Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Kazakh- American University
Students’ Guide
Almaty- 2007
Introduction
Course Description. The course studies the main tendencies of the world development in the period of the XX- beginning of the XXI centuries. History of modernity is saturated with the events and global changes. The course is oriented to complex studying of social- economic and spiritual processes of the period in the whole and to specific ways of the countries and regions’ development.
The course studies the main problems of the world development and shows its progress.
It also studies the interconnection of the countries’ development and the place and role of Kazakhstan in the world development.
Students should
know:
main events of the world development, their dates and consequences
history of the world wars
main tendencies in the world development
reasons and consequences of colonial division of the world
peculiarities of the countries’ development
be able:
to work with documentary sources
to make analysis of the main events in the contemporary world
to make prognosis based on scientific analysis
be skilled at:
independent scientific research
defending their own point of view
Proportion of the theoretical and practical components for the exam tests is 50-50.
This students’ guide is designed to help students in their course studying. It consists of brief lectures and is based on interactive methodic of learning.
1. The World by the Beginning
of the XX Century
1. Brief content of the lecture
1. The subject “ Modern History” , its periodization.
Modern and contemporary history studies the period of the capitalism formation and capitalist development, radical changes in the world development in the XX century.
Different points of view on the beginning of modern history :
English revolution of the XVII century
Great French revolution of 1789
Great Geographical discoveries ( the end of the XV- beginning of the XVI c.)
Different points of view on the beginning of contemporary history:
the end of the XIX century
1914-1918
1917
2. Foundation of the industrial society, its characteristics
At the end of the XIX- beginning of the XX century contemporary civilization started to be formed. It was the formation of the industrial society based on the second industrial revolution.
*Symbols of the fast technical progress were:
**Technical inventions
New characteristics of the industrial society by the XX century
Socio- economic changes: classical capitalism features:
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-
-
-
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were accompanied by new ones:
- formation of monopolies
-concentration of capital
-formation of a financial capital
-formation of financial oligarchy
-export of capital
- redivision of the world
*This new stage was called ?
or state- monopolistic or state corporate capitalism. Example: in 1906 in Germany 9 big banks controlled 83 % of all bank capital in the country.
Uneven development of the world
1 group or leaders: GB, USA, France Germany, Scandinavian countries
2 group or countries with high tempoes of modernization: Central, Eastern, Southern Europe, Japan
3 group developing countries
Changes in the social structures during imperialism
**Major social groups: 1)
2)
3)
4)