World History Events 1914 to Present

  • Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand

    Franz Ferdinand was assassinated for political causes. Being the heir to the Austrian throne, Serbians did not like him and the goal of the assassination was to break off Austria-Hungary's south-Slav provinces.
  • Japan makes 21 Demands on China

    The 'Twenty-One Demands' - comprising five groupings - required that China immediately cease its leasing of territory to foreign powers and to ascent to Japanese control over Manchuria and Shandong (Shantung) among other demands.
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    French defeat of Dien Bien Phu

    The Gallipoli campaign resonated profoundly among all nations involved. In Turkey, the battle is perceived as a defining moment in the history of the Turkish people—a final surge in the defence of the motherland as the aging Ottoman Empire was crumbling
  • Bolshevik Revolution

    The Revolution impacted the world by bringing Communism to the big stage and becoming one of the biggest communist countries. It ushered in the Soviet age.
  • German invasion of USSR

    Germany declared the area around the British Isles a war zone, in which all merchant ships, including those from neutral countries, would be attacked by the German navy. A string of attacks on merchant ships followed, culminating in the sinking of the British ship Lusitania by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915
  • German resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare

    Germany declared the area around the British Isles a war zone, in which all merchant ships, including those from neutral countries, would be attacked by the German navy. A string of attacks on merchant ships followed, culminating in the sinking of the British ship Lusitania by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915
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    Civil War in Russia

    This war was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in St. Petersburg and subsequently gained control throughout Russia.
  • Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

    This treaty marked the exit of Russia from World War I. It was signed by the Central Powers and Russia.
  • Paris Peace Conference

    This was a meeting of the Allied victors following the end of WWI to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918.
  • Mussolini launches fascist movement in Italy

    Mussolini brought fascism into Italy and affected the country.
  • May Fourth Movement in China

    The May Fourth movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing. It was about the Chinese goverment's response tot he Treaty of Versailles.
  • Establishment of Warsaw Pact

    an enthusiastic ‘genevoise’ crowd welcomed the delegates of the First Assembly of the League of Nations. A ceremony, at the foot of the statue of Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the same day, recalled that the choice of Geneva as the headquarters of the first political international organization in history is not insignificant, and refers to the famous ‘Spirit of Geneva’ that the first years of existence of the League of Nations have praised.
  • Lenin's new Economic policy

    The New Economic Policy was an economic policy proposed by Vladimir Lenin, who called it state capitalism, allowing some private ventures to reopen for private profit.
  • Ataturk proclaims Republic of Turkey

    The founding of the Republic of Turkey was one of importance because of the emphasis the country placed on its Republican government. It strived to be a fair state.
  • First meeting of the Legue of Nations

    list of economic goals, created by Joseph Stalin and based off his policy, that was designed to strengthen the country's economy between 1928 and 1932. The main concerns of the First Five-Year Plan focused on making the nation militarily, industrially, and finacially self-sufficient.
  • US stock market crash

    The stock market crash spun the US and the world into a severe depression, leading to starvation and job loss. It devestated the country.
  • Civil disobedience movement in India

    Tired of being controlled by Britain, M. Gandhi started a peaceful revolution to become an independent state. He revolutionized the idea of rebellions and his ideas were very effective
  • Japanese invasion of Manchuria

    The Japanese invasion of Manchuria began on September 19, 1931, when Manchuria was invaded by the Kwantung Army of the Empire of Japan immediately following the Mukden Incident. The Japanese established a puppet state, called Manchukuo, and their occupation lasted until the end of World War II.
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    Hitler is ruler in Germany

    The German dictator Adolf Hitler led the extreme nationalist Arguably one of the most effective and powerful leaders of the twentieth century, his leadership led to the deaths of nearly six million Jews.
  • Sandino is murdered in Nicaragua

    Sandino was ambushed by the National Guard. While he was leaving Sacasa's Presidential Palace, they were stopped at the main gate by the Local National Guardsman.
  • Long March by Chinese Communists

    The Long March was a military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China, the forerunner of the People's Liberation Army, to evade the pursuit of the Kuomintang (KMT or Chinese Nationalist Party) army.
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    Stalin's "Great Purge" in USSR

    The Great Purge was a program, led by Joseph Stalin, that "purged' the Communist Party and government officials.
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    Invasion of China by Japan

    From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany, the Soviet Union and the United States. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the war merged into the greater conflict of World War II as a major front of what is broadly known as the Pacific War.
  • Gallipoli campaign

    Annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938. Devoted to remaining independent but under considerable pressure from both Austrian and German Nazis
  • Cardenas nationalizes oil industry in Mexico

    President Cárdenas embarked on the expropriation of all oil resources and facilities by the state, nationalizing the U.S. and Anglo-Dutch (Mexican Eagle Petroleum Company) operating companies. Two hours before informing his cabinet of his decision, he made the announcement on the radio to the rest of the country.
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    Invasion of Pland by Germany

    an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the beginning of World War II in Europe. The invasion began one week after the signing of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, and ended on 6 October 1939 with Germany and the Soviet Union dividing and annexing the whole of Poland.
  • German Auschluss with Austria

    Over 3.9 million troops of the Axis Powers invaded the USSR along a 1,800 mile front, the largest invasion in the history of warfare. The ambitious operation marked both a manifestation of Adolf Hilter's persistent desire to conquer the Russian territories and the start of the battle which proved most pivotal in deciding the victors of the war.
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    Soviet victory at Stalingrad

