Mastering Modern World History

Description

The sixth edition of this bestselling book takes students on a journey through the 20th century and provides a clear overview of the key events which have shaped modern world history.
Unrivalled in its broad coverage, it:
– Surveys international relations and war, from 1900 to the present day
– Examines the rise and fall of fascism and communism around the globe
– Explores the international affairs of the major superpowers: the USA, Russia/USSR and China
– Assesses the experience of decolonization in India, Africa and Latin America
– Unpicks global issues, including economic crises and population increase
Chapters feature maps, diagrams and end-of-chapter questions to support and reinforce understanding. This new edition has been updated to take account of new scholarship, and provide a more global approach to key chapters in modern world history. Key changes include:
– New material on the Second World War, beginning with the outbreak of war between China and Japan, and touches upon Italy’s campaigns in East and North Africa and Civil Wars taking place in China, Spain and the Ukraine
– Coverage of new historical interpretations of the events that led to the First World War
– New chapters on the history of the United States of America
– A new chapter on Tsar Nicholas II and the Russian Revolutions of 1917.
Mastering Modern World History is the go-to textbook for secondary school students and undergraduates studying modern world history and international relations, and an ideal companion for anyone with an interest in how the world got into its present state.

List of figuresList of mapsList of tablesAcknowledgementsPreface to the sixth editionPART I WAR AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1 The Origins of the First World War
2 The Great War 1914-1918
3 The Bitter Peace
4 The Road to War
5 The Second World War, 1939–45
6 The Cold War: problems of international relations after the Second World War
7 The spread of communism outside Europe and its effects on international relations
8 The United Nations Organization
9 The Two Europes, East and West since 1945
10 Conflict in the Middle East
11 The New World Order and the War Against Global Terrorism
PART II THE RISE OF FASCISM AND GOVERNMENTS OF THE RIGHT12 Italy 1918–45: the first appearance of fascism
13 Germany 1918–45: the Weimar Republic and Hitler
PART III COMMUNISM – RISE AND DECLINE14 Russia 1894 – 1917
15 Lenin and Stalin
16 Continuing communism, collapse and aftermath,1953 to the present
17 China 1900–49
18 China since 1949: the communists in control
19 Communism in Korea and South East Asia
PART IV THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA20 USA 1900-1929: Boom and Bust
21 Roosevelt and the New Deal: 1929-1945
22 USA 1945 – 1968: Uneven Prosperity
23 USA 1968 – 2012: Opportunity and Challenge
PART V DECOLONIZATION AND AFTER24 The end of the European Empires
25 Africa
26 Latin America
PART VI GLOBAL PROBLEMS27 The changing world economy since 1900
28 The World’s Population

“‘Mastering Modern World History is loved by students because it covers modern history in a truly global sense. Ranging from the First World War to the current wars against terrorism, it connects the past with the present. The book offers students insights in many areas of modern history and encourages them to dig deeper.’” —Dr Alexander Korb, University of Leicester“’In this admirable new edition of Mastering Modern World History, John Traynor combines broad sweep, crisp analysis, a wealth of relevant detail, and beautifully clear exposition. Revised chapters on the two World Wars and the twentieth-century United States particularly stand out for their command of the most recent historical scholarship. Altogether authoritative, engaging, and lucid: a very good read.’” —Professor Richard Carwardine, University of Oxford

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