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World History Unit 9: Globalization (c. 1900–present)

Technology, trade and international institutions have tied the world together, bringing growth along with inequality and resistance.

Covers: Advances in technology, exchange and disease, economics, calls for reform, globalized culture, resistance to globalization, institutions

Study guide

Technology transformed life after 1900. The Green Revolution used new seeds, fertilizers and irrigation to boost crop yields, feeding growing populations but harming the environment. Medical advances like vaccines and antibiotics increased life expectancy, though diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria and COVID-19 remained deadly, and lifestyle diseases grew. Communication technologies, from radio and television to the internet and cell phones, spread information worldwide.

Economically, many countries moved from state-run economies toward free markets. Leaders like Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher promoted deregulation and privatization, and China under Deng Xiaoping opened to markets while keeping one-party rule. Free trade agreements like NAFTA and organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO) lowered trade barriers, and multinational corporations spread production worldwide. Globalization raised incomes in many places but also increased inequality and outsourcing, and the environment suffered from deforestation and climate change.

Social movements called for reform. Women's rights, civil rights, Indigenous rights and LGBTQ rights movements gained ground, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) set international standards. Global culture spread through movies, music, sports and consumer brands. Resistance to globalization included protests against the WTO and religious or nationalist movements that rejected Western influence. International institutions like the United Nations (1945), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and regional groups like the European Union and ASEAN encouraged cooperation, while nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) like Doctors Without Borders addressed global problems.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), whose members include Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Nigeria, used control of oil supplies to influence prices. The 1973 oil embargo by Arab producers caused an energy crisis in industrial nations. After al-Qaeda's attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States led wars in Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003). The Iraq invasion was justified by claims of weapons of mass destruction that were never found.

China's one-child policy (1980–2015) slowed population growth but left an aging population, a problem Japan and much of Europe share. Many poorer countries, by contrast, have young and fast-growing populations. Overgrazing and deforestation contributed to desertification in regions like Africa's Sahel. International agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the Paris Agreement (2015) tried to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

Key ideas

• The Green Revolution and medicine increased food supply and life expectancy.
• Free-market reforms and trade agreements expanded globalization.
• Globalization brought growth but also inequality and environmental harm.
• Human rights movements expanded rights worldwide.
• International organizations encourage cooperation on global problems.

Formulas and rules

Common mistakes

• Thinking globalization only benefited everyone equally; it also increased inequality.
• Confusing the UN (global political body) with the WTO (trade).

Words to know

Globalization

Increasing connections among the world's economies and cultures.

Green Revolution

Use of new seeds, fertilizers and irrigation to raise crop yields.

Deregulation

Reducing government rules on businesses.

Privatization

Selling state-owned industries to private owners.

Deng Xiaoping

Chinese leader who introduced market reforms.

Free trade

Trade without tariffs or other barriers.

NAFTA

1994 free trade agreement among the US, Canada and Mexico.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

International body that sets trade rules.

Multinational corporation

A company that operates in many countries.

Outsourcing

Moving jobs to other countries to lower costs.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

1948 UN statement of basic rights.

United Nations

International organization founded in 1945 to promote peace.

European Union

Political and economic union of European countries.

NGO

A nongovernmental organization working on social or global issues.

Sample practice questions

5 more questions like these, from level 1 to 5, are in the practice set.