ANNUAL EDITIONS: World History, Volume 2, Tenth Edition
Preface
Correlation Guide
Topic Guide
Internet References
Unit 1: The World and the West, 1500–1900
Unit Overview
1. Aztecs: A New Perspective, John M. D. Pohl, History Today, December 2002
Who were the Aztecs? What were their accomplishments? What caused their downfall? For centuries, the answers to these questions were shrouded in mystery and misinterpretation. John M.D. Pohl offers a fresh interpretation of the Aztecs and their civilization, by writing from the perspective of our twenty-first century world.
2. The Peopling of Canada, Phillip Buckner, History Today, November 1993
Canada was the creation of two imperial powers—France and England—during two distinct time periods. At first a French colony and later a British one, Canada experienced dramatically different immigration patterns. During the earlier French phase, emigration to Canada was painfully slow. However, during the later British phase, the emigration rate rose dramatically, creating a cultural dichotomy that still affects Canada today.
3. 400 Years of the East India Company, Huw V. Bowen, History Today, July 2000
Elizabeth I granted a charter to the East India Company in 1600, and in the two centuries to follow, it became a powerful vehicle for economic and imperial expansion. It was important for extending British influence into China and India, and it even played a role in starting the American Revolution.
4. The Ottomans in Europe, Geoffrey Woodward, History Today, March 2001
In its contacts with the non-Western world, Europe usually gained the upper hand. However, one non-Western power was able to fight Western Europe to a standstill and sometimes threatened its very existence. For a few centuries, the Ottoman Turks were a problem that Europe couldn’t ignore.
5. Queen of the India Trade, William Facey, Saudi Aramco World, November/December 2005
Favorably situated on the Red Sea, Jiddah has been the gateway for trade from India to the Suez Canal. It also served as a stopping point for those eastern Muslims making the pilgrimage to Makkah.
6. How American Slavery Led to the Birth of Liberia, Sean Price, The New York Times Upfront, September 22, 2003
Liberia was founded by African-Americans who emigrated from the United States in the 1820s. Their descendents dominated the politics of the region until a bloody coup by native Africans ended their rule.
7. Fighting the Afghans in the 19th Century, Bruce Collins, History Today, December 2001
British involvement in 19th century Afghanistan produced troubles and eventually a brokered peace. The problems the British faced are similar to those facing the United States today.
8. New Light on the ‘Heart of Darkness’, Angus Mitchell, History Today, December 1999
In 1899, Joseph Conrad’s novel attacked British imperialism in Africa and the Social Darwinist principles that were its foundation. It also spawned a strong humanitarian movement to end wide-spread abuses against Africa’s people.
Unit 2: The Ferment of the West, 1500–1900
Unit Overview
9. The World, the Flesh and the Devil, Robert W. Thurston, History Today, November 2006
The image of women as witches was a staple of European life for centuries. It took modern rationalism to finally put witch hunts to an end, but this did not occur before many had suffered at the hands of religious and political leaders.
10. The Luther Legacy, Derek Wilson, History Today, May 2007
Martin Luther was a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation. He left a legacy that still touches human lives at every level—individual, family, church, and state.
11. Elizabeth I: Gender, Power & Politics, Susan Doran, History Today, May 2003
Historians who judge Elizabeth I’s rule seem preoccupied with the gender issue. Some, today, find claims of her being "the British feminist icon'' to be overstated. Her greatest legacy may be that she proved that a woman could be an exceptionally successful ruler.
12. The Return of Catherine the Great, Tony Lentin, History Today, December 1996
Catherine the Great of Russia (1762–1796) was one of a group of national leaders known as enlightened despots, rulers who governed with an iron fist, but tried in varying degrees to initiate reforms to help their people. A fascinating character, she ultimately failed to bring Enlightenment values to Russia.
