World History

World history extends from the period from 1757 (Industrial Revolution) to the Cold War era.
Includes WWI, WWII, American Revolution and French Revolution.

Topics:

1. American Revolution (Causes, Significance, Relation between AR and FR) : ARis for Political
freedom
2. American Civil War (causes, sign) but Civil war is about social freedom.
3. French Revolution (Causes, Significance, Role of Napolean in FR, significance of Congress of
Vienna) Before there was League of Nations, first collective organization was Cong of Vienna.
4. Industrial Revolution (Causes, Characteristics)
5. Unification of Germany ( Causes, Bismarck and his policies)  1871
6. Unification of Italy  1871
7. Meji Restoration in Japan
8. WWI (causes, Events, Impact, Treaty of Versailles)  1914- 1919
9. Nazism ( Factors which facilitated and its impact)
10. Rise of Fascism in Italy and comparison with Nazism
11. Russian Revolution (Causes, Significance)
12. Communist Revolution in China (around WWII)  Factors, Events, Policies of Mao, Role of
Mao Zedong in China. Boxer Rebellion and Opium Wars.
13. American Depression of 1929 (Causes, Impact)
14. League of Nations after WWI to prevent WWII ( Factors for formation and reason for its
failure)
15. WWII ( Causes and Role of Japan, Role of Appeasement policies of allied powers) (Axis
powers and allied powers) ( Impact of WWII Formation of UN (Causes, Objectives,
Functioning in Cold War era)
16. Cold War (Causes, Events, Characteristic)
17. Korean War
18. Vietnam War
19. Cuban Missile Crisis
20. Suez Canal Crisis
21. Israel- Palestine Issue
22. EU
23. Causes fir Collapse of Soviet Union
24. NAM
Enlightenment
Period from 1500- 1700 in Europe. Number of changes happening. One of the things was the
age of Scientific Evolution, Eg dev of telescope by Galileo. Galileo through telescope
proved that Copernicus was correct and sun is the center of the Earth. Germ Theory of
Disease etc. So, scientific explanations were being given as against the religious explanation.
Similarly, Newton’s discovery of Gravity. A no of these scientific developments ended up
questioning of theories of the church. With the development of industrial revolution,
individualism and material satisfaction within this world was being focused upon which was
in friction with Church’s teachings. Thus, this perid was the enlightenment era.
These developments also had an impact on other areas like:
Political development: Divine Rule was questioned with decreasing legitimacy of Church.
Questions were being posed about why should be the nobility rule? This led to a number of
political writers who started questioning the political structure. The political philosophers
were:
 John Locke: He questioned why must a king rule, what are his duties. He is of the opinion
that State is in existence for three purposes;
1) Man was free in the state of nature. There were no boundation. The reason for
devising State was to protect the life, liberty and property of individuals.
2) Humans were born with pre existing natural rights of life, liberty and property.
3) Also questioned the divine right to rule of the nobility. He is saying that state is
coming into existence as a voluntary institution then what justifies the divine right of
nobility to rule.

Different constitutions of the world talk about the right to life, liberty and property. The
reason is because that one of the original framers of the constitution were the land
elites. This was because this was the time of feudalism in Europe.

 Rousseau: R was behind the social contract theory. Locke is pointing out the functions of
the State and debunking the idea of the divine right to rule. R is saying that 1) people
have voluntary come together to submit themselves to an authority to ensure that the
state ensures the welfare of the state. 2) The social contract exists between the state
and the subjects. 3) And, if State doesn’t obey this contact, the state can be overthrown.
So the idea of democratic accountability is being brought forward by R.

 Voltaire: 1) He points out that source of evil is the Church. He says that Church owns 1/3
of land, can punish, can impose taxes. Showing the corruption and overarching influence
of church. 2) He argues for restricting the role of Church to religious affairs and keeping
it away from politics and economic affairs. So, he introduces the concept of secularism.

 Montesquieu: He argues that the problem is putting absolute power in one authority.
Advocated for separation of powers between legislature, executive and judiciary.
Exercise the rule of checks and balances.

