WORLD HISTORY

Competencies:

1. Analyze the social, political, cultural and economic history and development of civilizations from ancient
period to the present
2. Analyze the influence and contributions of Western Civilizations on Filipino socio-cultural life in
particular and the world in general
3. Analyze causes and effects of modern conflicts and explore alternative ways to solve them
4. Determine global and national implications of geographical and industrial discoveries
5. Evaluate the scientific, political, social, and economic transformations in contemporary world

WHAT IS HISTORY?

 “HISTORIA”, means “inquiry”, knowledge acquired by investigation.

 It is the study of the human past.
 It is a field of research which uses a narrative to examine and analyze the sequence of events, and it sometimes
attempts to investigate objectively the patterns of cause and effect that determine events.

Historical method basis

The following questions are used by historians in modern work:

 When was the source, written or unwritten, produced (date)?
 Where was it produced (localization)?
 By whom was it produced (authorship)
 From what pre-existing material was it produced (analysis)?
 In what original form was it produced (integrity)?
 What is the evidential value of its contents (credibility)?

The historical method comprises of the techniques and guidelines by which historians use primary sources and other
evidence to research and then write history. While the history of the world is the recorded memory of the experience of
Homo sapiens, ancient human history begins with the invention, independently at several sites on Earth, of writing, which
created the infrastructure of lasting accurately transmitted memories and thus for the diffusion and growth of knowledge.
Nevertheless, an appreciation of the roots of civilization requires at least cursory consideration to humanity’s prehistory.

A. Prehistory – first arose between 400 to 250 thousand year ago during the Paleolithic Period
 Early peoples and their way of life
a. Australopithecus found in Ethiopia, estimated 4 million years old
b. Homo habilis used rough cut flint for tools
c. Homo erectus
1. Used simple tools
2. Used fire and cooked their own food
3. Developed language
4. Had their own form of burial customs
5. Were hunter-gatherers and nomadic people
d. Modern humans can be found in the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, Americas, and Oceania.
 Agricultural Revolution started between 8,500 to 7,000 BCE in the Fertile Crescent

The main characteristics of this era are the following:

 The development of agriculture began
 There were food surpluses, and trading system existed
 There was an existence of new cities
 There was political life
 The rise of civilizations was started by the Sumerians, Egyptians, Harappans, and the Indus Valley civilizations
 There was a new form of writing and advanced trading system
 There was complex religion.

B. Eastern or Oriental Civilization

 The Fertile Crescent Civilization or the Tigris and Euphrates civilization
1. Sumerians invented the use of the wheels, introduced the irrigation system, cuneiform writing, and temple
tower known as Ziggurats.
2. Babylonians formulated the Code of Hammurabi
3. Assyrians organized the centralized form of government
4. Chaldeans like Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt the city of Babylon; was responsible in building the Hanging
Garden, known for making the Hebrew captive or the Babylonian Captivity.
5. Hebrews spread and introduced monotheism or belief in one God; Moses handed the Mosaic Law or the
Ten Commandments by God.
6. Phoenicians were known as the great maritime traders and introduced an alphabet of 22 letters or
popularly known as the Phonetic Alphabet.

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 7. Persians were responsible in building the first world empire and introduced Zoroastrianism.
 Egypt or the Nile River Civilization
They built the Great Pyramids, introduced the hieroglyphic form of writing, mummification, and devised the
calendar of 365 days
 India or the Indus Valley Civilization
The civilization started in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, introduced Hinduism as the way of life of the people,
the main features of Hinduism are reincarnation and the caste system
 China or the Huang Ho River Civilization
The Great Walls of China was constructed during the time of Shih Huan Ti; they introduced the invention of
the printing press, utilized the use of civil service examination, gun powder, silk, and well-known for its Great
Philosophers such as Confucius, Lao Tzu, and Mencius.

