Unit Four: From the Great War to the New Globalism (1914 — PRESENT)
Most historians agree that analyzing the "marker events" and important patterns in recent years is more difficult than assessing earlier periods, largely because don't know yet what the full consequences of the present and recent past will It is clear that major changes did occur during the 20' century, and that the era of 1914 was very different from today's Europe, but the process of identify the most important events and trends is by its very nature a tentative one. As have seen throughout history, each era builds on the developments of the previous one, and the era of 1914 to the present began with the important "marker eve of World War I.
The world in the early days of the 20" century before 1914 was very much dominated by western powers, which exercised political, economic, and social-cultural control over lands in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. T global power resulted from three interrelated changes that occurred during the from about 1815 to 1914:
At the turn of the 20th century the British Empire was very much in its heyday, and other European powers - such as France, the Netherlands, and Germany were Ills° strong imperialists. However, tensions were building among them as had happened in Europe so many times before. The quarreling states had clashed in the post-Napoleonic era of the 19th century (for example, the Crimean War), but they had also succeeded in avoiding conflicts by agreeing on the balance of power *principle established at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. By the early 20th century European dominance of the globe increased competitiveness among the region's nations, leading to two great wars that ended the imperialist world order of the 19th century.
The pace of change quickened significantly after 1914, so even though this era has of run quite 100 years so far, dynamics of interactions among societies are radially different today than they were in the early 20th century.
Although we cannot know the future consequences of events during this period of Europe's history, clearly some important developing patterns are shaping its continuing story. The relative influence of major civilization areas are re-balancing, contacts among civilizations are intensifying, and patterns of interactions an evolving. No matter what the eventual outcomes are, they will be heavily influenced by the people, events, and processes that preceded them, as the threads of the past are inextricably woven with those of the present and future.
Most historians agree that analyzing the "marker events" and important patterns in recent years is more difficult than assessing earlier periods, largely because don't know yet what the full consequences of the present and recent past will It is clear that major changes did occur during the 20' century, and that the era of 1914 was very different from today's Europe, but the process of identify the most important events and trends is by its very nature a tentative one. As have seen throughout history, each era builds on the developments of the previous one, and the era of 1914 to the present began with the important "marker eve of World War I.
The world in the early days of the 20" century before 1914 was very much dominated by western powers, which exercised political, economic, and social-cultural control over lands in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. T global power resulted from three interrelated changes that occurred during the from about 1815 to 1914:
- The formation of nation-states — Political organizations were transform from those based on the traditional power of kings to ones based on the concept of nation-states — people bound together by a common identity and rule of law. As a result, governments were better able to mobilize popular support for their ambitious economic and political endeavors.
- The Industrial Revolution — The economic power of western states v greatly enhanced by the Industrial Revolution, which increased product and technological capacity dramatically and provided a market incentive to control other areas of the world.
- Imperialism — The new world order created by industrialization divided countries into "have" and "have not" categories, and increased inequalities between rich and poor nations, allowing western powers to exercise pol cal, economic, and social-cultural control.
At the turn of the 20th century the British Empire was very much in its heyday, and other European powers - such as France, the Netherlands, and Germany were Ills° strong imperialists. However, tensions were building among them as had happened in Europe so many times before. The quarreling states had clashed in the post-Napoleonic era of the 19th century (for example, the Crimean War), but they had also succeeded in avoiding conflicts by agreeing on the balance of power *principle established at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. By the early 20th century European dominance of the globe increased competitiveness among the region's nations, leading to two great wars that ended the imperialist world order of the 19th century.
The pace of change quickened significantly after 1914, so even though this era has of run quite 100 years so far, dynamics of interactions among societies are radially different today than they were in the early 20th century.
Although we cannot know the future consequences of events during this period of Europe's history, clearly some important developing patterns are shaping its continuing story. The relative influence of major civilization areas are re-balancing, contacts among civilizations are intensifying, and patterns of interactions an evolving. No matter what the eventual outcomes are, they will be heavily influenced by the people, events, and processes that preceded them, as the threads of the past are inextricably woven with those of the present and future.
The Big Picture: 1914 — Present
These four themes run through the era from 1914 to the present that make it distinct from other eras:
These four themes run through the era from 1914 to the present that make it distinct from other eras:
- Two world wars, revolutions, and the Cold War reconfigured the system of nation-states in Europe. Two revolutions in Russia — in 1917 and 1991 — greatly altered relations among the countries, and international cooperation among European states created supranationalism, or a new order that has challenged the traditional organization of nation-states.
- Wars, revolutions, and economic disaster and recovery clearly changed Europe's place in the world, causing Europeans to re-evaluate their values and priorities. The 20th century brought genocide, terror, environmental disasters, and youth rebellions that challenged old values and cultural norms.
- Important social movements — such as rights for women and minorities and environmentalism — succeeded in at least some of their goals with the development of a post-industrial consciousness of quality of life and equality issues. At the same time, the optimism brought to people in previous eras by science and technology was replaced by mixed attitudes, as both positive and negative outcomes of "progress" were weighed.
- The everyday life of Europeans was altered by demographic shifts, urban migration, wide-scale warfare, and challenges to traditional social patterns. Mass culture expanded, and opportunities for education increased for many. Family life was impacted by changing gender roles, and birth rates declined further. Individuals were influenced by culture and technology from the United States, and ethnic and racial mixes of many countries, cities, and neighborhoods changed significantly.
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