 Beccria: Italy, promoted criminal justice system and fought against the torture of
criminals, advocated for abolition of capital punishment etc.

 Mary Wollstonecraft: Essay “ A vindication of Rights of a woman”. She disagreed with

Rousseau that women’ education should be secondary to men. “If all men are born free,
how is that the women are born slaves?”
 Idea Thinker Impact
Natural Rights: Life, Locke US Declaration of
Liberty ,Property Independence
Separtion of Powers Montesquieu France, US, UK
Freedom of thought and Voltaire US bill of Rights, French
Expression Declaration of Right of
Man and Citizen
Abolishment of Torture Beccaria Outlawed in Europe
Religious Freedom Voltaire Indian Constitution
Direct Democracy Rousseau Sweden, Scandinavian
Nations

Legacy of E’ment:
1) Belief in Progress  Scientific Revolution , Scientific Knowledge)
2) Secular outlook  Church’s dominance reduced
3) Importance of Individuals Humanism, rights, govt, social contract, Ada Smith’s
emphasis on individuals

E’ment spread though salons (social gatherings), pamphlets, papers, art, music etc.

Glorious Revolution: 1215- Magna Carta- Bill of Rights : 1688; British Revolution gave them
a constitutional monarchy that limited the powers of the monarchy

American Revolution:

Involved an armed overthrow of British colonial power from N America with French assistance.
America was always the land of settlers from Europe ( Britain, French, Spain, Portugal etc). N
America included Canada and US both. These settlers were usually the ones who were exiled into N.
America or traders. They were political fugitives, Traders etc. First settlers in N America are coming
from Europe. Of these settlers, most of the settlers on eastern coast were coming from Britain
( fugitives, traders, exiled etc). They were settling from 1600. A significant point to note is that
France and Britain were the great colonizers coming to S Asia and N. America.

Now, western coast of US was under French Control. While Eastern coast was under British. Anglo –
French rivalry is playing out here too as we have Carnatic wars going on in India. (1740- 1760- Anglo
French colonial dispute in N America) However, there was a difference between how the British
were treating N. America and S Asia. The treatment was not exploitative in N America like it was in S
Asia. There was no excessive tax burden. There was no direct British rule. Rather, they allowed
settlers self-government for these settlers and followed the policy of benign neglect or a soft
colonization toward the colony. Because there was a fear that the settlers will side with the French
and overthrow the British. This fear was there these erstwhile British subjects will not tolerate high
taxation. These subjects didn’t have a very strong loyalty towards the British crown because the
Crown neglected these settlers, there was no infrastructural development or any attention being
paid to them for their welfare. By the III Anglo Carnatic war, the French were defeated in N America
and South Asia. And French were forced to withdraw from both N America and South Asia by the
Treaty of Paris. So, the threat of French is diminished for British. This is the time when the policy of
benign neglect started showing a change to an exploitative taxation burden. This happened because
of the economic position of British due to continuous wars had gotten worse.

From 1763 to 1773:

 Stamp Tax: Additional tax for any documentation

 Navigation Acts: British colony were only to do trade with Britain but if they wanted to
do any trade with any other country, they had to pass through British, pay tax there and
then trade with a III country. But, these acts were not strongly before French were
effectively existed. These duties were called Townshend duties.
 Tea: In huge demand in N America. Produced in India and China. Exported to Europe and
from there to America. American traders would not obey the navigation acts. They
would route the goods from Europe and smuggle tea in America and sell at low prices.
But after the French were ousted, the British crown stated cracking down. Crown also
granted the sole right of buying and selling tea in America only to EIC. This was beneficial
for EIC but impacted American traders. This was the time around 1770s.
Americans had gotten used to benign neglect and an accountable local govt and
demanded the same. On the coast of Boston in 1773, when the tea came in, most of the
tea was thrown into sea by the American traders. This was Boston Tea Party. After this,
13 states on the Eastern coast were banding together to declare independence. At the
same time, British Crown started sending troops . This led to armed conflict. During this
time, the American subjects were supported by the French troops for around 7 years.
French send in finances, troops to provide leadership. It is said that American Revol.
Could not have been sustained without French. By 1783, British were forced to
surrender. Even through the French were economically weak and they still intervene. So,
after AR, French became weaker leading to imposition of taxes on French subjects. Now,
this led to French Revol. So, in a way the Anglo French rivalry didn’t benefit either
countries.
Native American Tribes were always sandwiched between the French and British. They
were not politically empowered. More marginalized.

