Topic outline

  • Welcome!

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    Welcome to World Civilization II!

    Course Introduction
    This course will provide you with a broad outline of World History from 1500 to present. We will build frameworks and break down barriers. The course will provide a comparison of world regions at 1500, consider the Western political and economic revolutions, the growth and change of imperial China and Japan, the Islamic empires of Asia and Africa, then review the 20th century World Wars, the Cold War years and decolonization, and life in the 21st century.
    The heart of the course is to compare and contrast civilizations and cultures from five key regions: Europe, Asia, India, Africa, and the Americas. We will learn how to think historically, use a variety of sources, and apply good reading and writing skills. It is the hope that this course will foster openness and appreciation for other cultures and encourage you to think creatively about modern society and your own position within it. 

    Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

    1. Identify historically relevant facts, dates, events, terms, personalities, and concepts. (Knowledge)
    2. Demonstrate an informed and global perspective of world issues, human rights, and responsibilities. (Understand)
    3. Examine the impact of major events, movements, and historical figures around the world and how they reflect both shared and different human experiences. (Apply) 
    4. Interpret changes over time regarding politics, economics, religion, gender, social policy, art and culture. (Evaluate)
    5. Assess primary source material and/or secondary source material effectively and professionally. (Evaluate)
    6. Formulate the ability to critically appreciate various historical perspectives and interests. (Create) 

    Navigating the Course
    Adopting institution should provide learners information on how to navigate the course. Consider adding an introductory navigation video. Text description could include, for example:
    This course is set up in Modules covering various topics which may be accessed from the course navigation menu on the left or by scrolling below. Modules may be collapsed in the menu and it the body of the course to minimize scrolling. Each module includes the relevant chapters followed by various activities, which may include discussion forums, listening activities and quizzes, practice quizzes, module tests, and other relevant activities as appropriate for each module. Many items are required and may be marked as completed automatically when the activity has been submitted (the broken check box), but others will marked as done by the student (the solid check box). 

    Please move through the items below and continue through the Learner Support and Getting Started modules before moving on to Module 1. Be sure to check for announcements and due dates to stay on track.

    Creative Commons attribution license This course and its contents are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network, except where otherwise noted. 

  • Learner Support

    Main Body

  • Getting Started

    This module contains all the items you should review and complete before you begin Module 1. Before moving on, be sure to:

    1. Check the News and Announcements Forum
    2. Read the Course Syllabus
    3. Introduce yourself to the class
    4. Read the instructions for the Q & A Forum


    Good luck in the course!
    • Forum icon
      News and Announcements Forum
      This forum contains general news and announcements. You can find all announcements listed in the "Latest News" block in Course Tools within this course or on your My Courses page.
    • File icon
      World Civilization II Syllabus & Schedule File
      Students must
      Mark as done
    • Forum icon
      Introduce Yourself! Forum
      Students must
      Mark as done

      Use this forum to tell us a little about yourself and your interests. Some topic ideas:

        1. What is your field of study/research interest or concentration?
        2. What are you most interested in learning about in this class and why?
        3. Have you ever taken an online class before?
        4. Any other information you would like to share with your classmates, such as special interests or activities.


      Post a picture!  We look forward to meeting you.

    • Forum icon
      Q & A Forum for Students
      Students must
      Mark as done

      Use this forum to ask your instructor any questions you have about the course. You may post at any time, and your instructor will respond here. Be as specific as possible.

      Please keep in mind that others can see your posts, so do not post any personal information. If you have questions about your grade, please email your instructor directly. You can expect a response to posts and emails within [X] hours. [Recommendation is 24 hours M-F, next business day on weekends.]

      Subscription should be set to Auto.

  • Module 1: Introduction & World at 1500

    Stylized painting of The Forbidden City with buildings in clouds and people in ceremonial dress with some on horses.
    Instead of beginning with one region, this module provides a snapshot of the major regions of the world at the year 1500. From South and Central Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, each region was relatively well developed, stable and enjoyed sufficient access to resources. The chapter highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each region to lay the groundwork for subsequent chapters. (Image credit: "Forbidden City," Public Domain)








    Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to:

    1. Develop an informed and global perspective of the world at 1500 [Course Goals 1 & 2].
    2. Understand general historical trends and trajectories in politics, economics, and culture in the five major regions of the world at the year 1500 [Course Goals 3 & 6].


