The contemporary world has been shaped by a series of events that took place mainly over the last two centuries. It’s difficult to understand the complexity of today’s world without learning about its past. Population movements, conflicts and wars, power struggles, wealth distribution and environmental problems didn’t occur overnight. These situations were caused by events in the past. It’s important to study these events to understand how they impact today’s world. Studying industrialization and urbanization in the 19th century, the two world wars and the Cold War provides a foundation for understanding current global events.
The following concept sheets focus on the major events that took place in the 19th and 20th centuries; they will help you put the present world in context.