Beyond the West
After World War I the British occupy Palestine. Saudi Arabia is created as a nation 1932 and oil is soon discovered there. In 1948 Israel becomes a nation. In 1964 the Palestinian Liberation Organization(PLO) is organized.
Chiang Kai-shek forms the Chinese National Government in 1927 but is weakened by Communist opposition. The 1930's see Japan's aggression mirroring that of Germany as it invades Manchuria (1931) and central China (1937). In 1941 japan joins Germany and Italy in World War II and is defeated in 1945 with the dropping of the atomic bomb. In 1949 Mao's Communists took over China. The Korean war (1950-1953) and the Viet Nam War (1964-1975) focused on superpowers' attention on small Asian nations.
The big trend of the era is the demise of colonialism. Europe owned much of the world in 1914, but the map of 2000 shows many independent nations. Perhaps the biggest shift is seen in South Africa in 1980s and 90s, with a relatively peaceful overthrow of white minority.
