1450 - Present

This course is a part of AP®︎ World History, a 4-course Topic series from Khan Academy.

Coverage of topics from Periods 4-6 in AP World History

This course contains 15 segments:

Spanish and Portuguese Empires

The Spanish and Portuguese were the first Europeans to build global empires.

Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment

Copernicus challenging the notion that Earth is the center of the Universe is usually cited as the beginning of the Scientific Revolution. A time in which brave thinkers challenged the status quo based on evidence and logic. The period is considered to culminate with Newton's _Principia_. The Enlightenment emerges out of the ideas of the Scientific Revolution as philosophers begin to challenge traditional thinking in politics and human rights.

Mughal rule in India

After over three hundred years rule over North India, the Muslim Delhi Sultanate is overthrown by the Central Asian ruler Babar (who is descended from both Timur and Genghis Khan). He starts the Mughal Dynasty ("Mughal" is the Persian word for Mongol) that brings a further Persian influence to North India. As we enter the 18th century, Mughal power declines and we see the entrance of the British into Indian affairs.

Sikhism

Guru Nanak begins a movement focused on devotional love of God. It develops in a context of emerging Mughal rule. Forged by bouts of persecution by the Mughal Emperors, it develops a martial culture with the goal of fighting oppression.

The Protestant Reformation

In 1517 a German theologian and monk, Martin Luther, challenged the authority of the Pope and sparked the Protestant Reformation. His ideas spread quickly, thanks in part to the printing press. By challenging the power of the Church, and asserting the authority of individual conscience (it was increasingly possible for people to read the bible in the language that they spoke), the Reformation laid the foundation for the value that modern culture places on the individual.

The Russian Empire

From its medieval, Nordic-Slav roots as the 'land of Rus', Russia will eventually break free of Mongol control and emerge as a significant empire in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia.

American Revolution

The United States is the first major nation to break the chains of colonialism and rule by a king, based on ideas of the Enlightenment. It sets the stage for the French Revolution and multiple revolution in the early 19th century throughout the Americas. It can be viewed in the context of a broader struggle between England and France.

French Revolution

"Let them eat cake!" "No, how about we cut your head off instead!" The French Revolution was ugly, bloody and idealistic. This tutorial covers the beginning of the end of the Bourbon rule (actually doesn't really go away for 60 years) and birth of France as a Republic (which will really take about 80 years).

Latin American independence

From the late 1700s through the mid 1800s, most of North and South America achieves independence from European colonial powers. Possible catalyst include the ideas of the Enlightenment from the early 1700s, and the turmoil in Europe at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries (French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, etc.). You also have the emergence of revolutionary figures like Simon Bolivar.

Imperialism

As nations begin to industrialize, their desire for raw materials and markets in which to sell their products grows. In the 19th century, these factors motivated imperialist tendencies, especially among Western European powers.

World War I

World War 1 led to tens of millions of deaths, changed how wars were fought, and had political effects that can still be seen today.

World War II

World War II was the bloodiest conflict in human history. Starting with the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937) and the Nazi invasion of Poland (1939) through the eventual Axis power surrenders, this tutorial walks through the major events, year by year, in both the European and Pacific Arenas.

Overview of Chinese history 1911-1949

The early 1900s marked the end of thousands of years of dynastic imperial rule in China. It also marked the beginning of a complex period of fragmentation, civil war and fending off Japanese imperial ambitions. This tutorial covers everything from the establishment of the Republic of China by Sun Yat-sen to the Warlord Era to the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang led by Chiang Kai-Shek and the Communists led by Mao Zedong.

The Cold War

The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet and their respective allies never involved direct conflict. Instead, it involved posturing, brinksmanship and proxy wars in far-flung regions of the world.

Human rights

The 20th century saw the end of traditional imperialism, but also some of the bloodiest events in human history. In reaction to these events, efforts have been made to prevent these types of things from happening in the future. Will they be successful?