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Armenian Genocide
During World War I, the Ottoman Empire systematically exterminated 1.5 million Armenians through mass killings, starvation, and forced deportation. The genocide was motivated by a mix of ethnic hatred and political factors as the Ottomans feared Armenian support for Russian forces. -
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Communist Party of China (led by Mao Zedong) and the Nationalist Party (led by Chiang Kai-shek). The war ended with the victory of the Communists and the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 -
NATO Formation
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created to counter Soviet aggression and to promote collective security among Western nations. It was a response to fears of Soviet expansion after World War II. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was a U.S. policy to contain the spread of communism. It provided military and economic support to countries threatened by communist insurgencies, particularly in Greece and Turkey, during the early stages of the Cold War. -
Cold War
The Cold War was a geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States, marked by nuclear arms competition, espionage, proxy wars, and ideological battles. It was driven by conflicting ideologies: communism vs. capitalism. -
Partition of India
The Partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent nations, India and Pakistan. It occurred due to growing religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims, with the Muslim League demanding a separate state for Muslims, fearing domination by the Hindu majority in a united India. The partition led to massive migration, violence, and the displacement of millions, as Hindus and Sikhs moved to India, and Muslims to Pakistan. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was an American initiative to provide economic aid to Western Europe after WWII. Its goal was to prevent the spread of communism by stabilizing the economies of European nations. -
Start of The Arms Race
The Arms Race was a competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War to build more powerful weapons, especially nuclear bombs. Both nations sought to outdo each other in military technology, leading to the development of massive arsenals. This rivalry heightened tensions globally, but also deterred direct conflict, as both sides feared mutually assured destruction. -
Korean War
The Korean War was fought between North Korea (backed by the USSR and China) and South Korea (backed by the U.S. and UN). It was a proxy conflict in the Cold War and resulted in a stalemate, dividing the Korean Peninsula along the 38th parallel. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance between the Soviet Union and Eastern European communist states. It was established in response to NATO and served as a means to secure Soviet dominance over Eastern Europe. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a conflict between communist North Vietnam (supported by the USSR and China) and non-communist South Vietnam (backed by the U.S.). The war was driven by the fear of the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. -
Mutually Assured Destruction
The doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction was based on the idea that if either the U.S. or the USSR launched a nuclear attack, the other would retaliate with devastating consequences, thus deterring both from using nuclear weapons. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was constructed by East Germany to prevent East Berliners from fleeing to the West. It symbolized the division between the communist East and capitalist West during the Cold War. The wall fell in 1989, signaling the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. -
Cambodian Genocide
Led by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot, this genocide involved the murder of around 1.7 million people (including intellectuals, ethnic minorities, and perceived enemies). The regime aimed to create an agrarian society by forcibly evacuating cities and executing "enemies." -
Glasnost
Glasnost was a policy of openness and transparency initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union. It aimed to increase freedom of speech and reduce censorship, but it also led to the exposure of the government’s failures and accelerated political instability. -
The Balkans - Yugoslavia and Kosovo Conflict
The breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s led to violent ethnic conflicts, particularly in Bosnia and Kosovo. Slobodan Milošević, leader of Serbia, sought to maintain control, leading to wars and atrocities. NATO intervened in Kosovo in 1999 to stop the ethnic cleansing of Albanians. -
Fall of the USSR
The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 after years of internal pressure, economic collapse, and political reforms under Gorbachev. The failure of communism to address economic problems and demands for independence in Soviet republics led to its disintegration. -
War in Bosnia
The War in Bosnia was a conflict that erupted after Yugoslavia's breakup. Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs fought over Bosnia's independence, with Bosnian Serbs seeking to create a Greater Serbia. The war involved ethnic cleansing and atrocities, including the siege of Sarajevo. It ended with the 1995 Dayton Agreement, which established a power-sharing arrangement and brought an end to the violence. -
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide involved the mass killing of Tutsis by Hutu extremists. In just 100 days, an estimated 800,000 people were murdered. This occurred due to deep ethnic tensions, historical divisions, and the assassination of the Rwandan president, which sparked violence. -
Uyghur Genocide
The Chinese government has been accused of committing genocide against the Uyghur Muslim population in Xinjiang. This includes mass detention, forced labor, sterilization, and cultural suppression, motivated by a desire to control and assimilate the minority group. -
Work Cited
Brittanica.com
History.com
Book and slides