1. Ch. 19 - Sec. 1 (Text 504-509) The Changing Political Climate

2. Different Roads to Freedom (Pg. 505)
How did most nations gain freedom after WWII?
* Peacefully -
a. Many European nations were exhausted from
fighting in WWII
b. Had no desire for further conflict
c. European nations lacked the will and $ to
keep up with imperialism

3. Global Impact (Pg. 505)
How many new nations formed from the “great liberation?”
* Around 90
Were most of the new nations developing or developed? Why?
*Developing, because they lacked a government and
depended on other nations for economic support. They
were not modernized at all

4. Cold War Goes Global (Pg. 505)
Superpower – nations strong enough to influence the acts
and policies of other nations
* Competed for influence by offering economic and military aid
Who were the superpowers of the Cold War?
* Soviet Union and the United States
Non-aligned – not allied to either side in the Cold War
Why would smaller or new nations choose to be non-aligned?
* To reduce world tensions and promote economic policies
that would benefit developing nations

5. HOT SPOTS (Pg. 505)
Places, like Africa, Latin America, and Asia, that were more likely to have local conflicts during the Cold War
Mao Zedong’s forces won control in China – Chinese communist victory (contributed to tension)
What was the fear?
* Red Tide. What does that Mean?
- Communism would spread like a tidal wave.
Korea and Vietnam? Conflict over communism in these areas erupted into “shooting wars”

6. Cold War Ends (Pg. 506) Why did the Cold War end?
* Soviet Union collapsed in 1991

7. Ethnic & Religious Conflict (Pg. 506)
Many nations continued to face problems pertaining to ethnic and religious groups
Demanded greater independence to protect their cultural and political identity. For example,
* Kurds wanted autonomy in Turkey and Iraq
* In Kashmir, Muslims wanted independence from the
Hindus of India

8. New Nations Seek Stability (506-507)
Newly independent nations faced many problems:
* Some nations, like those in Africa, were created out
of European colonies that had been carved up during
the age of imperialism
* Many ethnic, religious, or regional divisions – few ties to
unite them
* Colonial rulers had done little to prepare the people for
self-government (nations lacked experience)
* Many new nations were weakened by revolution/civil war
* Military or authoritarian leaders often took control, built
one-party dictatorships, and banned other political parties
Despite problems, democracy made some progress in Africa, Latin America, and Asia (nations now held multi-party elections)

9. Regional and Global Organizations (Pg. 507)
Interdependence – The dependence of countries on goods, resources, and
knowledge from other parts of the world
THE UNITED NATIONS – Set up at the end of WWII to settle disputes
* Played a key role in decolonization
* Since then, it has played a key role in playing world-wide peacemaker
* They also provide services to other nations. For example,
a. World Health Organization (WHO)
- Established in 1948 to provide leadership on global public health matters.
- Helped wipe out smallpox through its program of vaccinations
- Now they work on projects to find a cure for AIDS
* They also sponsor global summits – conferences where world leaders come
together to discuss key issues – environment, women, and population

10. Other Organizations (Pg. 507)
NAFTA – North American Free Trade Association
* Lower trade barriers and promote free exchange of goods and services between
U.S., Canada, and Mexico (contributing to investment and economic growth)
GATT – General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
* 1947 – tried to establish fair trade policies for all nations
WTO – World Trade Organization
* 1995 – Goal was to establish global rules of trade
G-7 – Group of Seven
* Promotes economic cooperation
Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the U.S.
Russia was once a part of this too, but was later voted out (in March 2014) due to their aggressive ways, i.e., annexation of Crimea
IMF- International Monetary Fund
* Plays a large role in the world economy by making loans to developing nations

11. Global Issues (Pg. 508)
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) – Nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons that cause huge casualties
Deadly weapons:
* Since US exploded 2 atomic bombs in 1945, many nations have worked to
build nuclear weapons, which has raised global concerns
* In 1968, many nations signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),
agreeing to stop the spread of nuclear weapons
- treaty was renewed in 1995, but some nations refused to sign
* Even after the Cold War, many nations continued to spend $ on the
military – developing nuclear weapons
* Today, nations including India, Pakistan, and N. Korea have nuclear weapons
* Countries now have stepped up their efforts to limit spread of WMD

12. Human Rights (Pg. 508)
In 1948, UN members approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – all people are entitled to basic rights and freedoms “without distinction of any kind”
In 1975, Helsinki Accords guaranteed basic rights to include freedom of speech, religion, the press, a fair trial, to earn a living, and to live in safety
Despite efforts to ensure human rights, abuses (torture, arbitrary arrest, apartheid, etc.,) still occur around the world
* Chinese leaders, for example, argue that economic goals
of the community are more important than individual
political freedom

13. Terrorism (Pg. 509) Has increased around the world since the 1960s
What is terrorism? Why does it exist?
* Willful use of violence especially against civilians to
gain attention for their political causes and force
the government to meet their demands
Examples include:
* Northern Ireland – Extremists on both sides murdered civilians
* Munich Massacre (1972 Olympics) - Palestinians killed Israeli
athletes to push their demands for a Palestinian state
* 9/11 Attack – Terrorists opposed American policies in the
Middle East
To fight terrorism:
* Governments passed tough laws
* Increased security measures
* US declared a global war on terrorism and enlisted others to help

14. Intervention (pg. 509)
Does the world community have a duty to step in to end abuses?
Ethnic conflicts have led to debates over intervention to protect human rights
UN has a mixed record on intervention -
* 1990s, UN helped protect Kurds in northern Iraq
* UN slow to move when Serbs persecuted Muslims in
Bosnia.
* UN did not help Tutsis in Rwanda when they were
being massacred by Hutus