1444
Prince Henry the Navigator began exploring the west coast of Africa
He would go on to establish a special school for navigation
Portuguese Explorers
Henry the Navigator – Portuguese prince who sponsored exploration and expansion Invaded the Northern coast of Africa and
discovered great riches. Supported Navigation education in Portugal Opened a school and invited mapmakers,
shipbuilders, and navigators (expert sailors) from all over the country to attend.
His shipbuilders invented the caravel – a ship that was larger, stronger, faster, and easier to steer than other ships of the day.
1492
Christopher Columbus set sail to discover a shorter route to India.
He discovers the Caribbean Islands and incites a new vigor to explore
1519
Heran Cortes conquered the Aztecs and claimed parts of Central America for Spain
Ferdinand Magellan made the first round the world voyage Was the first to reach Asia Claimed parts of the Philippines for Spain
The 3 G’s
GOD –Some Europeans believed it was their Christian duty to spread Christianity
GOLD –Desire for new luxuries (spices & gold) sparked interest in exploration
GLORY- European countries began to compete w/ one another for NATURAL RESOURCES and TRADE POWER.
How Colonization produces Profits!
NATURAL RESOURCES raw materials taken from new colonies and shipped home>
Manufactured Goods Factories produce goods to be sold in market >
Markets Goods are sold in the home country & in the
colonies where the raw materials were removed.
World War I Powers
Allied Powers Great Britain
FranceRussiaItaly
Central Powers Austria-Hungary
GermanyBulgariaTurkey
1917: Russian and Bolshevik Revolutions begin
The Russian Revolution started in 1917 with the overthrow of the Russian monarchy, also known as a czarist government. The revolutionaries were educated Russians who were politically radical and were tired of the shortages faced because nearly all resources were sent to soldiers fighting on the front. Marxism sprang out of this revolution, along with anarchism. One of the revolutionist parties, the Bolsheviks, had started a revolution in 1903. In March 1917, Czar Nicholas II abdicated (stepped down from) his throne. The Bolsheviks gained control of the Russian government in November 1917 and created a dictatorship under Vladimir Lenin.
1919: Treaty of Versailles is signed
The Treaty of VersaillesThe Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, is considered one of the most punitive treaties in history. It set out to humiliate the Germans at the end of WWI by making them:
take full responsibility for the war pay reparations give up land in Europe and all of its overseas
territoriesIt is considered a direct cause of Hitler’s rise to
power and, therefore, World War II aggression.
Disappointed victors
Both Japan and Italy had fought alongside the Allies during WWI, but neither was fully satisfied with their rewards from the Treaty of Versailles. Italy had gained more land from the victory, but the treaty did not grant all of its claims.
Japan succeeded in gaining control of Germany's former colonies in the Pacific, but Japan's ultimate goal was to gain control of China, and China did not play a role in World War I. The first military activity in World War II would involve Japan attacking China to achieve this goal.
Appeasement policy
European nations thought it was better to appease German fascists who broke treaty restrictions than to take action. After terrible World War I, Europe wanted to avoid more fighting. Therefore, no action was taken when Hitler’s forces entered Czechoslovakia.
Depression and poverty
Europe was unstable between the two World Wars, largely due to economic reasons. Great poverty led people to accept radical change and the promises of fascist dictators like Hitler and Mussolini.
Communism
The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917 had Europeans worried. People feared the spread of Communism. Fascist dictators promised to prevent this spread.
Racism and Scapegoats
Impoverished people were quick to look for easy answers and people to blame. Scapegoats were desirable for the problems they dealt with. Jews, Poles (people from Poland), and Chinese all suffered for this.
Setting the stage for WWII
Political instability and economic devastation in Europe resulting from World War I Worldwide depression High war debt owed by Germany High inflation Massive unemployment
Rise of Fascism Fascism is a political philosophy in which total power
is given to a dictator and individual freedoms are denied.
Fascist dictators included Adolf Hitler (Germany), Benito Mussolini (Italy), and Hideki Tojo (Japan).
Imperialism
means trying to control other countries and take them over, in order to make one’s own country more powerful. Hitler gained power in 1933. He wanted to make Germany the most powerful country in Europe. Germany began taking over other countries. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Britain and France declared war. This started World War II.
World War II
was a worldwide military conflict that was one of the most devastating wars in human history. It began in 1939 as a European conflict between Germany and an Anglo-French coalition. However, it eventually widened to include most of the nations of the world. It ended in 1945, leaving a new world order dominated by the United States and the USSR.
1444
1492
1500
1519
1530
1770
1788
Prince Henry the Navigator explores the West Coast of Africa and founds a school
of NavigationChristopher
Columbus sets sail for India Pedro Carbal reaches
Brazil in the name of Portugal
Cortes conquers the Aztecs and claims
land for SpainFrancisco Pizarro
conquers the Inca and claims modern day Peru and Ecuador for Spain
British Captan James Cook claims Australia and New Zealand for
U.K. British found the first
colony in Australia as a “penal colony”
1914
1915
1917
1919
1933
1941
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated
beginning World War ISinking of the
Lusitania
The Russian Revolution begins in Russia
Zimmerman Telegram is intercepted
The Treaty of Versailles is signed
Hitler comes to power in Germany and begins
persecuting Jews The Holocaust begins – 6 million
Jews are Murdered
1945
1989
1990
1991
The beginning of the Cold War - date the Japanese formally surrendered thus
marking the end of World War II
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The United States and the U.S.S. R.
emerge as Superpowers after
WWII
Reunification of Germany
Fall of the Berlin Wall
•Perestroika
•The bay of pigs
•Cuban Missile Crisis
•Solidarity