The Modern World, MCC-NGU
Industrialization, nationalism, world war, decolonization, and technological change have made the modern world a time of staggering disruption and reinvention. Explore the forces that shaped it.
The Modern World Encyclopedia Articles By Title
McCloy, John J
John J. McCloy was an American diplomat and lawyer. He was an adviser to every U.S. president from Franklin D.......
McGovern, George
George McGovern was an American politician who was an unsuccessful reformist Democratic candidate for the U.S.......
McNamara, Robert S.
Robert S. McNamara was the U.S. secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968 who revamped Pentagon operations and who......
Mearsheimer, John J.
John J. Mearsheimer is a prominent American scholar of international relations best known for his theory of offensive......
Medical Committee for Human Rights
Medical Committee for Human Rights (MCHR), group of health care activists whose work in the late 1960s and early......
Medvedev, Roy
Roy Medvedev was a Russian historian and dissident who was one of his country’s foremost historiographers in the......
Medvedev, Zhores
Zhores Medvedev was a Soviet biologist who became an important dissident historian in the second half of the 20th......
Medvedev, Zhores
Zhores Medvedev was a Soviet biologist who became an important dissident historian in the second half of the 20th......
Mehmed V
Mehmed V was an Ottoman sultan from 1909 to 1918, whose reign was marked by the absolute rule of the Committee......
member states of the United Nations (UN)
member states of the United Nations (UN), states that have been admitted into the United Nations (UN). The UN is......
Mengele, Josef
Josef Mengele was a Nazi doctor at Auschwitz extermination camp (1943–45) who selected prisoners for execution......
Menshevik
Menshevik, member of the non-Leninist wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers’ Party, which evolved into......
Meredith, James
James Meredith is an American civil rights activist who gained national renown at a key juncture in the civil rights......
Merrill, Frank Dow
Frank Dow Merrill was a U.S. Army officer during World War II who led specially trained jungle fighters called......
Messines, Battle of
Battle of Messines, battle during World War I, fought June 7–14, 1917, between German and British forces, resulting......
Metaxas, Ioannis
Ioannis Metaxas was a general and statesman who was dictator of Greece from 1936 to 1941. After active service......
Mexico
Mexico, country of southern North America and the third largest country in Latin America, after Brazil and Argentina.......
- Introduction
- Rivers, Lakes, Coastline
- Flora, Fauna, Ecosystems
- Indigenous, Mestizo, Afro-Mexican
- Population, Migration, Urbanization
- Forestry, Biodiversity, Conservation
- Trade, Exports, Imports
- Federalism, Constitution, Autonomy
- Health, Welfare, Poverty
- Culture, Cuisine, Traditions
- Holidays, Festivals, Traditions
- Sports, Recreation, Culture
- Pre-Columbian, Conquest, Revolution
- Aztecs, Tenochtitlan, Mesoamerica
- Spanish Conquest, Aztec Empire, Colonialism
- Independence, Revolution, 1810
- La Reforma, Politics, Economy
- Porfirio Diaz, Revolution, Reforms
- Revolution, Aftermath, 1910-40
- WWII, Allies, Axis
- PRI Rule, Pena Nieto, Reforms
Middle East
Middle East, loosely defined region that typically encompasses Southwest Asia, especially the Arabian Peninsula......
Midway, Battle of
Battle of Midway, (June 3–6, 1942), World War II naval battle, fought almost entirely with aircraft, in which the......
Mihailović, Dragoljub
Dragoljub Mihailović was an army officer and head of the royalist Yugoslav underground army, known as the Chetniks,......
Mikoyan, Anastas Ivanovich
Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan was an Old Bolshevik and highly influential Soviet statesman who dominated the supervision......
Mikołajczyk, Stanisław
Stanisław Mikołajczyk was a Polish statesman, who tried to establish a democratic, non-Soviet regime in Poland......
Milford Haven, Louis Alexander Mountbatten, 1st marquess of
Louis Alexander Mountbatten, 1st marquess of Milford Haven was a British admiral of the fleet and first sea lord,......
Military Commanders of World War I
Here are the key military leaders who controlled the battlefields of World War I. list, World War I, generals,......
Miller, David Hunter
David Hunter Miller was a U.S. lawyer and an expert on treaties who participated in the drafting of the covenant......
Miller, Doris
Doris Miller was a U.S. naval serviceman noted for his bravery during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (1941).......
Miller, Lee
Lee Miller was an American photographer, Surrealist artist, and model. She might have been known primarily as the......
Minidoka Internment National Monument
Minidoka Internment National Monument, site of a World War II internment camp for Japanese Americans, southern......
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), political party formed in 1964 as an alternative to the dominantly......
Missouri
Missouri, American battleship, scene of the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945, that formally ended World......
Mitchell, William
William Mitchell was a U.S. Army officer who early advocated a separate U.S. air force and greater preparedness......
Mitscher, Marc A.
