Contemporary History

Timeline
Essential Events Between 1900 and 1945
Learn how two world wars and other major historical developments from the Spanish-American War to World War II reshaped global affairs in the first half of the twentieth century.
Reading
What Are the Origins of Communism?
Explore the different ways Marx, Lenin, and Stalin interpreted communism and dive into the history of translating an ideology into policy.
Reading
Why Did World War II Happen?
In this free resource on World War II, understand the causes of World War II and why these issues drove countries back to battle just two decades after World War I.
Reading
Why Did World War I Happen?
In this free resource on World War I, explore the causes and effects of the Great War to understand how the conflict shaped world history.

Learning Journeys

A learning journey is a student facing, curated collection of resources that explore a topic from a specific perspective.

Learning Journey
What Does Fascism Really Mean?

Learn about the history of fascist movements and explore democratic backsliding to determine just how history informs the present.

Learning Journey
U.S. History Mini Simulations

In this series of historical mini simulations, students step into the shoes of policymakers to advise the U.S. president on how to respond to major foreign policy moments in U.S. history.