Unit 8: Global Conflict

1914 to 1991 CE

The 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.

Lesson 8.1

Century of Conflict

The twentieth century was shaped by war—two world wars and the Cold War. Why did these global conflicts happen, and how did people live through them?

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.