13. Benjamin Franklin: An American in London, Esmond Wright, History Today, March 2000
From 1757 to 1775, Franklin, an American colonist, lived in London and witnessed the growing rift between the colonies and the mother country. His peculiar perspective allowed him to see both sides of the coming struggle, but eventually, British policies led to his support for the cause of colonial independence from England.
14. From Mercantilism to the ‘Wealth of Nations’, Michael Marshall, The World & I, May 1999
Jean-Baptiste Colbert developed mercantilist economic ideas under Louis XIV in an attempt to create a favorable balance of trade for France. His ideas clashed with the later free trade thoughts of Adam Smith of Scotland. The controversy continues today because nations still worry about unfavorable trade flows.
15. As Good as Gold?, T. J. Stiles, Smithsonian, September 2000
Wampum, bales of tobacco, coins, paper, and gold have all been used as money—a "medium of exchange'' as the economists call it—in the United States. Now, paychecks are issued electronically and money is an electric current.
16. A Woman Writ Large in Our History and Hearts, Robert Wernick, Smithsonian, December 1996
She wrote novels, smoked cigars, wore men’s clothing, had a string of love affairs, and adopted a man’s name. Living in France, George Sand set an example of freedom for women to pursue a profession as well as to care for a household.
Unit 3: The Industrial and Scientific Revolutions
Unit Overview
17. Eyes Wide Open, Richard Powers, The New York Times Magazine, April 18, 1999
An obscure Arab in the tenth century resolved a question that had bothered thinkers for 800 years—did light travel from the eye to an object or was it the reverse? Ibn al-Haytham invited people to observe the sun, and realized from the results that light traveled to the eye. His emphasis upon direct observation later became a foundation stone for the development of the scientific method in Europe.
18. In God’s Place, Alan Lightman, The New York Times Magazine, September 19, 1999
With his great book Principia, Isaac Newton not only explained fundamental scientific ideas about force, inertia, and gravity, but he also destroyed Aristotle’s division between earthly and heavenly knowledge. There was in Newton’s thought the implicit assumption that the physical universe could be known. This idea was an advance in the development of human self-awareness.
19. The Workshop of a New Society, The Economist, December 31, 1999
The industrial revolution began in Great Britain. There were various contributing factors such as iron technology, availability of coal, rural industries, growing demand, political stability, and geographic isolation. At first, there were problems and concerns regarding urbanization and worker safety, but by 1900, the British citizen was better fed, housed, clothed, politically represented, and entertained than ever before in history.
20. Slavery and the British, James Walvin, History Today, March 2002
The Trans-Atlantic slave trade grew to be dominated by British entrepreneurs, who used it to increase their status, power, and wealth. Not a comfortable legacy for a nation that prides itself on its democratic institutions.
21. Samurai, Shoguns & the Age of Steam, Ron Clough, History Today, November 1999
The Industrial Revolution made its way to 19th century Japan, where the new Meiji government was in the process of making Japan a world power. To build their rail system, they imported help from England, and completed this prodigious task which revolutionized and modernized the country.
22. The Transatlantic Telegraph Cable: Eighth Wonder of the World, Gillian Cookson, History Today, March 2000
The completion of a lasting transatlantic telegraph cable in 1866 provided instant communication between the two hemispheres. The task was not easy to complete, but it strengthened the financial and commercial markets and whetted the appetite for fresh news.
23. A Tale of Two Reputations, Jared Diamond, Natural History, February 2001
Jared Diamond examines the life and work of two of the 19th/20th centuries, most influential thinkers—Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud—and assesses their impact on the modern world. Although Diamond calls both "irreplaceable,'' we are more critical of Freud’s errors than we are of Darwin’s because they have had a more direct impact on our lives.
24. Sputnik Fifty: Remembering the Dawn of the Space Age, Ron Cowen, Science News, October 6, 2007
In 1957, Russia’s Sputnik became the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth. It not only captured the attention of the world’s peoples, but also paved the way for a long and expensive competition, which ultimately led to the Space Age.
