Contemporary History

Timeline

Explore the history and important events behind the long-standing Middle East conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians from 1947 to today.

Reading

How Did Mass Production and Mass Consumption Take Off After World War II?

Discover how consumer goods have become cheap and ubiquitous in the global era.

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How Does History Inform the Chinese Communist Party’s Domestic and Foreign Policy Goals?

Learn how China’s transformation from a state of economic and political collapse to its rise as a global power shapes the motivations of its leaders today.

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What Is Fascism?

In this free resource, learn how Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler rose to power and the lessons their political journeys hold for today.

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How a Single Phrase Defined the War on Terror

What is the 2001 AUMF and what does it have to do with 9/11? From the invasion of Afghanistan, to the Iraq War, and more, learn how the United States justified U.S. counterterrorism policy for over two decades.

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Eight “Hot Wars” During the Cold War

The United States and the Soviet Union never directly clashed, but the Cold War was far from bloodless. From Cuba to Korea, explore the proxy wars these superpowers fueled in this historical resource.

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Modern History: East Asia & The Pacific

East Asia is home to some of the world’s oldest civilizations.

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Modern History: South & Central Asia

Many of the countries that make up South and Central Asia are quite young: Pakistan and India became independent countries in 1947, Bangladesh followed in 1971, and Kazakhstan and its neighbors emerged as independent countries after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

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Modern History: Sub-Saharan Africa

For centuries, sub-Saharan Africa was home to prosperous empires that made groundbreaking advances in architecture, mathematics, and metalworking.

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Modern History: Middle East & North Africa

The Middle East was once home to great civilizations that made groundbreaking advances in astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy.

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Modern History: Europe

For the past seventy-five-odd years, Europe has largely been at peace.

Timeline

Essential Events Since 1945

Learn how the Cold War and other critical developments shaped today’s world.

Video

How Did the Cold War Stay Cold?

Learn how the United States and the Soviet Union avoided potentially catastrophic confrontation.

Reading

How Did Decolonization Reshape the World?

Learn about the challenges former colonies faced in building newly independent countries.

Timeline

Essential Events Between 1900 and 1945

Learn how two world wars and other critical developments reshaped global affairs in the first half of the twentieth century.

Reading

What Are the Origins of Communism?

Explore the different ways Marx, Lenin, and Stalin interpreted communism and dive into the history of translating an ideology into policy.

Reading

How Did the United States Become a Global Power?

Learn about the three wars that transformed the United States’ standing in the world.

Video

How Do Countries Decide Whether to Go to War?

Learn how balances and imbalances of power contributed to World Wars I and II.

Reading

Why Did World War II Happen?

In this free resource on World War II, understand the causes of World War II and why these issues drove countries back to battle just two decades after World War I.

Reading

Why Did World War I Happen?

In this free resource on World War I, explore the causes and effects of the Great War to understand how the conflict shaped world history.

Timeline

Essential Events Before 1900

Explore the key moments that laid the groundwork for our global era.

Reading

What Is Colonialism and How Did It Arise?

Explore how colonialism enriched empires and fundamentally reshaped countries such as India.

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What Is the Enlightenment and How Did It Transform Politics?

Explore how calls for liberty, equality, and individual rights sparked revolutions around the world.

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What Are the Origins of Modern Production?

Learn about the Industrial Revolution and how technological innovations from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries continue to shape society today.

Reading

How Did Humans Come to Live Longer and Healthier Lives?

Explore centuries of innovations that have revolutionized health care.

Video

Why Do We Live in Countries?

Want to understand how sovereignty became part of world history? In this educational video, learn why kingdoms turned into countries after the Thirty Years’ War.

Reading

Modern History: The Americas

Although referred to as the “New World” by Europeans, the Americas have thousands of years of history.

Timeline

The Changing Response to AIDS

A neglected global health crisis ultimately became a top priority for policymakers, donors, and doctors.

Reading

How Companies and Governments Do (and Don’t) Protect Your Data

The spread of the internet has far outpaced domestic and international privacy laws, making global coordination difficult and leaving personal data vulnerable.

Video

History of U.S. Immigration Policy

Explore how the United States has responded to migrants throughout history—from the Chinese Exclusion Act to DACA—and how immigration policy influences the society, economy, and politics of a country.

Timeline

The History of Terrorism and U.S. Counterterrorism Since 1945

From the creation of the CIA to the “War on Terror,” learn about the evolution of U.S. counterterrorism policies in this terrorism timeline.

Learning Journeys

A learning journey is a curated collection of resources that explore a topic from a specific perspective.

Learning Journey

What Does Fascism Really Mean?

Learn about the history of fascist movements and explore democratic backsliding to determine just how history informs the present.

Learning Journey

Contemporary History Post-1945: Introduction

Explore this collection of learning resources to understand how events since 1945 have shaped today's world.

Learning Journey

Contemporary History World at War: Fascism and Communism

Explore this collection of learning resources to understand key tenets of fascism and communism and identify how they contrast with democracy.

Learning Journey

Contemporary History World at War: Introduction

Explore this collection of learning resources to understand how events between 1900 and 1945 continue to shape today's world.

Learning Journey

Contemporary History Pre-1900: Industrialization and Imperialism

Explore this collection of learning resources to understand how imperialism and the Industrial Revolution shaped today’s world.

Learning Journey

Contemporary History Pre-1900: Introduction

Explore this collection of learning resources to understand how events before 1900 continue to shape today's world.