Causes: Territorial conflicts, German economic growth, nationalist fervor, and an arms race (armamentism).
Alliances:
Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Italy.
Triple Entente: France, the United Kingdom, and Russia.
Trigger: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Nature of War: Characterized by brutal trench warfare, which served as both home and tomb for soldiers. The conflict escalated into a global power struggle.
Post-War Consequences for Germany: Lost colonies and territories to Denmark and Poland.
Peace Treaty: The Treaty of Versailles.
Defining Political and Economic Systems
Capitalism:
Often presents social injustice.
Features defined political organizations.
Seeks effective leadership.
Allows for social mobility (a poor person can become rich).
Private property is governed by the power of money and goods.
Communism:
Aims to eliminate social classes.
The state controls all aspects for social stability.
Promotes equality for all citizens.
Totalitarianism:
Characterized by a single leader in charge.
Absence of freedom of choice.
Democracy:
Guarantees freedom of choice.
Features multiple political parties.
The Cold War Era and Global Restructuring
Post-War Economic and Security Frameworks
Arms Race: Supported economies, fueled by the fear of another war, and served as a deterrence policy.
Truman Doctrine: A policy aimed at containing the advance of communism.
Marshall Plan: Provided economic support and low-interest rates for the reconstruction of Europe.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): Offered defense guarantees to member countries against military threats.
Bretton Woods System: Established the foundations of the capitalist economic order, leading to the creation of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Warsaw Pact: An agreement for cooperation among socialist countries.
Divided Nations and Proxy Conflicts
Divided Germany:
Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany): Supported by the USA.
German Democratic Republic (East Germany): Supported by the USSR.
Korean War:
South Korea: Supported by the U.S.
North Korea: Supported by China and the USSR.
Vietnam War: The U.S. supported South Vietnam to prevent communist expansion, deploying troops against the Viet Cong.
Sandinista Revolution (Nicaragua): The U.S. supported the overthrow of Anastasio Somoza's dictatorship.
The Soviet Union: From Stalin to Gorbachev
Following Stalin's death, the USSR experienced more dictatorial phases.
Nikita Khrushchev: Initiated a process of regime revision and "de-Stalinization." He recognized Stalin's crimes and introduced more flexible domestic and international policies, leading to a rapprochement with the West. His efforts, however, did not yield major impacts, leading to his fall.
Leonid Brezhnev: Succeeded Khrushchev, leading to a more rigid political climate.
Mikhail Gorbachev: By the early 1980s, the Soviet political system was in crisis with a depleted economy. Gorbachev represented the last significant effort to revive Soviet power.
The Chinese Revolution and Mao's Era
1949: The Chinese People's Republic was established, governed by Mao Zedong.
1949-1952: Communists governed with the support of other political groups, aiming to rebuild the country after conflicts.
Social Reforms: Women achieved equal rights.
Economic Policies: Implemented widespread agricultural collectivization and focused on industrial development, though this led to significant food supply problems.
The Great Leap Forward: A subsequent agrarian revolution that profoundly defined the character of Chinese Communism.
