Download World History Connections to Today

World History: Connection to Today
Chapter 32
The World Since 1945:
An Overview
(1945–Present)
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
World History: Connection to Today
Chapter 32: The World Since 1945: An Overview
(1945–present)
Section 1: The Changing Political Climate
Section 2: Global Economic Trends
Section 3: Changing Patterns of Life
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
1
The Changing Political Climate
• How did the end of colonialism and the Cold War shape
the world?
• How did new nations try to form stable governments?
• What role have world organizations played?
• What enduring issues face the world today?
1
The Cold War and the End of Colonialism
In the postwar decades, the colonial empires built by the
western powers crumbled.
In Asia and Africa, people demanded and won freedoms.
Between 1950 and 1980, more than 50 new nations emerged
in Africa alone.
The new nations emerged in a world dominated and divided
by the Cold War. Each of the superpowers, the United States
and the Soviet Union, wanted new countries to adopt its
ideology, or system of thought or belief—either capitalism or
socialism.
1
The Great Liberation and the Cold War, 1945 – 1990
1
How Did New Nations Seek Stability?
After winning independence, new nations had high hopes for the
future. Still, they faced immense problems.
New nations wrote constitutions modeled on western democracies.
Most were unable to sustain democratic rule.
As problems multiplied, military or authoritarian leaders often took
control. They imposed order by building one-party dictatorships.
Despite setbacks, in the 1980s and 1990s democracy did make progress
in some African, Asian, and Latin American nations.
1
The Role of World Organizations
International organizations deal with issues of global concern.
The UN was set up as a forum for settling world disputes. Its responsibilities have
expanded greatly since 1945. UN agencies provide services for millions of people
worldwide.
Many nations formed regional groups to promote trade or meet common needs.
Examples include the European Union and the North American Free Trade
Association.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) play a large role in the
world economy.
Other types of nongovernmental organizations have forged valuable global
networks. Examples include the International Olympic Committee and the
International Red Cross.
1
Global Issues
Many issues pose a challenge to world peace.
DEADLY WEAPONS
Since the United States exploded
two atomic bombs in 1945, nations
have poured resources into
building nuclear weapons.
THE QUESTION OF INTERVENTION
HUMAN RIGHTS
Human rights include “the right to
life, liberty, and security of person.”
Human rights abuses, including
torture and arbitrary arrest, occur
around the world.
TERRORISM
Does the world community have a Since the 1960s, incidents of
duty to step in to end human rights terrorism have increased around
abuses? How can it intervene when the world.
the UN Charter forbids any action
that violates the independence of a
member nation?
1
Section 1 Assessment
The Great Liberation refers to the end of
World War II.
b) European colonial empires.
the Cold War.
d) terrorism.
a)
c)
Which of the following was a regional group created to promote trade and meet common
needs?
a)
the European
Union
b)
the International Red
Cross
c)
the International Olympic
Committee
d)
the UN
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1
Section 1 Assessment
The Great Liberation refers to the end of
World War II.
b) European colonial empires.
the Cold War.
d) terrorism.
a)
c)
Which of the following was a regional group created to promote trade and meet common
needs?
a)
the European
Union
b)
the International Red
Cross
c)
the International Olympic
Committee
d)
the UN
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2
Global Economic Trends
• In what ways are the global North
and South economically
interdependent?
• Why have developing nations had
trouble reaching their goals?
• How is economic development
linked to the environment?
2
The Global North and South
An economic gulf divides the world into two spheres — the relatively rich
nations of the global North and the relatively poor nations of the global
South.
GLOBAL NORTH
It includes the industrial
nations of Europe and North
America, as well as Japan and
Australia.
Although pockets of poverty
exist, the standard of living is
generally high.
Most people are literate, earn
adequate wages, and have
basic health services.
Most nations have basically
capitalist economies.
GLOBAL SOUTH
It refers to the developing
world.
The South has 75 percent of
the world’s population and
much of its natural resources.
While some nations have
enjoyed strong growth, overall
the global South remains
underdeveloped and poor.
For most people, life is a daily
struggle for survival.
2
Economic Interdependence
Rich and poor nations are linked by many economic ties.
•The nations of the global North control much of the world’s capital,
trade, and technology.
•The global North depends on low-paid workers in developing states to
produce manufactured goods as inexpensively as possible.
In an interdependent world, events in one country can affect people
everywhere.
EXAMPLE: In 1973, a political crisis led the oil-rich nations of the Middle
East to halt oil exports and raise oil prices. These actions sent economic
shock waves around the world.
2
Obstacles to Development
Why have many developing nations been unable to make progress
toward modernization?
GEOGRAPHY
Lack of natural resources, difficult climates, uncertain rainfall, and
lack of good farmland have been obstacles for some nations.
