Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Chapter 23 Summary

Globalization of capitalism was clearly evident by the end of the XX century.
There were clear foundations on which the XX century globalization was built.
Many people see globalization as a natural, inevitable, practically unstoppable.
Bretton Woods System negotiated the rules for commercial and financial dealings.
NAFTA agreement between USA, Canada and Mexico was signed in 1994.
The World Trade Organization agreement was developed and created in 1995.
Kind of economic globalization taking shape from 1980s was widely known as neoliberalism.
Entire world was increasingly becoming almost like a single market.
USA and Britain have removed many earlier political controls on economic activity.
Reduction of tariffs, global movement of capital, mobile and temporary workforce.
WTO and IMF imposed free market and pro-business conditions on many poor countries.
Investment into poor countries when businesses sought to take advantage of cheap labor.
Transnational corporations produce goods and deliver services in many countries.
By 2000, 51 of the richest economies in the world were transnational corporations.
Growing inequality in the world due to globalization.

Chapter 22 Summary

Twentieth century witnessed the demise of many empires.
Collapse of Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires after WW1. Remaking of Russia into USSR.
U.S presence in Latin America was beginning to be questioned by nationalist governments.
Increasingly democratic ideals of the west threatened dictatorial nature of colonial rule.
World wars weakened Europe, discrediting any sense of European superiority.
Second and third generation of colonial elites had arisen in many countries.
Growing numbers of ordinary people were receptive of goal of liberation from colonialism.
Colonial rulers were planning for a new political relationship with their Asian and African subjects.
Writings of reforms, constitutions, elections was being planned by some of colonial rulers.
New leaders as independence dawned were Gandhi and Nehru, Sukarno and Ho Chi Minh.
Nationalist local leaders were preparing to pressure those who have dominated them.
Many local people joined guerrilla movements in Algeria, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Vietnam's anti-colonial struggle began in 1900s, but achieved full independence in 1970s.
In West Africa nationalists only relied on demonstrations, strikes, mass mobilization to win.
Many in India and Islamic world saw independence through prism of their religions.
Nationalist movements lead by communists in Vietnam sought social transformation.
Indians did not view themselves as united before XX century. Many peoples saw themselves in India through their own cultural identities that existed before hand. Family, castle, language, region, tribe.
British did not integrate their own cultural practices into Indian society.
Railroads, telegraph lines, services and schools bound India's many regions together.
Indian National Congress was established in the year 1885.
British promised Indians during WWI an improvement in self-governing institutions.
Mohandas Gandhi arrived at the Indian political scene.
Gandhi believed in a confrontational, though nonviolent, approach to political action.
Gandhi sought moral transformation of the individuals.
India became independent in 1947, but was divided into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Chapter 21 Summary

Russian Communist Party was founded in 1898 by Vladimir Lenin.
Chinese Communist Party began in 1921.
Russian Revolution began in February 1917 following overthrow of Tsar Nicholas II.
Communism was an ambitious project to change the society.
Communist movements had an idea and a program of liberating and mobilizing women.
But in neither Soviet Union or China did undertake a direct attack on male domination.
Joseph Stalin sought to engage in industrialization and urbanization.
Chinese communist tended to have major support in the rural areas.
Communist pressures in Eastern Europe lead to redistribution of land.
Soviet Union managed to urbanize and industrialize relatively successfully.
Cold War was produced by growing rivalry between USA and USSR after World War II.

Chapter 20 Summary

Chinese and Russian revolutions were pivotal events in world history.
Large scale population explosion in world from 1950 to 2010.
Global spread of the corn and potatoes crops caused population explosion.
Global population increased fourfold in the twentieth century, despite brutal conflict.
Cascading rate of technological and scientific innovation took place as well.
World War I effectively caused the twentieth century as a new period of world history.
In early 20th century, Europeans had a feeling of self-confidence and pride.
Creation of Germany was a disruptive event for established powers such as Britain, France and Russia. Two major alliances formed of Triple Entente and Triple Alliance.
Outbreak of World War I was something of an accident but alliance network was it possible.
Rapid industrialization created an array of novel weapons such as tanks, airplanes, poison gas, machine guns and barbed wire.
Unprecedented casualties and suffering lead to widespread disillusionment with their civilization.
Collapse of German, Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires created a new map of Europe.
The war brought the United States of America into the field of global power.
Great Depression caused an unraveling of the traditional capitalist order.
Great Depression was caused by the stock market crash of 1929.
There was a collapse in commodity prices during the Great Depression.
Fascism emerged in much of Europe as an alternative to the system of communism.
Nazis used massive German unhappiness with the Weimar Republic and Treaty of Versailles to get into power. Great Depression in Germany had a very profound effect.
Nazis wanted to remove women from the paid workforce and were antifeminist.
Japan joined industrializing and empire building states in second half of XIX century.
Second World War began in Asia and only later in Europe in 1939.
War between Soviet Union and Germany between 1941 and 1945 broke the German Army.
War in Soviet Union was of unrelenting cruelty and harshness.
Soviet victory over Nazis gave much credibility to the Stalinist regime.
Marshall Plan lead to economic recovery of much of Western Europe.