Welcome to the Unit 7 Finale: Putting the Pieces Together

Congratulations! You have reached the final chapter of Unit 7. In AP World History, the last topic of every unit (like this one, 7.9 Causation in Global Conflict) is designed to help you step back and look at the "big picture." This isn't about memorizing new names or dates; it’s about understanding why things happened and how they connected.

In Unit 7, we saw the world go through two massive wars, a global economic collapse, and horrific atrocities. This chapter focuses on the historical reasoning process of Causation—identifying the links between these events. Think of it like being a historical detective: your job is to explain the "domino effect" that shaped the 20th century.

The "Big Picture" of Causation

To master this unit, you need to be able to explain how various factors led to the massive global conflicts after 1900. We can break these causes into three main categories:

1. Political Shifts and the Struggle for Power

At the start of the 1900s, the old way of running the world was falling apart. This created a "power vacuum" where different groups fought for control.

  • The Collapse of Old Empires: As we saw in Topic 7.1, land-based empires like the Ottomans and the Qing Dynasty struggled to modernize and eventually collapsed. This shifted the global balance of power.
  • Unresolved Tensions: One of the biggest causes of World War II was actually World War I. The way WWI ended—specifically the unresolved tensions and the harsh terms placed on losing nations—created a perfect environment for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to rise to power in Germany (Topic 7.5, 7.6).
  • Nationalism: This was the "fuel" for the fire. People wanted their own independent nations, which led to both the start of WWI and the resistance against imperial powers later on.

2. Economic Shocks and Government Responses

Money (or the lack of it) is often a hidden cause behind wars. The global economy became deeply interconnected, meaning a "crash" in one place hit everywhere.

  • The Great Depression: This wasn't just a "bad day" for the stock market; it was a global catastrophe. It led many people to lose faith in democracy and turn to radical leaders who promised to fix the economy through total control (Topic 7.4).
  • Government Intervention: Governments started taking a much bigger role in the economy. We see this in the New Deal in the United States, the Five Year Plans in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, and the fascist corporatist economies in Germany and Italy.
  • Resource Competition: The need for raw materials drove expansionist policies, especially for nations like Japan, which helped trigger conflict in the Pacific.

3. The Role of Technology and Total War

How we fight changed why we fight. Technology made war more "efficient" but also much more deadly.

  • Total War: In both World Wars, governments used every resource available—factories, citizens, and colonial soldiers—to win. This meant that civilian populations became "targets," leading to the mass atrocities we studied in Topic 7.8.
  • New Weaponry: Advances in technology allowed for destruction on a scale never seen before, making these conflicts truly "global" in their impact.

Quick Review: Think of the acronym MAIN (Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism) for the causes of WWI, and then add Economic Collapse and Totalitarianism to understand the causes of WWII.

Connecting the Dots: Causation in Action

When you write an essay for the AP exam, you want to show that you understand relationships. Here is a simple way to frame the causation of Unit 7:

The Chain of Events:

1. The Cause: Imperialist competition and intense nationalism...
2. The Event: ...led to the outbreak of World War I.
3. The Effect: The war's end created economic instability and "unresolved tensions"...
4. The New Cause: ...which, combined with the Great Depression, allowed fascist leaders to take power...
5. The Event: ...leading directly to World War II and mass atrocities like the Holocaust.

Don't worry if this seems like a lot to juggle! The key is to remember that history isn't just a list of dates; it's a story of "Since X happened, Y was the result."

Key Takeaways for Your Exam

When you see a question about "Causation in Global Conflict," keep these points in mind:

  • Multiple Causes: Wars rarely have just one cause. Try to mention a political cause (like nationalism) and an economic cause (like the Great Depression).
  • Global Scale: Remember that these weren't just "European" wars. They involved the United States, the Soviet Union, and leaders like Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, as well as shifts in Brazil and Mexico.
  • Human Impact: The ultimate "effect" of these global conflicts was a massive loss of life and the targeted killing of groups, most notably the Nazi killing of the Jews during the Holocaust.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Treating WWI and WWII as totally separate events.
Fix: Always mention how the "unresolved tensions" from the first war helped cause the second.

Mistake 2: Forgetting the economy.
Fix: Remember that the Great Depression was a "bridge" that led many countries away from democracy and toward aggressive, militaristic governments.

Mistake 3: Only focusing on the "big names."
Fix: While Hitler and Stalin are important, don't forget the broader processes like Nationalism and Imperialism that were moving the "gears" of history.

Final Study Tip: Use the "Why?" Test

As you review Unit 7, pick any major event (like the rise of the Nazi Party) and ask yourself "Why?" three times.
Example:
1. Why did the Nazis rise to power? (The Great Depression ruined the economy).
2. Why was the economy so weak? (The Treaty of Versailles and global trade collapse).
3. Why was the Treaty of Versailles so harsh? (Unresolved tensions and anger from WWI).
That is Causation!