Why does AR atter now? AR created a republic, USA that became a model for many nations of the
world

Causes of American Revolution:

Political Causes:
 Anglo French Rivarly(AFR): AFR to establish overarching or exclusive colonical control
over the N America Continent fuelled bitter wars between 1740 1763, ultimately
resulting in overthrow of French from the region.
 A shift away from the policy of benign neglect followed by the British Crown towards its
American Colonies from 1650 to 1750s. This shift happened primarily as the threat of
French collusion with American Subjects was no longer present after 1763.
 Economic Causes:
 Imposition of high taxation burden since 1763 by British Crown to deal with the financial
costs of the Anglo French wars from 1740- 63. Eg: Stamp Tax, Townshend duty on
essential commodities, Tea Tax, Strict implementation of Navigation Acts from 1763
onwards, Grant of exclusive monopoly in tea trade to EIC.
 These measures increased taxation burden on American subjects and they also impacted
the interests of American traders who led a series of revolts beginning from Boston in
1773 called the Boston Tea Party. Boston Tea Party was an immediate cause from the
Revolt as Americans raised the slogan of “No taxation w/o representation”, and argued
against the Crown imposing taxes against American subjects without their consent. The
British replied with the coercive acts of 1774 that abolished the local government in
Boston and British Troop were sent to suppress American Subjects.

Ideological Causes:
 Support from the ideas of Locke, European Philosophers etc. These ideas later inspired
French Revolution too.

Army:
 From 1776 to 1783 after the Philadelphia Conference saw the 13 eastern states
proclaiming independence, the American troops with a significant French Assistance
( mil and financial) managed to defeat British troops. It is commonly argued AR could not
have succeeded without French Assistance.

Impact of AR

 AR had a direct impact on French Revolution which followed a decade later because the
financial and military support extended by French monarchy worsened French
economical condition leading to imposition of taxes on French subjects.
 AR example was also being closely watched in Europe and France. The French soldiers
who participated in large numbers in AR argues that the same ideals must be upheld in
France.
 AR inspired attempts to establish popular governments after overthrowing monarchy in
Latin American Countries from 1800 onwards. Eg: Bolevrian Revolution in 1830 to
overthrow the monarchy.
 Success of AR brought a radical break with the past where monarchy was considered
inevitable and as the only way of structuring political institutions. America established
republican and democratic rule.

Second Treaty of Paris 1783

It ended the American War of Independence. Some of its important clauses were:

 Perpetual Peace between USA and Britain

 All US Colonies were recognized as free, sovereign and independent states, with
Britain giving up all claims on government, property and territory.

 US would give back confiscated lands of Loyalists.

  Spain signed a separate treaty with Britain and it got back Florida (lost to Britain after
the 1st treaty of Paris, 1763)

Constructive Criticism of American Revolution

1. In 1789, the United States Constitution came into effect first written Republic
Constitution. The Bill of Rights is the set of first ten amendments to the USA constitution and
includes freedom of speech, press, religion and justice under the law.
2. The American Revolution established the first democratic Republic in the world and the USA
soon embarked on Industrial Revolution.
3. The new Republic of the USA was not free of biases. The Republic was not truly democratic
as the women, the blacks and the Native Americans did not get the Right to Vote. Slavery
was a blot on the principle of equality and it could be finally abolished, only after the Civil
War of 1861-65 between the Northern and the Southern States of USA
4. the most important contribution of American Revolution was its contribution to ideas of
Liberty, Equality, Fundamental Rights, Nationalism and anti-colonialism. The idea of equality
with no special privileges to Nobility was radical at a time when much of the world was
under Feudalism.
5. The idea of no taxation on property, which flowed from the Right to Property, was also novel
in those times. Thus American Revolution was a revolution in ideas and system of Polity and
it impacted the future events, the most prominent of them being the French Revolution of
1789.

