20th Century World History Presentations
Causes of World War I
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World War I was a watershed moment in human history. The world before WWI and the world after were two different places. Understanding the causes of this great calamity is crucial to understanding how a world that didn't want war fell into one of the greatest wars of all time.
Topics covered in this presentation include: ♦ Brief Overview of the Franco-Prussian War ♦ The Growing Russian Empire ♦ Emerging Nationalism ♦ European Imperialism ♦ The Alliance System of Europe ♦ Assassination of the Archduke ♦ The Start of the War ♦ The Ottoman Empire's Reasons for Joining ♦ U.S. Neutrality and Eventual Entry into the War • SLIDES: 42 • HANDOUTS: CLOZE NOTES & REFLECTION QUESTIONS • VIDEOCLIPS: 3 CLIPS TOTALLING 20 MINUTES |
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The Treaty of Versailles
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The treaty that ended World War I was suppose to bring about an age of peace. Instead it sowed the seeds for the conflicts of what would be the most violent century in history.
Topics covered in this presentation include: ♦ The Big Four and what each wanted ♦ The Terms of the Treaty ♦ The War Guilt Clause ♦ German Reaction to the Treaty • SLIDES: 16 • HANDOUTS: CLOZE NOTES & REFLECTION QUESTIONS |
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The Russian Revolution
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Coming soon
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The Rise of Fascism
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The Rise of Fascism in Europe after WWI was a critical period during the 20th century. Millions suffered as a result and it would lead to WWII.
Topics covered in this presentation include: ♦ Features of Fascism ♦ Post WWI Europe ♦ Rise of Mussolini ♦ The Weimar Republic ♦ Hitler and the rise of the Nazis ♦ The Nuremberg Laws ♦ Hitler's Goals ♦ Spanish Civil War • SLIDES: 39 • HANDOUTS: CLOZE NOTES & REFLECTION QUESTIONS • VIDEOCLIPS: 4 CLIPS TOTALLING 40 MINUTES |
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The Western Democracies in the Interwar Years
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Between WWI and WWII the Western Democracies experienced a tumultuous period of social upheaval. While the United States became increasingly isolationist, Great Britain and France tried to keep the peace in Europe. The Great Depression would put increased pressures on all the governments of the world and create the conditions for radical leaders to take control.
Topics covered in this presentation include: ♦ U.S. Isolationism ♦ The Myth of the Roaring 20s ♦ The Stock Market Crash ♦ The Great Depression ♦ The Dust Bowl ♦ FDR and the New Deal ♦ The League of Nations and its failures ♦ U.S. Neutrality ♦ The Munich Agreement ♦ Nazi/Soviet Non-Aggression Pact • SLIDES: 45 • HANDOUTS: CLOZE NOTES & REFLECTION QUESTIONS • VIDEOCLIPS: 8 CLIPS TOTALLING 30 MINUTES |
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World War II
Coming soon
The Battle of Britain
Coming soon
Overview of the Cold War
Coming soon
The Korean War
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Sometimes called the forgotten war, this was one of the first major conflicts of the Cold War and a significant test for the new U.N. This conflict was fought essentially to a standstill and technically the two sides are still at war today.
Topics covered in this presentation include: ♦ Geography of Korea ♦ Background of the conflict ♦ Role of the U.N. ♦ Cold War Paranoia ♦ Role of China ♦ Truman Doctrine ♦ Stages of the War ♦ Legacy of the conflict • SLIDES: 32 • HANDOUTS: CLOZE NOTES & REFLECTION QUESTIONS • VIDEOCLIPS: 9 CLIPS TOTALLING 24 MINUTES |
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The Cuban Missile Crisis
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For thirteen days in October of 1962 the world stood on the brink of nuclear annihilation. The individuals would work tirelessly to prevent this while ensuring that their country's interests were protected.
Topics covered in this presentation include: ♦ Brief History of Cuba ♦ Geography of Cuba ♦ Corporate America in Cuba ♦ Cuban Revolution ♦ Bay of Pigs ♦ The Start of the Crisis ♦ The Outcome ♦ The Legacy • SLIDES: 25 • HANDOUTS: CLOZE NOTES & REFLECTION QUESTIONS • VIDEOCLIPS: 8 CLIPS TOTALLING 20 MINUTES |
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The Vietnam War
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What should have been a relatively minor engagement for the American military became a defining event for a generation of Americans. For the Vietnamese, it was known as the Resistance War against America and was more about driving out an invader rather than any abstract political ideology.