Unit 4: The Twentieth Century to 1950
Unit Overview
25. From Boer War to Timor: Warfare in the Twentieth Century, Keith Suter, Contemporary Review, December 1999
Warfare was a regular part of the century’s landscape, with small-scale guerrilla conflicts and massive world wars providing the parameters. If motives for war continue to tempt, an assessment of the 21st century might produce similar results.
26. Home at Last, Bill Powell and Owen Matthews, Newsweek, July 20, 1998 Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, as the new leader of the Soviet Union, ordered the murder of Nicholas II and his family in 1918. In 1991, the skeletons were exhumed and subjected to DNA testing for identification. The whole family, including Anastasia, along with various servants, had been killed. The remains were reburied at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg as a gesture of national healing.
27. Two Cheers for Versailles, Mark Mazower, History Today, July 1999
The claim that the treaty that ended World War I was responsible for World War II has been a common historical refrain. Perhaps too much criticism has been given to the Treaty of Versailles. It doesn’t rate a resounding approval; perhaps a quiet two cheers.
28. One Family’s Tryst with Destiny, Jad Adams, History Today, September 2007
The Nehru-Gandhi family was part of India's political history for most of the twentieth century. Why and how this occurred is woven into the history of this remarkable family.
29. The Roots of Chinese Xenophobia, Dennis Van Vranken Hickey, The World & I, July 2002 National humoliations caused by Western imperialist actions have made China xenophobic and paranoid regarding relations with Western nations. It still affects Chinese reactions to the West today.
30. Exposing the Rape of Nanking, Iris Chang, The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War 2, 1997
After taking over Shanghai in 1937, Japanese forces moved against Nanking, where widespread atrocities occurred—260,000 to 350,000 Chinese murdered, 20,000 to 80,000 Chinese women raped and tortured. The death toll was greater than that of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but it has remained an obscure event because of cultural and political reasons.
31. Stalin’s Tipping Point, Andrew Nagorski, Newsweek, September 10, 2007
The Battle for Moscow has been considered a turning point of World War II. What is not generally known is how close Stalin came to losing; only greater blunders by Hitler made the Russian victory possible.
32. Judgment at Nuremberg, Robert Shnayerson, Smithsonian, October 1996
Following the end of World War II, German leaders were brought to trial at Nuremberg to answer to "crimes against peace.'' Ten were hanged and one committed suicide. The trial upheld the rule of law and resisted the temptation to force mass guilt and executions of the German people.
Unit 5: The Era of the Cold War, 1950–1990
Unit Overview
33. The Plan and the Man, Evan Thomas, Newsweek, June 2, 1997
In 1947, George C. Marshall, the American secretary of state, announced the "Marshall Plan'' in a speech at Harvard. The plan provided $13.3 billion in aid to the ravaged countries of Europe in order to help them recover from World War II and to hold off the spread of communism. The British foreign minister called it a "lifeline to a sinking man.''
34. Korea: Echoes of a War, Steven Butler, U.S. News & World Report, June 19, 2000
The Korean War was an intervention under the United Nation’s flag, but was also the first taste of defeat and limited war for the United States. After millions of people were killed, including 36,500 Americans, the war settled nothing, and Korea remained divided along the same line established at the end of World War II.
35. Mao Zedong: Liberator or Oppressor of China?, Michael Lynch, History Review, September 2002
Though considered one of China’s most beloved figures during his lifetime, Mao Zedong's image as well as his ultimate place in Chinese history has been tarnished by later assessments of his rule. The jury is still out regarding his influence on China and the world.
36. Iraq’s Unruly Century, Jonathan Kandell, Smithsonian, May 2003
From British protectorate to Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, Iraq, the land that was once an ancient cradle of civilization, has had few bright moments. Dominated by Britain for more than fifty years, it was governed by a constitutional monarchy that was eventually overthrown by a military coup d'etat. This brought about a diabolical one-man rule, which ended with the recent United States-sponsored war. What will the future bring to Iraq’s second century?