POPULATION AND POVERTY
In the developing world, rapid population growth is linked to
poverty.
ECONOMIC POLICIES
Many new nations saw socialism, rather than capitalism, as a way
to modernize quickly. In the long run, socialism blocked economic
growth.
ECONOMIC DEPENDENCE
Most new nations remained dependent on their former
colonial rulers.
POLITICAL INSTABILITY
Political unrest often hindered economic development.
2
Health Statistics of Selected Countries, 1999
2
Development and the Environment
Economic development has taken a heavy toll on the environment.
Modern industry and agriculture have gobbled up natural resources and
polluted much of the world’s water, air, and soil.
•Strip mining destroyed much land.
•Chemical pesticides and fertilizers harmed the soil and water.
•Gases from factories produced acid rain.
•The emission of gases into the upper atmosphere has caused global
warming, the increase in world temperatures.
Rich nations consume most of the world’s resources and produce much of its
pollution. At the same time, they have led the campaign to protect the
environment.
2
Section 2 Assessment
Which of the following is true?
The Global South has 75 percent of the world’s population.
The Global North has 75 percent of the world’s population.
Most nations in the Global North have basically socialist economies.
Most people in the Global South enjoy a high standard of living.
a)
b)
c)
d)
The country with the lowest infant mortality rate in 1999 was
Angola.
Japan.
the United States.
Guatemala.
a)
b)
c)
d)
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2
Section 2 Assessment
Which of the following is true?
The Global South has 75 percent of the world’s population.
The Global North has 75 percent of the world’s population.
Most nations in the Global North have basically socialist economies.
Most people in the Global South enjoy a high standard of living.
a)
b)
c)
d)
The country with the lowest infant mortality rate in 1999 was
Angola.
Japan.
the United States.
Guatemala.
a)
b)
c)
d)
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3
Changing Patterns of Life
• How are new ways of life replacing old ways?
• How has modernization affected the lives of women?
• What are the benefits and limits of modern science and
technology?
• What forces have shaped a new global culture?
3
How Are New Ways of Life Replacing Old Ways?
Urbanization
Since 1945, people in the developing world have flocked to the cities
to find jobs and escape rural poverty.
In the cities, the extended family of rural villages is giving way to the
nuclear family.
Westernization
In cities, people frequently adopt western fashions and ideas.
Village Life
Westernization and technology are transforming villages.
Changes such as roads, clinics, and television can enrich life, but they
also weaken traditional cultures.
New Rights and Roles for
Women
3
After 1945, women’s movements brought changes to both western
and developing nations.
•
By 1950, women had won the right to vote in many countries.
•
A small number of women won elected office.
•
In the industrialized world, more and more women worked outside
the home.
•
By the 1970s, the feminist movement sought greater access
for women to jobs and promotions, equal pay for equal work,
and an end to sexual harassment on the job.
•
In emerging nations, women worked actively in nationalist
struggles.
New roles for women raised difficult social issues. Working
women had to balance jobs with child rearing and household
work.
3
Science and Technology
Since 1945, technology has transformed human life and thought.
BENEFITS
DRAWBACKS
The computer brought an
information revolution.
Technology has not been able to
solve such basic problems as
hunger or poverty.
Technology has improved life for
people everywhere.
Technology widened the gap
between the global North and
South.
Medical advances have wiped
out some diseases and
prevented others.
Technology has threatened
many kinds of jobs. For example,
one computer can process
thousands of telephone calls
that were once handled by
human operators.
New technology increased food
production for the world’s
growing population.
3
A New Global Culture
Modern communication technology has put people
everywhere in touch and has helped create a new global
culture.
• The driving force behind this global culture has been
the United States. American fashions, products, and
entertainment have captured the world’s
imagination.
• The western world has also been influenced by
nonwestern traditions and culture.
• In the last 100 years, the western world has gained a
new appreciation for the arts of other civilizations.
3
Section 3 Assessment
Which of the following was true of women in 1950?
Many women were elected to public office.
Women had won the right to vote in many countries.
The feminist movement had ensured women equal pay for
equal work.
d) Women were working outside the home while men had
taken over traditional household duties.
a)
b)
c)
Benefits of the technology age include all of the following except
increased food production.
an information revolution.
the prevention of some diseases.
d) an end to hunger and poverty.
a)
b)
c)
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3
Section 3 Assessment
Which of the following was true of women in 1950?
Many women were elected to public office.
Women had won the right to vote in many countries.
The feminist movement had ensured women equal pay for
equal work.
d) Women were working outside the home while men had
taken over traditional household duties.
a)
b)
c)
Benefits of the technology age include all of the following except
increased food production.
an information revolution.
the prevention of some diseases.
d) an end to hunger and poverty.
a)
b)
c)
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