    To achieve these objectives: 

    1. Read the Module 1 Introduction
    2. Read Chapter 1 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition   
    3. Complete the specific activities in the module. 

    Note the check boxes to the right that help you track your progress: some are automatic, and some are manual. 

    Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

    You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

  • Module 2: New Encounters

    Luther in dark monk's robe with belt and silver buckle; his left hand on top of a book and right hand held open at chest
    This chapter of our story traces the new ideas and new encounters around the globe that are taking place by 1500. It examines ideas from the Protestant Reformation to the Enlightenment, and the early expansion of European powers. It ends with the American depopulation of the Columbian Exchange, which we will talk about next time. (Image credit: "Portrait of Martin Luther by Augustinian Monk," by Workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder, Public Domain)










    Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to:

    1. Develop an informed and global perspective of the origins of European religious and intellectual developments in the 16th and 17th centuries [Course Goal 2].
    2. Consider major events, historical figures, and change over time regarding politics, economics, religion, gender, social policy, art and culture in Europe and its contacts with others [Course Goal 4].


    To achieve these objectives:

    1. Read the Module 2 Introduction
    2. Read Chapter 2 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition
    3. Complete the specific activities in the module. 

    Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

    You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

  • Module 3: The Americas and the Impact of Columbus

    Aztec Warriors in animal-like clothing (Eagle on left, Jaguar on right) brandishing weapons upwards towards the sun.

    European contact with the Americas was a momentous event, but the story is a bit more complicated than is usually depicted. Before the Spanish arrived the peoples of South and North America had built complex societies. This module will add detail to the traditional stories of the conquest and colonization of the “New World.” It will discuss Columbus's image of the Americas and his return several times, helping to spawn the Columbian Exchange. Unfortunately along with that will also come the depopulation of the Americas with the smallpox epidemic. The chapter will also look at the conquest of the Incas. It will consider the growing presence of the British and how colonization will grow and change the Americas. (Image credit: "Aztec Warriors," from the Florentine Codex, Public Domain)





    Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to:

    1. Identify the causes and impact of the arrival of the Europeans in the Americas. [Course Goals 1 and 2].
    2. Begin to trace the nature of the European expansion, its perceptions, policies, and goals in conquest and exploitation. [Course Goal 6].


      To achieve these objectives:

      1. Read the Module 3 Introduction
      2. Read Chapter 3 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition
      3. Complete the specific activities in the module. 


      Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

      You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

    1. Module 4: The Question of Freedom and the Age of Revolutions

      Toussaint Louverture with hand raised holding a curved sword atop a horse

      The end of the 15th century, and the beginning of the 16th century, found many European kings and queens seeking to expand their respective territorial borders beyond what was geographically adjacent - similar to Alexander the Great's conquests, they were seeking world domination. This module explores how the Treaty of Tordesillas neatly divided up the continent of Africa and the Americas between Spain and Portugal, as well as the beginnings of the TransAtlantic slave trade as capitalistic ventures for nobility seeking to build fortunes. France, England, Germany, and the Netherlands' leadership were sending ships out on fact-finding missions in search of land, gold, salt, spices, and laborers. The gateway of initiating cross-cultural trade was one strategic maneuver undergirding the accumulation of wealth and power vis-à-vis invasion, conquest, enslavement, colonization and forced religious conversion. (Image credit: Author unknown, "Toussaint Louverture Chef des Noirs Insurges de Saint Domingue," Published by Chez Jean rue Jean de Beauvais, No. 10, Paris, Public Domain) 




      Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

      1. Identify several countries and the territories they claimed during the 16th century [Course Goal 1].
      2. Discuss the differences between cross-cultural trade and colonization [Course Goals 3 and 4].
      3. Present analysis of the role religion played in political decisions for Europe's monarchies [Course Goal 4].

      To achieve these objectives: 

      1. Read the Module 4 Introduction 
      2. Read Chapter 4 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition
      3. Complete the specific activities in the module. 


      Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

      You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

    2. Module 5: Troubled Nineteenth Century

      Enslaved men, women, and children working a cotton gin

      As the 18th century drew to a close, great technological advances spurred industrialization, promising immense profits to monarchs and entrepreneurs alike. The growth in manufacturing and production increased the need for raw materials. We will explore how European, Asian, and Russian monarchies used industrialization as one of the foundational justifications for expanding their respective empires through colonization and imperial rule of countries throughout Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. While the United States did not set up colonial rule, policy was being established that would ultimately position the United States as the leader in foreign policy, and covert imperialist governance of acquired territories. (Image credit: William L. Sheppard, "First cotton gin" from Harpers Weekly (1869), Public Domain)  



      Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

      1. Identify the characteristics of, and differentiate between, colonized nations and mother countries [Course Goals 1 and 3].
      2. Discuss why global capitalism flourished in tandem with industrialization [Course Goals 1 and 3].
      3. Develop analyses on the connections between national identity and the quests to colonize [Course Goals 2, 3, and 4].


      To achieve these objectives:

      1. Read the Module 5 Introduction 
      2. Read Chapter 5 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition 
      3. Complete the specific activities in the module. 


      Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

      You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

    3. Module 6: Imperialism

      Head of man (England) wearing top hat with 11 tentacled arms protruding from head with hands on various countries

      The previous module presented a world wracked by invasion, rebellions, and uprisings - but also stimulated by technological inventions, citizens gaining rights, and freedoms being won. This module presents the ongoing quest for empire as industrialized nations become the dominant political powers. England, Russia, Germany, and China use diplomacy, policy, economic support, and military intervention to gain control of countries in dire straits. Although the United States was not an empire (in the international sense), the United States gained control of territories and governed them, allowing American and European business owners to prosper. (Image credit: Author unknown, "American cartoon of John Bull (England) as an Imperial Octopus with its arms (with hands) in - or contemplating being in - various regions," (1888), Public Domain) 



      Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

      1. Identify and discuss examples of imperial rule, as well as how they are similar and differ from one another [Course Goals 1 and 3].
      2. Identify the effects of imperialism upon indigenous peoples, including the implications for human rights [Course Goal 2]. 
      3. Analyze the impact of imperial rule upon indigenous peoples, including the implications for the formulation of indigenous resistance to imperialism [Course Goals 3, 4, and 6].


      To achieve these objectives: 

      1. Read the Module 6 Introduction 
      2. Read Chapter 6 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition
      3. Complete the specific activities in the module.


      Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

      You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

    4. Midterm Assessment/Additional Exam Module

      Note: This course template does not include a sample mid-term exam but this is when the mid-term exam should occur in the sequence. 

      Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

      In this module you will take your midterm exam/exam # [choose one] OR submit your midterm assessment for this course. Read the instructions carefully and take note of any special submission guidelines.

      NOTE: Include this module for each exam or major assessment, edited as needed. Include attribution of your image (Title, Author, Source, License). 


      Upon completion of this module, you will have:

      1. Read and viewed the [midterm assessment name] instructions
      2. Scheduled your exam with the proctoring service [if applicable, delete if not needed]
      3. Prepared for and submitted your midterm assessment [revise as needed]


      To achieve these objectives:

      1. Read and view the contents of "Exam Information and Instructions" [if applicable, delete if not needed]
      2. Review the [midterm assessment] guidelines in your syllabus to make sure you are ready. Click on [Title of Assessment below] and follow the instructions.
      3. Log in to the proctoring service and take your exam. [if applicable, delete if not needed]

    5. Module 7: The Great War

      Soldiers marching in formation in front of a white building at Pomona College Carnegie Library during 1918 influenza epidemic

      By 1914, most governments in Europe were preparing for war, although none knew what incident would bring their allies into contestation with one another. The "Central Powers" (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottomans) fought against the "Triple Entente" (Russia, Great Britain, and France), before Japan and the United States joined these so-called "Allied Powers." In this module, we examine the context, conduct, and consequences of World War I, with special attention the traumas of the era. (Image: Soldiers donning Protective Face Masks during Armistice Day in 1918 at Carnegie Library, Pomona College, Public Domain)


      Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

      1. Identify key causes, conduct, and consequences of World War I, including the nature of world issues and implications for human rights [Course Goal 1 and 2].
      2. Explain how World War I impacted societies globally, including in the Americas, Asia, and Africa [Course Goal 3].


