Ancient Civilizations

Ancient Civilizations

• Mesopotamia:
  • Located in modern-day Iraq
  • Developed writing (cuneiform), wheel, and irrigation systems
  • Empires: Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian
• Ancient Egypt:
  • Located in northeastern Africa
  • Developed hieroglyphics, pyramids, and mummification
  • Pharaonic period (3100 BCE - 30 BCE)
• Ancient Greece:
  • Located in southeastern Europe
  • Developed democracy, theater, and philosophy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle)
  • City-states: Athens, Sparta
• Ancient Rome:
  • Located in central Italy
  • Developed Roman law, architecture, and engineering
  • Republic (509 BCE - 27 BCE), Empire (27 BCE - 476 CE)

Medieval Period

• Fall of the Roman Empire:
  • 476 CE, marking the end of the Western Roman Empire
• Middle Ages:
  • 500 - 1500 CE, characterized by feudalism, chivalry, and the Crusades
  • Rise of Christianity, monasteries, and trade guilds
• Byzantine Empire:
  • Eastern Roman Empire, lasted until 1453 CE
  • Capital: Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul)

Industrialization

• Industrial Revolution:
  • 18th - 19th centuries, transition from manual labor to machine-based manufacturing
  • Innovations: steam engine, textile machines, railways
  • Impact: urbanization, economic growth, social changes

Age of Exploration

• European Exploration:
  • 15th - 17th centuries, exploration and colonization of the Americas, Africa, and Asia
  • Key figures: Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Magellan
• Motivations:
  • Economic (trade, resources), religious (spreading Christianity), and scientific (discovery)
• Impact:
  • Transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between continents (Columbian Exchange)
  • Conquest, colonization, and exploitation of indigenous populations

Cold War

• Post-WWII:
  • 1945 - 1991 CE, ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union
  • Divided Europe, Berlin Wall, and proxy wars
• Key Events:
  • Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Cuban Missile Crisis
  • Detente period, Glasnost, and Perestroika
• End of the Cold War:
  • 1989 - 1991 CE, fall of the Berlin Wall, dissolution of the Soviet Union

Ancient Civilizations

• Mesopotamia was located in modern-day Iraq and developed writing (cuneiform), the wheel, and irrigation systems, with empires including Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian.
• Ancient Egypt, located in northeastern Africa, developed hieroglyphics, pyramids, and mummification, with a pharaonic period spanning from 3100 BCE to 30 BCE.
• Ancient Greece, located in southeastern Europe, developed democracy, theater, and philosophy, with key figures including Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and city-states such as Athens and Sparta.

Medieval Period

• The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 CE.
• The Middle Ages, spanning from 500 to 1500 CE, were characterized by feudalism, chivalry, and the Crusades, with the rise of Christianity, monasteries, and trade guilds.
• The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, lasted until 1453 CE, with its capital in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul).

Industrialization

• The Industrial Revolution, which occurred from the 18th to the 19th centuries, marked a transition from manual labor to machine-based manufacturing.
• Key innovations of the Industrial Revolution include the steam engine, textile machines, and railways, leading to urbanization, economic growth, and social changes.

Age of Exploration

• European Exploration, which took place from the 15th to the 17th centuries, involved the exploration and colonization of the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
• Key figures of this era include Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and Magellan.
• Motivations for exploration included economic growth (trade and resources), religious goals (spreading Christianity), and scientific discovery.
• The Age of Exploration had a significant impact, including the transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between continents (Columbian Exchange), conquest, colonization, and exploitation of indigenous populations.

Cold War

• The Cold War, which lasted from 1945 to 1991 CE, was an ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.
• Key events of the Cold War include the Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Cuban Missile Crisis, detente period, Glasnost, and Perestroika.
• The Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union from 1989 to 1991 CE.