Complete World History Study Guide | Centauri History Resources

🌍 Overview of World History

World History explores the development of human civilizations across all continents and time periods. From the first civilizations in Mesopotamia to the interconnected global society of today, studying world history helps us understand how cultures, ideas, and events have shaped our modern world.

Major Periods of World History

Prehistory: Before written records (~3000 BCE)
Ancient History: First civilizations to fall of Rome (~3000 BCE - 500 CE)
Medieval/Middle Ages: ~500 - 1500 CE
Early Modern Period: ~1500 - 1800 CE
Modern Period: ~1800 - 1945
Contemporary Period: 1945 - Present

🏛️ Ancient World (~3000 BCE - 500 CE)

River Valley Civilizations

Civilization	Location	River	Key Contributions
Mesopotamia	Iraq	Tigris & Euphrates	Writing (cuneiform), wheel, law codes
Egypt	Egypt	Nile	Pyramids, hieroglyphics, mummification
Indus Valley	India/Pakistan	Indus	Urban planning, plumbing, standardized weights
China	China	Yellow (Huang He)	Silk, paper, philosophy, Great Wall

🧠 River Valley Civilizations

"MEIN" - Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus, Nile (China/Yellow River)

Classical Civilizations

🇬🇷 Ancient Greece (~800 - 323 BCE)

Democracy: Athens developed first democracy (citizen participation)
Philosophy: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
Art & Architecture: Parthenon, sculptures, theater
Olympics: First games in 776 BCE
Alexander the Great: Conquered vast empire, spread Hellenistic culture

🏛️ Roman Empire (~509 BCE - 476 CE)

Republic → Empire: From elected officials to emperors
Law: Twelve Tables, innocent until proven guilty
Engineering: Roads, aqueducts, Colosseum
Latin: Basis for Romance languages
Christianity: Spread throughout empire, became official religion
Fall (476 CE): Invasions, economic troubles, overexpansion

Other Ancient Empires

Persia: Largest ancient empire, tolerance of diverse cultures
Maurya (India): Ashoka spread Buddhism
Han Dynasty (China): Silk Road trade, civil service exams

⚔️ Medieval Era (~500 - 1500 CE)

Medieval Europe

Feudalism

A hierarchical system organizing medieval society:

King: Owned all land, granted fiefs to lords
Nobles/Lords: Controlled land, provided military service
Knights: Trained warriors, served lords
Peasants/Serfs: Worked the land, bound to manors

The Catholic Church

Most powerful institution in medieval Europe
Pope held both spiritual and political power
Monasteries preserved learning and literacy
Crusades (1095-1291): Religious wars for the Holy Land

Other Medieval Civilizations

Civilization	Region	Key Features
Byzantine Empire	Eastern Mediterranean	Preserved Roman/Greek learning, Orthodox Christianity
Islamic Caliphates	Middle East, N. Africa, Spain	Golden Age of science, math, medicine
Tang/Song China	East Asia	Gunpowder, printing, compass, porcelain
Mongol Empire	Central Asia to Europe	Largest land empire, Pax Mongolica trade
Mali Empire	West Africa	Gold trade, Mansa Musa, Timbuktu

Major Medieval Events

622 Muhammad's Hijra - Beginning of Islam

800 Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor

1066 Norman Conquest of England

1095 First Crusade begins

1215 Magna Carta signed in England

1347-1351 Black Death kills 1/3 of Europe's population

1453 Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Turks

🚢 Early Modern Period (~1500 - 1800)

Renaissance (~1350 - 1600)

🎨 "Rebirth" of Classical Learning

Origin: Italy (Florence, Venice, Rome)
Humanism: Focus on human potential and achievement
Art: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael
Literature: Shakespeare, Machiavelli, Dante
Science: Copernicus, Galileo challenged old ideas
Printing Press (1450s): Gutenberg revolutionized knowledge spread

Age of Exploration (~1400s - 1600s)

Explorer	Country	Achievement	Date
Columbus	Spain	Reached Americas	1492
Vasco da Gama	Portugal	Sea route to India	1498
Magellan	Spain	First circumnavigation	1519-1522

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and ideas between Old and New Worlds:

To Americas: Horses, cattle, wheat, diseases (smallpox)
To Europe: Potatoes, corn, tomatoes, chocolate, tobacco

Major Revolutions

Protestant Reformation (1517)

Martin Luther: 95 Theses criticizing Catholic Church
Key Ideas: Salvation by faith alone, Bible as authority
Result: Protestant churches (Lutheran, Calvinist, Anglican)

Scientific Revolution (1500s-1700s)

Copernicus: Heliocentric theory (sun-centered)
Galileo: Telescope observations supported Copernicus
Newton: Laws of motion and gravity
Scientific Method: Observation, hypothesis, experimentation

Enlightenment (1700s)