37. Coming to Terms with the Past, Rikki Kersten, History Today, March 2004
Since the end of World War II, Japan has mostly avoided accepting blame for the war crimes its military forces committed during the conflict. One Japanese historian, Lenaga Saburo, forced the Japanese government to include some mention of these war crimes in their public school textbooks, a step in the right direction.
38. The USA in Vietnam, Kevin Ruane, Modern History Review, April 2003
"Why did the United States become involved in the Vietnam War?'' is a question still being asked today. Kevin Ruane presents an answer with a survey of American foreign policy during the first two decades of the Cold War (1945–1965). He traces growing American commitments to contain communism in four consecutive presidential administrations. Gradually, the commitments grew larger, ultimately leading to one-half million troops being sent to Vietnam during the Lyndon Johnson presidency.
39. The Common Currents of Imperialism, Gregory Shafer, The Humanist, September/October 2003
The Spanish-American War marked the United States’ beginning as an imperialist nation. Our resultant actions in the Philippine Islands began a process that some see being used in our war in Iraq today.
40. Coming to Terms with the Past: Cambodia, Ben Kiernan, History Today, September 2004
Few countries suffered more in the 20th century than Cambodia. The worst tragedy was a genocidal war, waged on its people by the Khmer Rouge. If the country is to move on in this century, it is necessary to provide closure from this horrific past.
Unit 6: Global Problems, Global Interdependence
Unit Overview
41. The Weather Turns Wild, Nancy Shute, U.S. News & World Report, February 5, 2001
There is a growing scientific consensus about the warming of global climate. Although there is debate about its effects, it will likely result in a rise in sea levels, hotter cities, drought, flooding, and the dislocation of millions of people.
42. Ending the Fool’s Game: Saving Civilization, Douglas Mattern, The Humanist, March/April 2004
Nuclear weapons continue to cast a large shadow over the prospects for permanent world peace. Now that more nations possess such weapons of mass destruction, immediate controls over them and their ultimate elimination offer the only sane course to follow.
43. 10 Million Orphans, Tom Masland and Rod Nordland, Newsweek, January 17, 2000
In sub-Saharan Africa, about 6,000 people die every day from AIDS. This has resulted in an orphan crisis unmatched in size and scope in all the history of the world. Orphan children with AIDS are often abandoned and others are subject to malnutrition and exploitation.
44. In God’s Name: Genocide and Religion in the Twentieth Century, Stephen R. Haynes, The Christian Century, February 27, 2002
Read a comparative analysis of the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and the Jewish holocaust perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II. Striking similarities appear, including the complicity of large numbers of Christians in each genocide. There is also a chilling conclusion: Rwanda proves that world leaders learned nothing from the Jewish Holocaust. Will future historians speak about the Rwandan genocide in the same way that contemporary historians speak about the Holocaust?
45. Terror in the Name of God, Mark Juergensmeyer, Current History, November 2001
Terrorism today has a new face—not political but religious. Its tactics are also different—not assassinations but random acts of violence designed to strike fear into its enemies. And the presumption of being on the right side in a cosmic good vs evil battle provides justification for these actions.
46. Women, Citizens, Muslims, Amy Zalman, The Women’s Review of Books, February 2004
Long oppressed, Afghan women have used the defeat of the Taliban campaign for equal rights in their country. They are doing so with the structure of both democracy and Muslim law—an intriguing approach.
47. The Next Asian Miracle, Yasheng Huang, Foreign Policy, July/August 2008
China and India have entered the realm of superpowers; the former used authoritarian means, the latter democratic. While China has an edge now, India may prove to be the ultimate winner.
48. A User’s Guide to the Century, Jeffrey D. Sachs, The National Interest, July/August 2008
The twenty-first century’s new world order seems fraught with potential disasters and rife with far too frequent crises. However, vision, leadership, and global cooperation could produce some surprisingly positive results.Test-Your-Knowledge Form
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