    THe Basttle of Stalingrad was a major battle of WWII in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviety Union for control of the city of Stalingrad.
  • D-Day, Allied invasion of Normandy

    D-Day was one of the largest military movements in history. It marked the beginning of the end of WWII.
  • Division of Berlin and Germany

    Berlin, the capital of Germany, was split into four zones, each representing a different area. It started some fuss.
  • Establishent of United Nations

    International organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. It contains multiple subsidiary organizations to carry out its missions.
  • Capture of Berlind by Soviet forces

    1. The capture of Berlin marked one of the last battles of World War II.
  • Establishment of Warsaw Pact

    Mutual Defense treaty between eight communist states of Eastern Europe in existence during the Cold War. The founding treaty was established under the initiative of the Soviet Union.
  • Atomic bomb of Hiroshima

    The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the only two recorded uses of nuclear weapons in war to date. The event opened up for the creation and advancement of other nuclear weapons, and the use of the Fat Boy and Little Man destroyed these two cities.
  • Atomic bombing of Nagasaki

    The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the only two recorded uses of nuclear weapons in war to date. The event opened up for the creation and advancement of other nuclear weapons, and the use of the Fat Boy and Little Man destroyed these two cities.
  • Partition of India

    THe Partition of INdia was the partition of British India into three parts on the basis of religious demographics. This led to the creation of new states.
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    Apartheid in South Africa

    Apartheid was racial segregation in South Africa. It was worsened by the large population of whites in South Africa, and was characterized by the violence shown towards blacks.
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    Arab-Israeli War

    The Israeli War was a war for independence. It was fought between the State of Israel and a partnership of Arab states and Palestinian Arab forces, and ended in the signing of the Armistice Agreement.
  • Creation of Israel

    The creation of the state of Israel gave Jews a place to live. It was seen as God fulfilling a promise.
  • Establishment of NATO

    The creation of the North Atlantic Trade Organization standardized warfare and works to provide a peaceful world .
  • Establishment of People's Republic of China

    The People's Republic of China was founded on a land that was ravaged by a century of foreign invasion and civil wars. The people were defined as a coalition of four social classes: the workers, the peasants, the petite bourgeoisie, and the national-capitalists
  • US Troops in Vietnam

    THe US gov. viewed involvement in VIetnam War as a way to prevent communist takeover of South Vietnam as part of their wider strategy of containment.
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    Korean War

    was a war between the Republic of Korea (supported primarily by the United States of America, with contributions from allied nations under the aegis of the United Nations) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (supported by the People's Republic of China, with military and material aid from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). The Korean War was primarily the result of the political division of Korea by an agreement of the victorious Allies at the conclusion of the Pacific War at th
  • First Soviet Five-Year Plan

    climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps communist-nationalist revolutionaries. The battle occurred between March and May 1954 and culminated in a comprehensive French defeat that influenced negotiations over the future of indochina at Geneva.
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    Algerian war of liberation

    This decolonization war ended in the independence of Algeria from France. It was violent and long, and led to the collapse of the French Fourth Republic.
  • Uprising in Hungary

    This was a random nationwide revolt against the government of Hungary, and its Soviet-imposed policies.
  • Suez crisis

    During this time, the Suez canal became the focus of amajor world conflict. The canal represents the only direct means of travel from the Mediterranean to teh Indian Ocean, which makes it vital to trade.Both Britian and France wanted to control it.
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    German resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare

    The Great Leap Forward was Mao's attempt to moderize China's economy so that by 1988, China would have an economy that rivalled America. The Great Leap Forward planned to develop agriculture and industry. Mao believed that both had to grow to allow the other to grow. Industry could only prosper if the work force was well fed, while the agricultural workers needed industry to produce the modern tools needed for modernisation. To allow for this, China was reformed into a series of communes.
  • Castro comes to power in Cuba

    Fidel Castro coming to power was very influential. He supported communism, and kicked the United States out of Cuba.
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    SIno-Soviet Rift

    Sino-Soviet split was orsening of political and idealogical relations between the People's Reublic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic.
  • Construction of Berlin Wall Begins

    The Berlin Wall was constructed to separate East and West Germany. It was extremely symbolic and basically separated communism and socialism
  • Creation of PLO

    The Palestine Liberation Organization pushed for the creation of an Arab state.
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    Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan

    When the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, it was covered around the world. It represented the Soiet's decline and was sometimes referred to as teh "Soviet Union's Vietnam War."
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    Iran-Iraq War

    armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the 20th century. The war began when Iraq invaded Iran, launching a simultaneous invasion by air and land into Iranian territory on 22 September 1980 following a long history of border disputes.
  • Reunification of Germany

    This event was the reunification of East and West Germany, and Berlin became one again. It represented a loss for socialism.
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    Persian Gulf War

    This war was between a UN coalition force and Iraq, in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.
  • Collapse of USSR

    The collapse of the USSR was significant in that a large superpower, generally known as bad, was done. It was seen “as a victory for freedom, a triumph of democracy over totalitarianism, and evidence of the superiority of capitalism over socialism.” It was the end of the Cold War.
  • Transfer of British Hong Kong to China

    This event marked the end of British's control over China, and was impactful because it was one of the last British colonies left.