1914–Present

Major Developments

1. Questions of periodization
   1. Continuities and breaks, causes of changes from the previous period and within this period
2. The World Wars, the Holocaust, the Cold War, nuclear weaponry, international organizations, and their impact on the global framework (globalization of diplomacy and conflict; global balance of power; reduction of European influence; the League of Nations, the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Nations, etc.)
3. New patterns of nationalism (the interwar years; decolonization; racism, genocide; new nationalisms, including the breakup of the Soviet Union)
4. Impact of major global economic developments (the Great Depression; technology; Pacific Rim; multinational corporations)
5. New forces of revolution and other sources of political innovations
6. Social reform and social revolution (changing gender roles; family structures; rise of feminism; peasant protest; international Marxism)
7. Globalization of science, technology, and culture
   1. Developments in global cultures and regional reactions, including science and consumer culture
   2. Interactions between elite and popular culture and art
   3. Patterns of resistance including religious responses
8. Demographic and environmental changes (migrations; changes in birthrates and death rates; new forms of urbanization; deforestation; green/environmental movements)
9. Diverse interpretations
   1. Is cultural convergence or diversity the best model for understanding increased intercultural contact in the twentieth century?
   2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using units of analysis in the twentieth century, such as the nation, the world, the West, and the Third World?

Major Comparisons and Snapshots

• Patterns and results of decolonization in Africa and India
• Pick two revolutions (Russian, Chinese, Cuban, Iranian) and compare their effects on the roles of women
• Compare the effects of the World Wars on areas outside of Europe
• Compare legacies of colonialism and patterns of economic development in two of three areas (Africa, Asia, and Latin America)
• The notion of “the West” and “the East” in the context of Cold War ideology
• Compare nationalist ideologies and movements in contrasting European and colonial environments
• Compare the different types of independence struggles
• Compare the impacts of Western consumer society on two civilizations outside of Europe
• Compare high tech warfare with guerrilla warfare
• Different proposals (or models) for third world economic development and the social and political consequences

Examples of What You Need to Know

Below are examples of the types of information you are expected to know contrasted with examples of those things you are not expected to know for the multiple-choice section.

• Causes of the World Wars, but not battles in the wars
• Cultural and political transformations resulting from the wars, but not French political and cultural history
• Fascism, but not Mussolini’s internal policies
• Feminism and gender relations, but not Simone de Beauvoir or Huda Shaarawi
• The growth of international organizations, but not the history of the ILO
• Colonial independence movements, but not the details of a particular struggle
• The issue of genocide, but not Cambodia, Rwanda, or Kosovo
• The internationalization of popular culture, but not the Beatles
• Artistic Modernism, but not Dada