Panama Canal

Defintion: International waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans built by the US in Panama ( 48 miles ) 

Dates: 1914 - present 

Significance: Improved US economy, ecouraged trade, and created shorter ways to travel

Karl Marx

Defintion:Prussian- German philosopher 

Dates:  May 5, 1818 - March 14, 1883

Significance: His ideas played a significant role in the development of the socialist movement and also inspired the foundation of future communist regimes.

Bolsheviks

Definiton: Assembly of revolutionary Russian Marxists who controlled Russian government in 1917

Dates: November 1917 

Significance: They laid the foundation of a new type of society in which the church ceased to be an important political factor and also abolished private property and ownership of land.

October Revolution of 1917

Defintion: coup d'etat that would overthrow the increasingly ineffective Provisional Government and replace them with the Bolsheviks. 

Dates: October 1917

Significance:Established Soviet Union

World War 1

Defintion: war fought between germany, austri-hungary, and the ottoman empire, against great britain, russia, italy, and france mainly because of the formation of the Alliance System

Dates: July 28th, 1914 - June 28th, 1919

Significance: Not only caused great stress on Germany's economy, but also led to formation of the Legue of Nations, Treay of Versailles, and a sense of insecurity in countries

Alliance System

Defintion: group of nations during WW1 that divided Europe into rival camps and required nations to support their allies

Dates: 1914

Significance: Caused Worl War One, or The Great War

Balkans (WW1) 

Defintion: Region of Europe ( former republics of Yugoslavia ) where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assinated. Also called "Powder Keg" of Europe

Dates: 1914 

Significance: Region where outbreak for WW1 began

Trench Warfare

Defintions: form of warfare in which each side of a war fights from within large holes or trenches dug into the ground

Dates: 1915

Significance: Was made to aid soldiers on the Western Front, but ended in huge losses for little gain 

Treaty of Versailles

Definition: Peace treaty signed after WW1 by Germany and it's allied powers

Dates: November 11th, 1918

Significance:Because the treaty forced blame of WW1 on Germany, led to the later WW2

Genocide

Defintion: Systematic killing of an entire people

Dates: 1900's

Significance: Sparked Hitler's attempt of eliminating Jewish race and began WW2

Human Rights

Definiton: Issued by UN, stating every human had a right to life, liberty, and the security of person

Dates: 1948

Significance: Set human rights standards for all nations and led to civil rights movement

Armenian Genocide

Definition: The Ottoman Empire's attempt at systematically decimating the entire Armenian population

Dates: April 15th

Significance: Almost entire Armenian population was eliminated

Fourteen Points

Defintion: Series of propsals in which Woodrow Wilson (US president) drew a plan to achieve long-lasting peace post-WW1

Dates: January 1918

Significance: Was not accepted or put into action, and was ratified by US Senate and led to WW2.

League of Nations

Definition: International association created post-WW1 meant to keep peace among the nations

Dates: 1919

Significance: Led to huge land losses for Central Powers and Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia were formed. Did little to keep the peace.

Great Depression

Definition: Massice economic slump following the collapse of the US stock market in 1929 

Dates: 1929 - early 1940's

Significance: Not only did the US economy suffer severly, but millions lost jobs, trade stopped, national income spiraled downwards, and other nations experienced their own depressions. 

World War 2

Definition: War consisting of virtually every part of the world, spurred by Hitler's attempt to rule Europe. 

Dates: 1939 - 1945

Significance: Began Holocaust, UN formed, Germany divided amongst France, Britain, US, France, Britain, US and USSR, cold war between US and USSR, potential nuclear war, and also led to Korean War

Militarism

Definition: Policy of lgorifying military power a holding an army prepared for war at all times. 

Dates: 1900's

Significance: Contributed to start of ww1

Totalitarianism

Definition: When a government controls every aspect aspect of public and also private life

Dates: 20th Century

Significance: Contributed to Hitler's ideas and rule of terror, inspired Stalin, and also led to Facist Italy

Facism

Definition: Politcal movement promoting extreme forms of nationalism, one-person rule, and expelltion of human rights

Dates: 1900's

Significance: Major nations fell to dictator control and were seperated into democratic and totaliraian camps.

Adolf Hilter

Definition: German dictator and leader of Nazi Party

Dates: April 20, 1889 - April 30, 1945

Significance: Responsible for WW2 and Holocaust 

Benito Mussolini

Defintion: Italian politician who promised to rescue Italy by reviving it's economy

Dates: 1883 - 1945

Significance: Was the first to establish a facist state and also brought Italy into Axis Alliance.

Winston Churchill

Defintion: Prime Minister of the UK who fought against Hitler's army

Dates: November 30, 1874 - January 24, 1965

Significance: One of the greatest orators of all time, he rallied his people against Germany at the Battle of Britain, which gave an advantage over Germany after finding Hitler's weakness and that he could be blocked.

Joseph Stalin

Defintion: Soviet Union leader and dictator who 

Dates: December 18, 1878 - March 5, 1953

Significance: Turned Soviet Union into world superpower at unimaginable human cost and took part in WW2, but also defeat Nazism.