C. Western or European Civilization

 The Glory that was GREECE
The early name of Greece was Hellas and its civilization is known as Hellenic. Two most famous Greek city-
states were Sparta (militaristic) and Athens (democratic). Well-known Athenian reformers were Homer, Solon,
Cleisthenes, and Pericles. The Golden Age of Greece was during the 5 th to 4th century BCE. Well-known
statesman of Greece was Pericles, and philosophers were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

The famous conqueror and statesman of Greece was Alexander the Great of Macedon. He was responsible
for the spread of Hellenistic culture thru his conquest, and after is death the empire broke up into Egypt, Syria,
and Macedonia and during 150 BCE invaded by the Romans.

 The Grandeur that was ROME

Rome was founded by legendary Romulus. The Etruscans were the group that built strong monarchy in Rome
during the 6th century. The Patricians or the nobles dominated the Senate or the ruling body while the
Plebeians or the lower class started to participate in the legislation or in the government thru the passing of
the law known as the Twelve Tables. Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage and resulted to
Rome’s acquisition of Spain.

The expansion of Rome started during the First Triumvirate (Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Cassius) Pax
Romana or the lasting peace was observed during the reign of Augustus Caesar.

The Roman Empire split into Western and Eastern Roman Empire or the Byzantine Empire.

The downfall of the empire was due to the attacks of the Teutonic Germanic Tribes. The famous structure
during this time were the colosseum, amphitheater, aqueduct.

D. The Americas
This was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. It was named after Amerigo Vespucci who explored the
coast of South America. It was known as Mesoamerica for it includes Central America and Mexico. There were
groups of people which settled in this continent first such as the:
1. Olmecs existed about 500BCE and laid the foundation of the Mesoamerican Civilization.
2. Mayan culture existed until 1000BCE, built great temples and pyramids; their city-states were connected by
trade.
3. Aztecs culture was known for the great city of Tenochtitlan which was built in 1325; conquered the Indian
tribes that surrounded then and sacrificed human beings; education played a vital role in the Aztec society.
4. Incas empire was developed in South America in 1200; their engineers conquered the mountains; they had a
strong political organization.

E. Flowering of African Civilization

1. Nubians established a kingdom in southern part of the Nile river or the present-day Sudan.
2. Kingdom of Kush: the Kushites inherited the power of the ancient Egypt and set up a new capital of Meroe.
3. Axum became a trading power and is known at present as Ethiopia.
4. Kingdoms of West Africa:
a. GHANA – salt and gold were important trade items.
b. MALI – “where the king resides”; Mansa Musa opened trade routes and protected the trade caravans: the
empire reached its peak during his reign and it stretched from the Atlantic Coast
c. SONGHAI – devoted to Islam; Islamic teachings.
5. African Trading Cities and States
 Bantu-speaking people migrated east and south; new food crops such as banana and “taro” were introduced
by the Southeast Asian sailors or traders.
 Congo Empire grew and prospered wherein people were known for their skills in pottery making, weaving,
iron working, and sculpture.
 Great Zimbabwe became the religious and political center of the Bantu kingdom; trade links between Africa
and Asia were developed.

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 F. Australia and Oceania
 The first people that migrated to Australia were between 70,000 – 50,000 year ago
 The GREATER AUSTRALIA that comprised of Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania were linked by land
bridges.
 Oceania was comprised of the following areas that were settled by people from Indonesia from the following
approximate dates as
MICRONESIA – 1800 BCE
POLYNESIA – 300 AD
MELANESIA – 1300 BCE
 New Zealand was settled in 800 AD

G. THE MEDIEVAL WORLD

1. Collapse of Empires
a. The Roman Empire was overrun by Teutonic Tribes and fell in 476 AD. Small tribal Germanic kingdoms
were established such as Franks, Visigoths, Burgundians, Saxons, and Vandals.
b. Chinese Empire under the Han Dynasty fell under the Huns, people of Central Asia in 220 AD.
c. The Gupta Empire in India fell in the hands of the Huns in 535 AD
d. The Sassanid Empire of Persia fell in the hands of the Huns in 484 AD

2. The Early Middle Ages

A new civilization or the medieval civilization took shape during the early middle ages; there were few strong
rulers or governments in this period and a political system which grew up in power was divided among many
local lords. Economic and social life was centered on lands held by the lords. Christian Church influenced
both politics and society during the Middle Ages.