Reasons behind the Global 7 years war:

1. In NA British had 13 colonies on the east coast but they wanted to expand to the West coast
which was French Colony. French wanted to prevent British hegemony.

2. British was undergoing industrial Revolution from 1750s onwards making British goods
competitive, also emerging as a naval power and France feared that Britain would threaten
French colonies in the Caribbean which had large natural resources especially Gum.

3. In india, Battle of Plassey in 1757 between Nawab of Bengal (Siraj) and EIC made British the
sole traders by ousting French. Further in the batte of Wandiwash between French and Brits,
British established their supremacy in South Asia while French were restricted to Pondicherry.

Result of the 7 year war:

1763 Treaty of Paris:

 Britain got Canada from France and Florida from Spain

 France retained Caribbean Sugar Islands
 3)Spain's control over Cuba and Philippines was recognised.
 The war reduced the domination of France and British consolidated its colonial power.
 Laid the ground for American Revolution ( 1765-83) and French Revolution ( 1789)

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

 Happening almost 100 years later AR. From 1760 to 1860s, the 13 states convinced
other states of America to form United States of America. A number of territories were
also purchased like Alaska etc. Thus USA is being formed by joining hands with southern
and eastern states. Most of these states already had their own constitutions and since
they were voluntarily coming together, they also had a common Constitution. One of the
things since inception was the US constitution had nothing about the right to secede. A
number of states out of these 55 members who were drafting the constitution of US
including Thomas Jefferson had their own slaves which is why the Bill of Rights had
nothing against slavery. There was no universal adult franchise. This shows that
American Revolution was not politically empowering, no concept of gender equality,
major land reforms were not brought about. Since, these issues were not addressed by
AR, civil war happened 100 years later. This also shows that AR was not as revolutionary
as it should have been.

Southern States with plantation was a huge economic activity in America in southern
states depending upon cheap labour of slaves. Keeping slaves was also kept as a matter
of social prestige. Initially slavery was practiced in Northern and Southern States of
America but with industrial revolution in Northern America, slavery was drastically
reduced. This is why there was a wave against the policy of Slavery. Lincoln was the first
contestant to take slavery as a cause. When this happened, the southern states declared
that if Lincoln succeeds the southern states would secede. At this point, Lincoln assured
southern states that he would not abolish slavery without the consent of southern
states. When the Southern states did not relent, Lincoln said that American constitution
doesn’t allow the right to secede and sent in American army to crush any opposition in
1861. Thus American civil war began in 1861 to 1864. As a consequence, 13 th
Amendment was brought about declaring that there is no right to secede. Also,
expenditure on army increased after civil war. Plus slavery was abolished. Abolition of
slavery didn’t mean that there was political or social empowerment of black population,
They still faced inequality. This brought about American Civil Rights movement later.
There was no focus on women rights either. That is why when we compare Indian and
American constitutions, we find that Indian Constitution was a much more evolved
documents where in one stroke, India was granting a lot of these rights that America
took years to grant to its citizens despite becoming independent of the British crown.

Causes:
 The American Civil was a result of a major dispute between the Northern and Southern
States of USA over 2 issues:
 Abolition of Slavery: While the Northern States which had moved towards
industrialization supported the abolition of slavery, the southern states were
predominantly dependent on agriculture specifically plantations and hence used
slave labour in large amount. Moreover, slave ownership was seen as a reflection of
social status in Southern states. This economic and social role of slavery saw them as
opposing any move to abolish slavery.
 The dispute over the existence of right to secede. Lincoln’s open support to abolish
slavery saw the southern states proclaiming their intention to secede and form an
Union of their own. However, Lincoln clarified that though the union of States of
America was voluntary, the states enjoyed no right to secede. Thus, from 1861 to
1865 the armed conflict broke out as southern states attempted secession and the
American Army was sent to crush the attempt leading to the American Civil War.
French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars product of the dysfunctional
society characterized by Feudalism