Marc A. Mitscher was a U.S. naval officer who commanded the aircraft carriers of Task Force 58 in the Pacific area......
Moczar, Mieczysław
Mieczysław Moczar was a Polish Communist leader and organizer. As a leader of the underground resistance during......
Model, Walther
Walther Model was a German field marshal during World War II. Model entered the German army in 1909, held various......
Modernism
Modernism, in the fine arts, a break with the past and the concurrent search for new forms of expression. Modernism......
Modiano, Patrick
Patrick Modiano is a French writer who in more than 40 books used his fascination with the human experience of......
Modisane, Bloke
Bloke Modisane was a South African-born British writer, actor, and journalist whose moving autobiography, Blame......
Moldova
Moldova, landlocked country lying in the northeastern corner of the Balkan region of Europe. Its capital city is......
Molotov, Vyacheslav
Vyacheslav Molotov was a statesman and diplomat who served as foreign minister and the major spokesman for the......
Moltke, Helmuth von
Helmuth von Moltke was the chief of the German General Staff at the outbreak of World War I. His modification of......
Monash, Sir John
Sir John Monash was a civil engineer and soldier, best known for his role as commander of the Australian army corps......
Money supply
Money supply is the total amount of spendable funds available in a country’s economy. This typically refers to......
Mons, Battle of
Battle of Mons, engagement fought on the last day of World War I—November 11, 1918—in which Canadian forces captured......
Mons, Battle of
Battle of Mons, (August 23, 1914) engagement between the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the German army......
Monte Cassino, Battle of
Battle of Monte Cassino, battle at Cassino, Italy, during World War II from January 17 to May 18, 1944, between......
Montenegro
Montenegro, country located in the west-central Balkans at the southern end of the Dinaric Alps. It is bounded......
Montgomery bus boycott
Montgomery bus boycott, mass protest against the bus system of Montgomery, Alabama, by civil rights activists and......
Montgomery, Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount
Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery was a British field marshal and one of the outstanding Allied commanders......
monuments men and women
monuments men and women, informal name for members of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) program run......
Moody, Anne
Anne Moody was an American civil rights activist and writer whose Coming of Age in Mississippi (1968), an autobiographical......
Morgan, Frederick Edgeworth
Frederick Edgeworth Morgan was a British army officer who was the original planner of Operation Overlord, code......
Morgan, John Pierpont, Jr.
John Pierpont Morgan, Jr. was an American banker and financier, the head of the Morgan investment banking house......
Morocco
Morocco, mountainous country of western North Africa that lies directly across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain.......
- Introduction
- Mountains, Plateaus, Valleys
- Mediterranean, Arid, Temperate
- Urban, Rural, Coastal
- Agriculture, Tourism, Manufacturing
- Local Government, Regions, Provinces
- Education, Literacy, Schools
- Decline, Traditional Gov, 1830-1912
- French Zone, Berbers, Sahara
- Spanish Zone, Rif Mountains, Mediterranean Coast
- North African, Berber, Mediterranean
- Muhammad VI, Reforms, Culture
Moscow, Battle of
Battle of Moscow, battle fought between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union from September 30, 1941 to January 7,......
Moscow, Treaty of
Treaty of Moscow, (March 16, 1921), pact concluded at Moscow between the nationalist government of Turkey and the......
Motley, Constance Baker
Constance Baker Motley was an American lawyer and jurist, an effective legal advocate in the civil rights movement......
Moulin, Jean
Jean Moulin was a French civil servant and hero of the Résistance during World War II. After studying law at Montpellier,......
MS St. Louis
MS St. Louis, German ocean liner that gained international attention in May–June 1939 when Cuba, the United States,......
Mtintso, Thenjiwe
Thenjiwe Mtintso is a South African antiapartheid activist and journalist who occupied various leadership positions......
Mubarak, Hosni
Hosni Mubarak was an Egyptian military officer and politician who served as president of Egypt from October 1981......
Mudros, Armistice of
Armistice of Mudros, (Oct. 30, 1918), pact signed at the port of Mudros, on the Aegean island of Lemnos, between......
Muggeridge, Malcolm
Malcolm Muggeridge was a British journalist and social critic. A lecturer in Cairo in the late 1920s, he worked......
Mulberry
Mulberry, either of two artificial harbours designed and constructed by the British in World War II to facilitate......
Mullen, Mike
Mike Mullen is a U.S. Navy admiral who served as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2007–11). Mullen graduated......
murder
murder, in criminal law, the killing of one person by another that is not legally justified or excusable, usually......
Murphy, Audie
Audie Murphy was an American war hero and actor who was one of the most-decorated U.S. soldiers of World War II.......
Murray, Pauli
Pauli Murray was a key figure who helped define the intellectual foundations of the 20th-century civil rights and......
Mussolini, Benito
Benito Mussolini was the Italian prime minister (1922–43) and the first of 20th-century Europe’s fascist dictators.......
Muste, A.J.