3. Medieval Europe at its height

There were advances in agriculture which brought population growth. Trade and commerce were revived.
Towns grew and middle class developed. Medieval universities were founded. England became a strong and
unified state. Magna Carta and Parliament limited royal or monarchial power. Italy and Germany remained
divided. Crusades contributed change. Art and literature flourished.

4. End of the Middle Ages

Famine and disease caused a drop in population. England and France were involved in constant wars such
as the Hundred Years War and War of the Roses. Church authority declined.

H. TRANSITION TO MODERN TIMES

I. The Renaissance and Reformation

The Renaissance began with the revival of interest in the literature and Civilization of Ancient Greece and
Rome. It began in 1350 at the city-states of Northern Italy. Wealthy and noble women became patrons of the
arts. Reformers called for changes in Church practices and the movement for reforms spread to northern
Europe.

II. The Age of Exploration

Exploration sought new routes to Asia.
Europeans conquered and colonized the Americas
Trade and commerce changed.

III. The Age of Revolutions

The Intellectual Revolution or the Age of Reason reached its height in the 1600’s
The Scientific Revolution took place when new discoveries and inventions took place. Inventions led to more
explorations and colonization.
The Industrial Revolution marked the change in economic life. Hand labor was replaced by machineries. It
marked the production of new goods faster and cheaper than the domestic system.
During the American Revolution, the North American colonists won independence from British rule and
resulted to the establishment of the United States of America.
The French Revolution led to overthrow a despotic monarch.

IV. Global Wars

1. World War I
a. Alliances were forged among strong nations of Europe. Triple Alliance or the Central Powers
comprised of Germany, Austria and Turkey. Triple Entente or the Allied Powers comprised of
England, France, and Russia.
b. Immediate cause of war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on June 28,
1914.

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 c.USA as a neutral state joined the war on the side of the Allied Powers in 1917 when Germany
torpedoed British Ship Luisitania. Allied Powers won the war.
2. World War II
a. There was a War of Ideology between democracy and totalitarianism.
b. Totalitarianism was advocated by Adolf Hitler of Germany, and Benito Mussolini of Italy. Hitler and
Mussolini, and Hirohito of Japan formed the Axis Powers.
c. Democracy was advocated by France and England. Russia joined the first two countries in forming
the Allied Powers. USA joined after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
d. Germany and Italy surrendered in 1945.
e. Japan surrendered when its two cities (Hiroshima – August 6, 1945 and Nagasaki – August 9, 1945)
were bombed with atomic bombs.

V. Post-Colonial Period
1. Cold War is the state of diplomatic tension between two superpowers: USA and USSR.
2. United Nations was formed on October 24, 1945 to replace the League of Nations.
3. In 1985 Mikhael Gorbachev of USSR introduced a new economic, political, and socio-cultural change
known as Glasnost(openness) and Perestroika (economic reform) in the Soviet Union. It resulted in the
disintegration of USSR while USA remained as the sole superpower.

VI. The 21st Century

1. Globalization is a process of increasing connectivity and interdependence of markets. Two major recent
driving forces are advances in telecommunications infrastructure and the rise of the internet. Economies
are more connected to other economies, increased opportunities but also competition. It also involves the
diffusion of ideas, practices, and technologies. Anthony Giddens described globalization as the
intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities and involve a change in the way we
understand geography and experience localness.

Issues in the Global Markets:

a. Delocalization and supraterritoriality.
b. Globalization and the decline in power of national governments
c. Risk, technological innovation, and globalization
d. Globalization and the rise of multinational corporations
e. Branding and globalization.

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