AP Modern World History Flashcards: Causation in Global Conflict
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
What does it mean to explain the 'relative significance' of the causes of global conflict?
It involves analyzing and evaluating which causes—such as imperialism, nationalism, or technological advances—were more influential or important than others in leading to a specific conflict.
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What does it mean to explain the 'relative significance' of the causes of global conflict?
It involves analyzing and evaluating which causes—such as imperialism, nationalism, or technological advances—were more influential or important than others in leading to a specific conflict.
Connect the decline of land-based empires to the rise of new sources of conflict after 1900.
The collapse of multi-ethnic, land-based empires gave rise to new nation-states, often with contested borders and ethnic tensions, which became significant new sources of conflict.
How do the Communist Revolutions exemplify a challenge to the global political order?
Communist Revolutions directly challenged the world's dominant capitalist and imperialist systems, creating a major ideological divide that fueled decades of global tension and proxy conflicts.
How did the decline of empires (KC-6.2.I) contribute to global conflict?
The decline and collapse of empires created power vacuums and new states, leading to political instability and competition for territory and influence that often resulted in conflict.
Using the provided concepts, explain one political and one technological cause of World War I.
A political cause was the decline of empires and rising nationalism challenging the existing order (KC-6.2.I), while a technological cause was the development of advanced weaponry that increased the conflict's scale (KC-6.1).
What is the overarching theme of Unit 7's Key Concepts regarding global conflict?
The overarching theme is that global conflicts in the modern era were caused by a combination of factors, including technological change, the collapse of old empires, and challenges to the existing political and social orders.
What role did rapid advances in science and technology (KC-6.1) play in shaping global conflicts?
Rapid advances in science and technology led to new forms of warfare and more destructive weaponry, dramatically increasing the scale and human cost of global conflicts.
Identify two major political/social challenges mentioned in KC-6.2.II that caused significant conflict.
The Mexican Revolution and various Communist Revolutions are cited as major political and social challenges that led to widespread conflict in the 20th century.
According to KC-6.2, what is a primary cause of global conflict from 1900 to the present?
A primary cause of global conflict was the emergence of global challenges to the existing political and social order.
What is the relationship between the major political/social challenges of KC-6.2.II and the decline of empires in KC-6.2.I?
The decline of empires often created the conditions for major political and social challenges, as revolutionary movements rose to fill the power vacuums and establish new systems of government.