History

• Reasons for Empire-building

  • Industrialization: Demand for raw materials and markets increased
  • Racial Superiority: Belief in European duty to civilize other countries
  • Christian Calling: Missionary efforts to spread Christianity
  • Nationalism: Nations demonstrated power through armies, navies, and land
• Causes of WW1

  • Alliance Systems: Formation of rival alliances heightened tensions
  • Anglo-German Rivalry: Naval competition between Germany and Britain
  • Increase in Military Spending: Arms race escalated tensions
  • War Plans: Detailed strategies heightened anticipation of conflict
  • Moroccan and Agadir Crises: Conflicts over French interests in Morocco
  • Problems in the Balkans: Instability and desire for independence fueled tensions
  • Bosnian Crisis: Austria-Hungary's annexation heightened tensions
  • Balkan Wars: Conflicts in the Balkan region exacerbated tensions
  • Assassination of Franz Ferdinand: Spark that ignited WW1
• Course of WW1

  • Initial Failures of War Plans: Schlieffen Plan and Western Front stalemate
  • Trench Warfare: Resulted in a deadlock and mass casualties
  • Eastern Front: Rapid Russian mobilization and German victories
  • Entry of USA: Impact of American intervention on the war
  • Armistice: End of WW1 with harsh terms for Germany
• Aftermath of WW1

  • Treaty of Versailles: Imposed reparations and territorial losses on Germany
  • League of Nations: Wilson's vision for international cooperation
  • Manchurian and Abyssinian Crises: League's failures to prevent aggression
• Causes of WW2

  • Treaty of Versailles: Humiliation and resentment in Germany
  • Money and Land Stripping: Crippling reparations and territorial losses
  • Weakness of League of Nations: Inability to address international crises
  • Great Depression: Economic turmoil facilitating rise of extremism
  • Rise of Hitler: Exploiting discontent and fostering nationalism
  • Appeasement: Failure of other nations to confront Hitler's aggression
• Reasons why Hitler lost WW2

  • Weak Allies: Ineffective partnerships and resource drain
  • North African Campaign: Failure to gain control of the Suez Canal
  • Bombing USA's Ships: Provocation of America's entry into the war
  • Operation Barbarossa: Misjudged invasion of Russia leading to defeat
  • Hitler's Ego: Tactical errors and overextension of resources
  • Battle of Stalingrad: Strategic blunder and loss of morale
• Industrial Revolution


  Transition from agrarian and handicraft economy to industry and machine production
• The Industrial Revolution started in 18th century Britain and spread globally
• Why the Industrial Revolution began in England

  • Inventions and Innovations: Key inventions like the spinning jenny and water frame were developed in England
  • Abundant Natural Resources: Britain had ample land, labor, and capital, essential for production
• Commodore Perry's Arrival: American warships forced Japan to open its economy to foreign trade

  1853
• Tokugawa Shoguns


  Ruled Japan for centuries with a rigid class structure, relying on agriculture for revenue
• Economic Problems in Tokugawa Japan

  • Taxation Issues: Dependence on agricultural taxes led to insufficient revenue, causing unrest among peasants
• Meiji Restoration


  Reformers called Meiji took control, initiating modernization efforts
• Meiji Restoration

  1. Overthrow of Tokugawa Rule

  2. Studied Western political systems, reformed education, and reorganized the military

  3. Japan accelerated industrialization through government involvement, expansion, and colonial annexations