A.J. Muste was a Dutch-born American clergyman best known for his role in the labour and left-wing movements of......
Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions
Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions (MBFR), a series of Cold War-era talks between the United States and the Soviet......
My Lai Massacre
My Lai Massacre, mass killing of as many as 500 unarmed villagers by U.S. soldiers in the hamlet of My Lai on March......
NAACP
The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the United States’ oldest and largest......
Nagano Osami
Nagano Osami was a Japanese admiral who planned and ordered the attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor,......
Nagasaki
Nagasaki, capital and largest city of Nagasaki ken (prefecture), western Kyushu, Japan, located at the mouth of......
Nakdong River
Nakdong River, river, in the Yeongnam area of the provinces (do) of North Gyeongsang and South Gyeongsang, southeastern......
Nanjing Massacre
Nanjing Massacre, (December 1937–January 1938), mass killing and rape of Chinese citizens and capitulated soldiers......
Nansen, Fridtjof
Fridtjof Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, oceanographer, statesman, and humanitarian who led a number of expeditions......
Nash, Diane
Diane Nash is an American civil rights activist who was a leading figure in the civil rights movement of the 1950s......
Nasser, Gamal Abdel
Gamal Abdel Nasser was an Egyptian army officer, prime minister (1954–56), and then president (1956–70) of Egypt......
National Defense Education Act
National Defense Education Act (NDEA), U.S. federal legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by Pres.......
National Industrial Recovery Act
National Industrial Recovery Act, U.S. labour legislation (1933) that was one of several measures passed by Congress......
National Liberation Front
National Liberation Front (NLF), Vietnamese political organization formed on December 20, 1960, to effect the overthrow......
National Party
National Party (NP), South African political party, founded in 1914, which ruled the country from 1948 to 1994.......
National Recovery Administration
National Recovery Administration (NRA), U.S. government agency established by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt to stimulate......
National World War II Memorial
National World War II Memorial, monument in Washington, D.C., dedicated both to the Americans who served in World......
Nations, League of
League of Nations, an organization for international cooperation established on January 10, 1920, at the initiative......
Nazi Party
Nazi Party, political party of the mass movement known as National Socialism. Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler,......
Nazism
Nazism, totalitarian movement led by Adolf Hitler as head of the Nazi Party in Germany. In its intense nationalism,......
Negrín López, Juan
Juan Negrín López was the Republican prime minister (1937–39) of Spain who held office during the last two years......
Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites
Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites, series of 14 sites across South Africa, recognized by UNESCO as part of its World......
Netherlands
Netherlands, country located in northwestern Europe, also known as Holland. “Netherlands” means low-lying country;......
- Introduction
- Dutch, Multicultural, Diverse
- Trade, Agriculture, Industry
- Rail, Road, Air
- Politics, Constitution, Government
- Art, Cuisine, Windmills
- Dutch, Low Countries, Golden Age
- Politics, Constitution, Reform
- 12 Years Truce, Peace, Sovereignty
- Dutch Republic, Revolution, Enlightenment
- Trade, Art, Science
- Enlightenment, Trade, Reforms
- Napoleonic, Batavian, Revolution
- Dutch Republic, Unification, Napoleonic Wars
- WWI, Wilhelmina, Neutrality
- Lowlands, Economy, Politics
Neuengamme-Ring
Neuengamme-Ring, a complex of Nazi German concentration camps situated in marshy country near Neuengamme, a suburb......
Neuilly, Treaty of
Treaty of Neuilly, (Nov. 27, 1919), peace treaty between Bulgaria and the victorious Allied powers after World......
New Deal
New Deal, domestic program of the administration of U.S. Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) between 1933 and 1939,......
New Economic Policy
New Economic Policy (NEP), the economic policy of the government of the Soviet Union from 1921 to 1928, representing......
New Look
New Look, U.S. military strategy developed by the administration of Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower and articulated......
New Zealand
New Zealand, island country in the South Pacific Ocean, the southwesternmost part of Polynesia. New Zealand is......
- Introduction
- Landforms, Islands, Geology
- Soils, Climate, Geology
- Maori, Polynesian, Pacific
- Economy, Trade, Agriculture
- Economy, Trade, Finance
- Politics, Economy, Society
- Politics, Governance, Democracy
- Maori, Islands, Culture
- Culture, Institutions, Maori
- Maori, Settlers, Islands
- Responsible Gov't, Maori Culture, Islands
- Colonization, Maori, Islands
- Maori, Politics, Economy
- Nationalism, War, Maori
- Maori, Islands, Economy
- John Key, Prime Minister, 2011-16
- Prime Ministers, Politics, Islands
Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem was a Vietnamese political leader who served as president, with dictatorial powers, of what was then......
Nguyen Cao Ky
Nguyen Cao Ky was a South Vietnamese military and political leader known for his flamboyant manner and militant......
Nguyen Huu Tho
Nguyen Huu Tho was the chairman of the National Liberation Front (NLF), the South Vietnamese political organization......