Reasons behind French Revolution

1. Three Estates
th
18 century France was divided into three classes or estates. Clergy was the first estate, the Nobles
were the second estate and the third estate included the middle classes, the artisans, the city.
workers and the peasants. Clergy was the largest landowner. Nobility had a monopoly on all the
important official positions in the government. However, the Clergy and the Nobles did not pay any
taxes and did no productive work. Peasants formed 80 per cent of the population. The landowner
peasants formed a very minute percentage. tenants had to pay 2/3rd of their produce in rent.
landless laborers, on the other hand, lived on paltry wages. The middle classes were the educated
people like writers, doctors, civil servants. Though economically important, they enjoyed very little
social prestige and political rights in the society. This group was called the burgeoiuse and was highly
influenced by ideas of liberty and equality. The Artisans and city workers also lived a miserable life
of poverty. Third Estate did not have voting rights. tax burden was solely borne by the Third Estate
major source for the grievance of people. For example, a peasant had to pay a fee to grind his flour
or press his grapes because the local lord controlled the flour mill and wine press. When the harvest
time came, the peasant had to work a certain number of days harvesting the noble’s crop. Peasants
fiercely resented these duties.

2. Unpopular Monarchy & financial troubles

favoritism in appointing officials (nepotism). France was in financial trouble due to costly wars like
the Seven Year WarAmerican Revolution had pushed France to bankruptcy as France had aided the
Americans against Britain. irony was not missed by the people of France. While France supported the
American Revolution (which aimed self-rule, liberty, equality and democracy for the people), the
way the Monarchy ruled in France was an anti-thesis to the ideas that formed the foundation of the
American Revolution. Although the economy had been expanding for fifty years, there were periodic
crises. Bad harvests in 1787 and 1788 and a slowdown in manufacturing led to food shortages, rising
prices for food, and unemployment.

3. Role of Enlightenment Thinkers

Grounding their arguments on Rationalism, the thinkers argued that man was born to be happy and
not to suffer as stated by the Church. Further, they focused on Secularism. The Doctrine of Nature
brought the Clergy under attack by the thinkers. Voltaire believed that all religion was absurd as it
was against the logics of reason.. principles of Laissez Faire and No Taxation without
Representation were stressed which brought the Nobility under criticism. Further, the ideas of
democracy were propounded by thinkers like Montesquieu and Jean Rousseau. French Revolution
and - the Renaissance of 14th century, Scientific Revolution from 17th century onward helped
undermine the authority of the Church.

Forces of Change:

 Enlightenment
 Economic Troubles ( bad weather, crop failure, cost and debts incurred during Indian
and American war, Versailles Palace extravagance)
 Weak leader( Mary Antoinette’s unpopularism  extravagance. Called madame deficit)
  Inequality and oppression

Events leading up to the French Revolution

1. Rather than cutting expenses, King Louis XVI raised taxes on III estate
2. Under influence of 2nd estate, forced Estate General meeting when France was on the verge
of financial collapse.
3. III estate wanted a constitutional monarchy and wanted the clergy and nobility to pay taxes
too.
4. Arguments on voting: III estate proposed one vote for each delegate when the Ist and II
estate proposed that 2 estates could outvote the 3 rd estate. King disagreed with the III estate
and supported I and II estate.
5. III estate establishes National Assembly in 1789 to pass laws in the name of French people
1st act of revolution. Was a death sound for absolute monarchy.
6. Tennis Court Oath: III estate arrived at their meeting place, only to find the doors had been
locked. They moved to a nearby indoor tennis court and swore that they would continue
meeting until they had a new constitution. The oath they swore is known as the Tennis Court
Oath. King stationed mercenary army of Swiss Guards around Versailles.
7. Storming Bastille: Rumour started going around that use of army to dismiss National
Assembly by foreigners. People began army themselves. Killed prison guard and other
commanders. Fall of Bastille a great symbolic act for French Revolution.
8. Great Fear Sweeps France: