Unit 8: Global Conflict
1914 to 1991 CEThe historian Erik Hobsbawm called the period from 1914 to 1991 an “Age of Extremes.” Examine the causes and consequences of the twentieth century’s global conflicts and grapple with the horrific cost of total war.
World War I
In the summer of 1914, the guns of war echoed across Europe and brought to a screeching halt all the “progress” and rapid interconnections of the long nineteenth century. Colonial connections soon spread the conflict globally. What caused this war?

Lesson 8.2
Causes of the First World War
Uncover the tangled causes of World War I—from imperial rivalries and alliances to nationalism and industrial power—in a world more connected than ever before.

Lesson 8.3
The First Total War
Investigate how World War I became the first total war, transforming warfare, mobilizing entire societies, and changing life for individuals across the globe.

Lesson 8.4
A World Remade
Examine how the First World War reshaped the world, from peace talks and revolutions to social upheaval and changes to the lives of people on every content.
World War II
Twenty years after the devastation of the First World War, the world was engulfed in another, even deadlier global conflict. Between the two world wars, internationalists faced off against a tide of rising authoritarianism and a new ideology called fascism.

Lesson 8.5
Interwar Ideologies
Learn how the global depression and instability after World War I helped fascism, communism, and authoritarianism take root around the world.

Lesson 8.6
The Second World War
No war has matched the scale and impact of World War II. Explore its complex causes, how it unfolded, and the far-reaching consequences it left behind.

Lesson 8.7
The Holocaust
Examine the horrors of the Holocaust and how the world responded to the atrocities committed against millions.
Decolonization and the Cold War
As World War II ended, new global conflicts were brewing. Across the colonized world, people demanded independence. Their struggles were soon entangled with the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Lesson 8.8
The Cold War
Explore the causes of the Cold War and how rising tensions, global competition, and fear of nuclear war shaped the second half of the twentieth century.

Lesson 8.9
Decolonization
How did the Cold War and decolonization affect each other? Discover how independence movements around the world were shaped by global rivalries, competing ideologies, and local struggles for freedom and justice.
Teaching This Unit
Reading Overview
Reading strategies to help students dig into a variety of texts.
OER Teaching Sensitive Topics in Social Studies Guide
Support for having discussions that are difficult, but meaningful.
Historical Thinking Skills Guide
Develop the skills needed to analyze history and think like a historian.
Differentiation Guide
Research-backed strategies for differentiation, modification, and adaptation.