Modern History- Europe

Uncover Europe's modern past: WWI, WWII, Cold War, EU, and more!

Lesson Purpose Students will be able to connect recent historical events in Europe to the culture of Europe. Identifying the causes and effects to the political processes that occur on this continent. What is Modern History? You might be wondering, Mr. Emond; what constitutes Modern History? A question that is well taken, and it is one that I have debated myself. For our lesson's purposes we are going to define Modern History as beginning around 1900.We are going to examine several major historical events, and their impacts on the culture of Europe.These events include--WWIWWII-The Cold War-The establishment of the European Union Europe Before World War I- 1914 Europe after WWI-1919 What are some differences that you can identify in the countries of Europe after World War I? WWI- Europe World War I started in _ 1918 1921 1915 1914 World War I ended in _ with the _ being forced to pay for the war in a system called- reparations. 1917 1918 1918 1945 The Impact of the Treaty of Versailles The allied powers forced the losing countries to pay reparations. Or the costs of the entire war. Countries spent billions of dollars on the war (a ton of money for the early 1900's). The exact cost is estimated around a total of 200 billion dollars. That doesn't even include the loss of life, and land as a result of the bloody war. The losing powers were expected to pay for the war, and were left embarrassed and economically poor as a result of the end of the war. At the same time as these reparations came due, the world entered a global depression brought on by the stock market crash of 1929. Economically, people were desperate for work to feed and clothe their families. People in Europe and throughout the world were desperate for change. This lead to an angry uprising among those countries nearly two decades later and lead to the rise of authoritative governments. Matching Check IN- Facism A government stressing military strength, national strength, and the belief that the state is more important than the individual. Adolf Hitler Fascist Dictator of Nazi Germany Reparations Forced payments imposed on the losing powers of WWI Fascist Dictatorships were established in Italy, Spain, Austria, and Germany WWII Adolf Hitler was a fiery speaker, who used his passionate speeches and propaganda to shape the way Germans viewed their place in the world. - Using the image and text above as sources.... How do you think we was able to gain total control over an entire country? World War II began in _ when Germany invaded_. 1939 1938 1942 1944 World War II ended in _ with the _ powers victorious. 1946 1945 1945 1943 Overall- How did the two world wars Effect Europe? (Consider economic impacts, loss of lives) Rebuilding Europe The cost of the two world wars in Europe were astronomically high. Millions dead, billions spent on the war efforts, countless cities destroyed and left in rubble, the process of rebuilding was a daunting task that faced the allied powers.Among the rubble a new competition emerged.... The rush to rebuild Europe and establish political influence in Europe left a major void that was filled by competing governments. The Soviet Union and the United States and it's allies in Europe. This lead to a political era known as the Cold War. The Berlin Wall- Explained Why was the Berlin wall originally built? When was it finally demolished? How do you think the Berlin wall might have impacted the culture of East and West Germany? The Fall of Communism The Soviet Union began to collapse in late 1980's in to the 1990's with people demanding more freedoms in their government. People wanted the freedom to have economic choice, and the ability to vote for their own governments. As one country began to see successful change occurring in other nations once part of the Soviet Union, like dominoes they all soon began to topple the communist regimes in their own nations.The Soviet Union was officially ended in 1991. Russia became the country we know it as today. The European Union Describe- What is the European Union? The common form of currency adopted in 2002 among many European Nations is known as the Euro Hammer and Sicle The Croner The British Pound The War In Ukraine What seems to be the reason for Russias invasion of Ukraine? Use your best reasoning to answer using complete sentences based on your analysis of the war and the reasons cited by both the author and Russia. Location of Ukraine