Topics covered in this presentation include: ♦ Geography of Vietnam ♦ First Indochina War ♦ Geneva Peace Accords ♦ Diệm’s Regime and Opposition to it ♦ Viet Cong ♦ The Gulf of Tonkin Incident ♦ Anti-War Demonstrations ♦ Ho Chi Minh Trail ♦ Reasons for American defeat • SLIDES: 48 • HANDOUTS: CLOZE NOTES & REFLECTION QUESTIONS • VIDEOCLIPS: 9 CLIPS TOTALLING 24 MINUTES |
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The Fall of the Soviet Union
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The fall of the U.S.S.R. was the final act of Communism in Europe. It brought to an end decades of Cold War with the West and ushered in a new era of hope at the end of the 20th century. The reasons for the fall of one of the world's superpowers are complex and the ramifications are still being played out today.
Topics covered in this presentation include: ♦ Stagnation of the Soviet Economy ♦ Mikhail Gorbachev ♦ Glasnost and Perestroika ♦ Renunciation of the Brezhnev Doctrine ♦ Fall of Communism in Easter Europe ♦ Fall of the Berlin Wall ♦ Soviet Coup 1991 ♦ Boris Yeltsin ♦ Commonwealth of Independent States ♦ External Factors - Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II • SLIDES: 47 • HANDOUTS: CLOZE NOTES & REFLECTION QUESTIONS • VIDEOCLIPS: 6 CLIPS TOTALLING 26 MINUTES |
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China in the 20th Century
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China has gone through extraordinary change throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century. It resisted imperialism in the early 20the century, experienced a civil war, became a leader of the communist world, and is now become an economic powerhouse. This transformation has not come without a cost to the people of China.
Topics covered in this presentation include: ♦ Geography of China ♦ Brief Summary of Chinese History ♦ Western Imperialism ♦ Boxer Rebellion ♦ Republic of China & Sun Yat-sen ♦ Chiang Kai-shek and his Anti-Communist Purges ♦ Mao Zedong and the Long March ♦ Chinese Civil War ♦ China in WWII ♦ Communist Victory ♦ Tibet ♦ Sino-Soviet Split ♦ The Great Leap Forward ♦ The Cultural Revolution ♦ Deng Xiaping and his Reforms ♦ Tiananmen Square ♦ Hong Kong ♦ China's Challenges in the 21st Century • SLIDES: 50 • HANDOUTS: CLOZE NOTES & REFLECTION QUESTIONS • VIDEOCLIPS: 5 CLIPS TOTALLING 15 MINUTES |
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South Africa: The History of Apartheid
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The history of European colonization and the rise of Apartheid is a long and interesting story. It's roots lie not just in racism but also in greed and exploitation. Those who resisted this unjust system would become heroes of the 20th century.
Topics covered in this presentation include: ♦ A Brief History of the Country prior to the 20th Century ♦ Different Perspectives on why Apartheid Developed ♦ The Gold Mines ♦ The Pass Laws ♦ Early Resistance Movements ♦ Apartheid Laws ♦ The ANC and the ANC Youth League ♦ Nelson Mandela ♦ Steve Biko ♦ Soweto Uprisings ♦ The Reform Movement ♦ Election of Mandela ♦ The Truth and Reconciliation Commission • SLIDES: 55 • HANDOUTS: CLOZE NOTES & REFLECTION QUESTIONS • VIDEOCLIPS: 6 CLIPS TOTALLING 20 MINUTES |
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The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
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This conflict is one of the most controversial and complicated of the 20th and 21st centuries. Two peoples claiming one land against the backdrop of international affairs, this struggle has no clear end in sight.
Topics covered in this presentation include: ♦ Brief History of the Region ♦ Origins of the Conflict ♦ Sykes-Picot Agreement ♦ The British Mandate ♦ The Zionist Movement ♦ UN Partition Plan ♦ Wars fought by Israel and its neighbors ♦ Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) ♦ West Bank Settlements ♦ Gaza-Strip ♦ Occupation and Israeli Checkpoints • SLIDES: 26 • HANDOUTS: CLOZE NOTES & REFLECTION QUESTIONS • VIDEOCLIPS: 8 CLIPS TOTALLING 30 MINUTES |
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