Key Events and Movements of the Early 20th Century

Causes of World War I

Economic competition and regional rivalries between European countries in 1914 led to the First World War. The immediate trigger for the conflict was the assassination in Sarajevo of the heir to the Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand.

Two major groups were formed:

• The Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, later the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.
• The Allied Powers: France, Britain, and Russia, later joined by the United States, Italy, and Greece.

Development of World War I

The Western Front: Germany invaded Belgium, France, and Luxembourg, but the French managed to stop the advance.

The Eastern Front: The advance of the Central Powers was stopped by the Russian army.

USA Intervention in WWI

The U.S. declared war on Germany in 1917. Germany signed a peace treaty with Russia that year. In 1918, Germany surrendered.

Consequences of World War I

More than 10 million deaths and destruction of the economic wealth of the belligerent countries. The victorious powers decided on a new political map in the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

The Russian Revolution of 1917

At the beginning of the 20th century, Russia was a country ruled by an absolutist monarchy. In 1917, there was a popular revolution. It began in Petrograd with the attack on the Winter Palace and overthrew the absolute monarchy.

The Bolsheviks implemented communism and created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Key measures implemented included:

• The expropriation of crown lands, which passed into the hands of the working peasants;
• Worker control of factories with over 5 workers;
• The nationalization of banks;
• Withdrawal from World War I.

Stalinism in the USSR

Lenin died in 1924 and was succeeded by Joseph Stalin, a real dictator. He wanted the USSR to become one of the top industrial powers in the world. In 1927, the CPSU approved the first Five-Year Plan. The plans aimed at giving the USSR accelerated economic growth to reach the level of the most industrialized states. Stalin created an era of terror known as Stalinism.

Primo de Rivera Dictatorship (1923-1930)

Miguel Primo de Rivera's dictatorship (1923-1930):

• Suspended the constitution;
• Dissolved parliament;
• Prohibited political parties;
• Suppressed freedom of the press;
• Abolished the Commonwealth.

The Cubism Art Movement

Cubism has its roots in Paul Cézanne. It aimed to reproduce volume and reduce objects to their geometric components, influenced by African art. It features simultaneous views. It is a style of painting very close to abstraction. Major painters include Georges Braque, Juan Gris, and Pablo Picasso.