Key Ideas: Reason, natural rights, social contract
Locke: Life, liberty, property; consent of governed
Montesquieu: Separation of powers
Rousseau: Popular sovereignty
Impact: Inspired American and French Revolutions

Revolutionary Era Timeline

1776 American Declaration of Independence

1789 French Revolution begins; Storming of Bastille

1799 Napoleon takes power in France

1804 Haitian independence (first successful slave revolt)

1815 Napoleon defeated at Waterloo

🌐 20th Century & Beyond

Industrial Revolution

Key Changes (~1750-1900)

Origin: Britain (textiles, coal, iron)
Inventions: Steam engine, spinning jenny, railways
Urbanization: People moved from farms to cities
Social Changes: New middle class, labor movements
Problems: Child labor, pollution, poor working conditions

World Wars

⚔️ World War I (1914-1918)

Causes: MAIN - Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism
Spark: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Sides: Allies (Britain, France, Russia, USA) vs. Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire)
New Weapons: Machine guns, tanks, poison gas, planes
Result: Treaty of Versailles, League of Nations, empires collapse

🧠 WWI Causes: MAIN

Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism

⚔️ World War II (1939-1945)

Causes: Treaty of Versailles, Great Depression, rise of fascism
Key Figures: Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Hirohito (Japan), FDR/Churchill/Stalin (Allies)
Holocaust: Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews and millions of others
Key Events: Pearl Harbor, D-Day, Atomic bombs on Hiroshima/Nagasaki
Result: United Nations, Cold War begins, decolonization

Cold War Era (1945-1991)

Key Features

Sides: USA (capitalism, democracy) vs. USSR (communism)
Nuclear Arms Race: Both sides built massive arsenals
Proxy Wars: Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan
Space Race: Sputnik (1957), Moon landing (1969)
End: Fall of Berlin Wall (1989), Soviet collapse (1991)

Decolonization & Modern World

Post-WWII Timeline

1947 India and Pakistan gain independence from Britain

1948 State of Israel created; Apartheid begins in South Africa

1960s African independence movements (17 countries in 1960 alone)

1989 Fall of Berlin Wall

1991 Soviet Union dissolves

1994 End of Apartheid; Mandela elected in South Africa

✏️ Practice Questions

Question 1 Easy

What are the four ancient river valley civilizations, and what rivers are they associated with?

1. Mesopotamia - Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (modern Iraq)

2. Egypt - Nile River

3. Indus Valley - Indus River (modern Pakistan/India)

4. China - Yellow (Huang He) River

Question 2 Medium

What were the main causes of World War I? Use the MAIN acronym to explain.

M - Militarism: European powers built up massive armies and navies, creating tension and an arms race.

A - Alliances: Complex alliance systems (Triple Entente vs. Triple Alliance) meant a conflict between two nations could drag in many others.

I - Imperialism: Competition for colonies in Africa and Asia created rivalries between European powers.

N - Nationalism: Extreme pride in one's nation and desire for independence (especially in the Balkans) created tensions.

Spark: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in 1914 triggered the war.

Question 3 Medium

Compare and contrast the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.

Similarities:

• Both emphasized human potential and reason

• Both challenged traditional authority (Church)

• Both originated in Europe and spread widely

Differences:

• Renaissance (~1350-1600) focused on art, literature, and revival of classical learning

• Enlightenment (~1700s) focused on political philosophy, science, and rational thinking

• Renaissance was inspired by ancient Greece/Rome; Enlightenment built on Scientific Revolution

• Enlightenment directly led to political revolutions (American, French)

Question 4 Hard

Explain how the Cold War shaped the second half of the 20th century globally.

Political Division: The world was divided into American and Soviet spheres of influence, with nations pressured to choose sides.

Proxy Wars: Instead of direct conflict, superpowers fought through smaller nations (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan), causing millions of deaths.

Nuclear Threat: The arms race created enough weapons to destroy civilization, leading to policies like MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction).

Decolonization: Both sides competed for influence in newly independent nations in Africa and Asia.

Technology: Competition drove the Space Race and advances in technology, computers, and communications.

End: The Soviet collapse in 1991 left the US as the sole superpower and opened Eastern Europe to democracy and capitalism.

💡 Tips & Tricks

🗺️ Use Maps

Geography shapes history! Visualize where events happened to understand why they happened (trade routes, natural borders, resources).

🔗 Make Connections

World history is interconnected. Ask: How did events in one region affect others? (e.g., Mongols connected East and West; Columbian Exchange changed both hemispheres)

📊 Compare Civilizations

Create comparison charts: How did different civilizations handle government, religion, economy, and social structure?

📅 Master Key Dates

Focus on turning points: 476 (Rome falls), 1453 (Constantinople falls), 1492 (Columbus), 1789 (French Revolution), 1914 (WWI), 1945 (WWII ends)