      To achieve these objectives: 

      1. Read the Module 7 Introduction 
      2. Read Chapter 7 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition
      3. Complete the specific activities in the module.

      Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

      You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

    6. Module 8: The Modern Crisis

      Group of men leaning against wall and doorway of building for photograph including Zhou Enlai (left) and Mao Zedong (middle)

      While the horrors of World War I shook most participants, the impacts of the war were uneven. While artistic movements attempted to cope with the trauma, liberationist nationalist movements attempted to seize on the emergent weaknesses of decaying empires. In Europe, post-war economic crises and democratic backsliding paved the way for the rise of Fascism. In Japan, it was the Japanese military victories that inspired militant nationalists and imperialists. In the Soviet Union, the drive to create a new society buckled under the pressures of Stalinism after the death of Vladimir Lenin, while the nascent Chinese Communist Party faced the potential of total annihilation at the hands of Chinese Republicanists. Across the world, scientific innovation exploded, while political, economic, and social crises frayed social bonds. Thus, in this module we explore "The Crisis of Modernity." (Image credit: Unknown author, "Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Bo Gu in Yana, 1935," Public Domain) 


      Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

      1. Understand how post-war social climates contributed to new artistic and political movements, as well as how these movements reflect both shared and different human experiences [Course Goal 3].
      2. Identify how unresolved inequities of race, class, and gender continued to share the transformative processes of history in the inter-war era, while connecting them to the present [Course Goals 3 and 4].


      To achieve these objectives: 

      1. Read the Module 8 Introduction 
      2. Read Chapter 8 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition 
      3. Complete the specific activities in the module. 


      Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

      You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

    7. Module 9: World War II

      Map of the Pacific Theater in August 1945. Red: Allies minus Soviets; Green and White: Japanese Empire; Grey: Soviet Union.Whether World War II was a continuation of the hyper-nationalist tendencies of World War I, or an entirely distinct conflict, in part rising out of the difficulties of the global economic crisis of the 1930s, is a matter of debate. Do we begin the conflict with the Nazi German invasion of Poland in 1939, or, alternatively, with the Japanese Empire's invasion and annexation of Manchuria in the early 1930s? By the end of the war, differences between the "Big Three" (Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill) became the staging ground for the Cold War. In this module, we consider the truly global nature of the conflict, with special attention to the human tolls of the conflict, including the Holocaust, Japanese internment, and the dropping of atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (Image credit: By Army Map Service, "1st August 1945" from the World Battle Fronts in Semimonthly Phases to August 15th 1945: Supplement to the Biennial report of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army July 1, 1945 to June 30, 1945 to the Secretary of War, Public Domain) 


      Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

      1. Explain the importance of the most significant turning points of World War II and their impact on the trajectory of world history, including on long term understandings of human rights and world issues [Course Goals 2, 3, and 4].
      2. Identify the social implications of policy decisions made during the war and their repercussions in the post-war climate [Course Goals 3, 4, and 6].


      To achieve these objectives:

      1. Read the Module 9 Introduction 
      2. Read Chapter 9 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition
      3. Complete the specific activities in the module. 


      Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

      You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

    8. Module 10: Decolonization

      Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser waving to crowds in Mansoura from a train car. Decolonization started during World War II, if not earlier, and continued throughout the Cold War. This module covers the early phases of decolonization, and details what happens as the war is ending, Japan retreating, and the western imperialists try to re-establish their empires. (Image credit: "Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser waving to crowds in Mansoura from a train car (1960)," not credited, Public Domain)



      Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

      1. Develop an informed and global perspective of decolonization within the context of the Cold War [Course Goal 2].
      2. Understand key historical trends, movements, events, historical figures, and changes beginning after World War II that will result in a growing number of states in Asia and Africa becoming independent [Course Goals 3 and 4].
      3. Understand and appreciate common factors and/or differences in the decolonization process [Course Goals 4 and 6].

      To achieve these objectives: 

      1. Read the Module 10 Introduction 
      2. Read Chapter 10 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition 
      3. Complete the specific activities in the module.


      Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

      You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

    9. Module 11: Cold War

      Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela together with Alberto Chissano and his daughter Cidalia in Mozambique (1990). When Americans think of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, they typically think of thousands of nuclear missiles pointed, controlled by Moscow and Washington DC, pointed at one another. Alternatively, they might imagine an ideological conflict of the capitalist First World and communist Second World, engaged in a battle for global supremacy. Yet, from 1945 onward, the "Third World," so-called because they were represented by those who were "Non-aligned" also clamored for self-determination. In this module, we examine the origins of the Cold War, the violent conflicts of the era (often rooted in the decolonization process mentioned in the previous module), and the outcomes of revolution, as well as the outcomes of counter-revolutionary violence. (Image credit: Low resolution version given by Museu Galeria Chissano, "The Mozambican sculptor Alberto Chissano (right) with Nelson and Winnie Mandela and Chissano's daughter Cidalia in Museu Galeria Chissano, Matola, Mozambique," (1990), Public Domain) 


      Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

      1. Discuss the major causes of conflict during the Cold War era as rooted in the process of Third World decolonization and contextualized by conflict between the First and Second Worlds [Course Goal 4].
      2. Identify the distinct features of Third World political movements that emerged during the Cold War and their lasting impact [Course Goal 6].


      To achieve these objectives: 

      1. Read the Module 11 Introduction 
      2. Read Chapter 11 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition
      3. Complete the specific activities in the module. 


      Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

      You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

    10. Module 12: Globalization

      People waiting outside a Starbucks Coffee located inside the Forbidden City in the People's Republic of China.

      From the late 1980s through the 2010s - or the end of the Cold War through the begging of contemporary history - is often called the "Era of Globalization." In this module, we explore the concept of globalization. What does the world mean? Have their been previous globalizations? When the current wave of globalization begin and why has globalization transformed our lives? (Image credit: "Starbucks at the Forbidden City (Beijing, China)," CC BY-SA 3.0)




      Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

      1. Define different ideas about globalization and describe different features of the process of globalization, especially in terms of economic, political, and cultural changes [Course Goals 1, 3, and 4].
      2. Identify key features of recent economic history and their relationship to trends in the contemporary global economy  [Course Goal 1].
      3. Formulate the ability to critically analyze various perspectives on globalization, as well as interests motivating those perspectives [Course Goal 6].


      To achieve these objectives: 

      1. Read the Module 12 Introduction 
      2. Read Chapter 12 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition
      3. Complete the specific activities in the module. 


      Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

      You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

    11. Module 13: The Anthropocene

      Forest Landscape Integrity Index 2019 map of the Earth. Forest condition measured by degree of anthropogenic modification.

      Recently, social scientists and historians of the natural world have described the historical epoch wherein humans emerged and began to have a distinct impact on the natural world as the "Anthropocene." How can we describe the Anthropocene further? Does it begin during the industrial revolution? During the era of globalization? During the atomic era? In this module we contextualize contemporary international debates on how to best develop policy for the future of the entire planet and mitigate the negative impacts of anthropogenic climate change. (Image credit: PhnomPencil, "Forest Landscape Integrity Index 2019 map of the Earth," CC BY-SA 4.0)


      Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

      1. Describe and identify key debates regarding the nature of the anthropocene [Course Goals 1 and 2].
      2. Understand the context of global policy changes, with special attention to environmental policy [Course Goals 3 and 4].
      3. Debunk common misconceptions with regard to the concept of the anthropocene [Course Goal 6].


      To achieve these objectives: 

      1. Read the Module 13 Introduction 
      2. Read Chapter 13 in Modern World History, LOUIS Revised Edition
      3. Complete the specific activities in the module.


      Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

      You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

    12. Final Exam/Final Project Module

      Note: This course template does not include a sample final exam but this is when the final exam should occur in the sequence. 

      Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

      In this module you will take your final exam/submit your final assessment [choose one] for this course. Read the instructions carefully and take note of any special submission guidelines. Include attribution of your image (Title, Author, Source, License). 



      Upon completion of this module, you will have:

      1. Read and viewed the final assessment instructions
      2. Scheduled your exam with the proctoring service [if applicable]
      3. Prepared and submitted your final assessment


      To achieve these objectives:

      1. Read and view the contents of the module book "Exam Information and Instructions" [if exam only]
      2. Review the final assessment guidelines in your syllabus to make sure you are ready. Click on [Title of Assessment below] and follow the instructions.
      3. Log in to the proctoring service and take your exam. [if exam only]