Hedeki Tojo

Defintion: Prime minister of Japan during WW2

Dates: December 30, 1884 - December 23, 1948

Significance: Ordered attack of Pearl Harbor in December 1941. 

Holocaust

Defintion: Mass slaughter of Jews and others by Nazi regime during WW2

Dates: 1941 - 1945

Significance: UN came into existence, millions of Jews were killed, Israel became a country, glorified racism, and also showed how hatred can become an obsession.

Pearl Harbor

Defintion: Suprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Dates: December 7, 1941

Significance: Ended the Great Depression.

D- Day (Normandy Landing)

Defintion: Day when Allies began an invasion of European mainalnd during WW2

Dates: June 6, 1944

Significance: Ultimately destroyed Nazi Regime

Albert Einstein 

Atomic Bomb 

Cold War 

United Nations 

Israel 

Golda Meir

Definition: Israeli teacher and politician who was the fourth Prime minister of Israel

Dates: May 3, 1898 - December 8, 1978

Significance: International symbol of Israeli resolve who attempted peace after the war.

Mao Zedong

Definition: Chinese communist revolutionary

Dates: December 26, 1893 - September 9, 1976

Significance: Founded People's Republic of China and created Maoism.

Arms Race

Definition: Competiton between two or more parties to have the best armed forces

Dates: 1800's - present 

Significance: Nuclear arms race was central to the Cold War. Sparked larger and deeper rivalries amongst nations and countries.

Korean War

Definition: War between North Korea and the US that was the first Cold War military action

Dates: 1950 - 1953

Significance: Was an example of US policy of containment in action.

Vietnam War

Definition: War between US and vietnam in which the US fought to end communism

Dates: 1959 - 1975

Significance: Lead to formation of Vietnamization and Vietcong party (communist guerillas)

Lech Walesa

Definition: Polish politician, president, and human rights activist

Dates: September 29, 1943 - December 12, 1990

Significance: Co-founded Solidarity and led Poland out of Soviet bloc.

Natan Sharansky

Definition: Israeli politician and human rights activist

Dates: January 20, 1948 - present

Significance: Chairman and founder of Yisrael B'Aliyah and promoted the absorption Soviet Jews into Israeli society

Mikhail Gorbachev

Definition: First Soviet Union president

Dates: March 2, 1931 - present

Significance: Brought about massive social, economic,  and political changes to end the Soviet Union and the Cold War. 

Margaret Thatcher

Definition: Was the Prime Minister of UK lead the conservative party

Dates: October 13, 1925 - April 8, 2013

Significance: Saved Britain from self-destruction and prevented communism.

Mohandas Gandhi

Definition: Leader of Indian Nationalism in British-ruled India

Dates: October 2, 1869 - January 30, 1948

Significance: Helped India gain independence from Britain with the use of non-violent means.

Indira Gandhi

Definition: India's thrid prime minister and central figure of Indian National Congress Party

Dates: November 19, 1917 - October 31, 1984

Significance: First and only woman to serve as Indian Prime minister, setting examples for women and their roles in society across the world. 

Pope John Paul II

Definition: Pope of Catholic Church 

Dates: May 18, 1920 - Apirl 2, 2005

Significance: Advocate for lifes sufferings and opposed capital punishment. 

Mother Teresa

Definition: Catholic nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor

Dates: August 26, 1910 - September 5, 1997

Significance: Recieved Nobel Peace prize for humanitarianism. 

Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo

Definition: Association of Argentine mothers whose children disappeared in the Dirty War 

Dates: 1976 - 1983

Significance: Kept memory of missing children alive and also unified Argentine women affected by the Dirty War

Tiananmen Square

Definition: Where rebellion of young chinese students who wanted more democracy and less communism took place

Dates: 1989

Significance: Large tourism site and important historical place.

Nelson Mandela

Definition: South-African revolutionary who served as president

Dates: July 18, 1918

Significance: Was a symbol of peace-making (received Nobel-Peace Prize)

Radical Islamic Fundamentalism

Definition: Religious group of ideas promoting a return to the fundamentals of Islam

Dates: 19th Century

Significance: Ecouraged teachings of Quran

Al Qaeda

Definition: Militant Islamist organization formed by Osama Bin Laden

Dates: 1988 - 1989 - (supposed present)

Significance: Carried out several terrorist attacks on US and lead to War on Terror

Terrorism

Definition: Usage of threats or force to scare people or governments to change their current policies

Dates: present

Significance: Has caused great amounts of insecurity in regards to safety around the world and contributes to conspiracy theories. Global threat to anyone, and also effects new homeland security and other laws and action plans. 

Genocide in Rwanda

Definition: Mass slaughter of the Tutsis 

Dates: April 7th, 1994

Significance: Served as foundation for the creation of the International Criminal Court. 

9/11

Definition: Series of 4-coordinated terrorist attacks by al-Queda in New York and Washington D.C. 

Dates: September 11th, 2001

Significance: first effective attack on American soil which caused a great deal of deaths, turmoil, and homeland insecurity. Has also sparked a bigger investigation of terrorism in the US. 

Genocide in Darfur

Definition:

Dates:

Significance:

Globalization

Definition:

Dates:

Significance: