt to form the league in 1958. This cut off growing communism in Syria and led to fears that the United Arab League could control the worlds oil supply. Neither Russia nor the US could really get involved with the situation for fear of alienating themselves with Nasser. This eventually led to Jordan and Iraq forming a security regime to counter the UAR. -
Castro's Revolution
This revolution was led by Fidel Castro against the government of Batista. Castro's eventual victory over Batista led him to adopt a communist system of government much to the chagrin of the United States. The infamous battle of The Bay of Pigs took place during this revolution and led to tensions between the US and Cuba. -
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Great Chinese Famine
This was one of the most deadly famines in history claiming the lives of millions of Chinese. A big cause of this famine was the Great Leap Forward which improperly distributed food and did not implement good farming techniques which led to mass starvation. Also the fact that many farmers left for industry jobs, left the food production industry short staffed. -
Gulf of Tonkin
This incident took place of the coast of Vietnam when the USS Maddox was allegedly attacked by three north Vietnamese boats resulting in the death of some north Vietnamese soldiers and the damage to their boats. This led to the escalation of US involvement in Vietnam and the eventual war. -
Six Day War
This war was fought between Israel and the UAR after Israel built an irrigation system that encroached on Egyptian land. The battle resulted in an Israeli victory after the United Nations brokered a peace deal. This battle heightened tensions and eventually led to the Yom Kippur War. -
Tet Offensive
This event was arguably the largest escalation of the war as Viet Cong troops attacked a number of South Vietnamese and American posts. The reason for this attack was to trigger political instability and start rebellions. Although the US and south Vietnamese won this fight, it was a political and strategic victory for the Viet Cong. The US would eventually withdraw from the war in 1973. -
Environmental Protective Agency
This agency was activated by Richard Nixon in response to confusing and often ineffective measures to preserve the environment. It is a federal agency whose main responsibility is enforcing environmental laws as well pollution prevention programs and energy conservation. -
Yom Kippur War
This was another war fought between the UAR and Israel but this time with the UAR being the initial aggressors. The UAR started off by beating the Israelis back and regaining the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula, but eventually Israel bounced back and defeated the UAR. This war lead to dangerous tensions between the US and Soviets who were opposing allies during this brief conflict. The continued fighting over Israel eventually led to the Camp David Accords . -
Chernobyl Disaster
This event took place in the Ukrainian part of the USSR and was one of the biggest nuclear disasters in history. This disaster released massive amounts of radioactive material into the air and cost about 68 billion to clean. Gorbachev's policy of glasnost was severely tested during and after this incident and ultimately led to the end of the Soviet Union. -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
This massacre was one of the most deadly confrontations between protesters and the army in which an estimated 7000 people lost their lives and many more wounded. This event took place in China and eventually led to massive reforms for the people and the economy although these changes came at an incredible cost. -
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Gulf War
This war escalated quite quickly after Iraq annexed Kuwait in order to control the trade of oil. This led to the US deploying troops who liberated Kuwait and the development of permanent UN troops in the Gulf region ever after. Saddam Hussein remained in power and become a sort of hero following the war. -
September 11, 2001
This day saw four planes hijacked by al-Qaida and flown into the World Trade Centers, and Pentagon resulting in 3000 deaths and ten billion in damages. This attack which took place in New York City led to the formation of The Department of Homeland Security and the ensuing war on terror.