The Modern World, CHK-DEN
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
Chkheidze, Nikolay Semyonovich
Nikolay Semyonovich Chkheidze was a Menshevik leader who played a prominent role in the revolutions of Russia (1917)......
Choltitz, Dietrich von
Dietrich von Choltitz was a German army officer who was the last commander of Nazi-occupied Paris in World War......
Chomsky, Noam
Noam Chomsky is an American theoretical linguist whose work from the 1950s revolutionized the field of linguistics......
Chosin Reservoir, Battle of the
Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, campaign early in the Korean War, part of the Chinese Second Offensive (November–December......
Christian X
Christian X was the king of Denmark (1912–47) who symbolized the nation’s resistance to the German occupation during......
Christmas Truce
Christmas Truce, (December 24–25, 1914), unofficial and impromptu cease-fire that occurred along the Western Front......
Chuikov, Vasily
Vasily Chuikov was a Soviet general (and later marshal) who in World War II commanded the defense at the Battle......
Chung Il Kwon
Chung Il Kwon was a Korean army officer and politician, the commander of South Korean troops during some of the......
Chung Seung-Hwa
Chung Seung-Hwa Korean general and army chief of staff who was present during the October 1979 assassination of......
Church, Frank
Frank Church was an American politician from Idaho who served four terms in the U.S. Senate (1957–81). Church,......
Churchill tank
Churchill tank, the most successful British tank used in World War II. In 1940, after the evacuation of the British......
Churchill, Winston
Winston Churchill was a British statesman, orator, and author who as prime minister (1940–45, 1951–55) rallied......
Ciano, Galeazzo, conte di Cortellazzo
Galeazzo Ciano, conte di Cortellazzo was an Italian statesman and diplomat who became one of the key figures in......
Cicero
Cicero was one of the most famous spies of World War II, who worked for Nazi Germany in 1943–44 while he was employed......
Citroën, André-Gustave
André-Gustave Citroën was a French engineer and industrialist who introduced Henry Ford’s methods of mass production......
civil disobedience
civil disobedience, the refusal to obey the demands or commands of a government or occupying power, without resorting......
Civil rights
Civil rights are guarantees of equal social opportunities and equal protection under the law, regardless of race,......
Civil Rights Act
Civil Rights Act, (1964), comprehensive U.S. legislation intended to end discrimination based on race, color, religion,......
civil war
civil war, a violent conflict between a state and one or more organized non-state actors in the state’s territory.......
Claes, Willy
Willy Claes is a Belgian statesman who served as secretary-general (1994–95) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization......
Clark, Mark
Mark Clark was a U.S. Army officer during World War II, who commanded Allied forces (1943–44) during the successful......
Clark, Septima Poinsette
Septima Poinsette Clark was an American educator and civil rights activist. Her own experience of racial discrimination......
Clemenceau, Georges
Georges Clemenceau was a statesman and journalist who was a dominant figure in the French Third Republic and, as......
Code Pink
Code Pink, feminist antiwar organization founded in 2002 to protest U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and......
code talker
code talker, any of more than 400 Native American soldiers—including Assiniboin, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Choctaw, Comanche,......
Coffin, William Sloane, Jr.
William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was an American clergyman and civil rights activist who achieved national prominence......
Cold War
Cold War, the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between the United States and the Soviet......
Colditz Castle
Colditz Castle, German prisoner-of-war camp in World War II, the site of many daring escape attempts by Allied......
Coleraine, Richard Kidston Law, 1st Baron
Richard Kidston Law, 1st Baron Coleraine was a British politician who served as minister of state at the Foreign......
collective security
collective security, system by which states have attempted to prevent or stop wars. Under a collective security......
Colombia
Colombia, country of northwestern South America. Its 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of coast to the north are bathed by......
- Introduction
- Drainage, Soils, Geology
- Tropical, Rainforest, Mountains
- Rainforest, Wildlife, Ecosystems
- Settlements, Regions, Diversity
- Trade, Agriculture, Mining
- Coffee, Bananas, Cocoa
- Mining, Quarrying, Resources
- Railways, Roads, Airports
- Health, Welfare, Infrastructure
- Arts, Music, Dance
- Sports, Recreation, Culture
- Revolution, Independence, Culture
- Conservative, Liberal, Struggle
- Liberalism, 1930-46
- La Violencia, Dictatorship, Restoration
- Drug Trafficking, Guerrilla Warfare, Conflict
- Peace, Economy, Culture
Colossus
Colossus, the first large-scale electronic computer, which went into operation in 1944 at Britain’s wartime code-breaking......
Colvin, Claudette
Claudette Colvin is an American woman who was arrested as a teenager in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat......
Comecon
Comecon, organization established in January 1949 to facilitate and coordinate the economic development of the......
communism
communism, political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with......
Communist Party
Communist Party, Political party organized to facilitate the transition of society from capitalism through socialism......
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), the major political party of Russia and the Soviet Union from the Russian......
Concentration camp
Concentration camp, internment centre for political prisoners and members of national or minority groups who are......
Condor Legion
Condor Legion, a unit of the German air force, or Luftwaffe, detailed by Hermann Göring for special duty with General......
Conrad von Hötzendorf, Franz, Graf
Franz Graf Conrad von Hötzendorf was a controversial military strategist and one of the most-influential conservative......
Constantine I
Constantine I was the king of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. His neutralist, but essentially pro-German,......
Constantinople Agreement
Constantinople Agreement, (March 18, 1915), secret World War I agreement between Russia, Britain, and France for......
Constituent Assembly
Constituent Assembly, popularly elected body that convened in 1918 in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) to write a constitution......
Coolidge, Calvin
Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president of the United States (1923–29). Coolidge acceded to the presidency after......
Cooperative Threat Reduction
Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR), plan developed by U.S. Senators Sam Nunn (Democrat, Georgia) and Richard Lugar......
Coral Sea, Battle of the
Battle of the Coral Sea, (May 4–8, 1942) World War II naval and air engagement in which a U.S. fleet turned back......
Corfu Declaration
Corfu Declaration, (July 20, 1917), statement issued during World War I calling for the establishment of a unified......
Corregidor, Battle of
Battle of Corregidor, the successful recapture by U.S. troops on February 16–March 2, 1945, during World War II,......
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, country of Central America. Its capital is San José. Of all the Central American countries, Costa Rica......
- Introduction
- Indigenous, Mestizo, Immigrants
- Spanish, Indigenous, English
- Population, Migration, Diversity
- Resources, Power, Ecology
- Roads, Airports, Telecoms
- Health, Welfare, Ecology
- Surfing, Hiking, Wildlife
- Independence, Democracy, Nature
- Democracy, Peace, Stability
- Nature, Economy, Politics
- Nature, Economy, Politics
Courtney, Leonard Henry Courtney, Baron
Leonard Henry Courtney, Baron Courtney was a radical British politician who gained fame as an advocate of proportional......
Couve de Murville, Maurice
Maurice Couve de Murville was a French diplomat and economist who served a record term as foreign minister (1958–68).......
Cowra breakout
Cowra breakout, (August 5, 1944), mass escape by nearly 400 Japanese prisoners of war from a prison camp in Cowra,......
Creel, George
George Creel was an American writer and newspaperman who, as head of the U.S. publicity bureau during World War......
Crerar, Henry Duncan Graham
Henry Duncan Graham Crerar was a Canadian army officer who was that country’s leading field commander in World......
Crete, Battle of
Battle of Crete, airborne assault by Nazi Germany on the Greek island of Crete during World War II that took place......
crime
crime, the intentional commission of an act usually deemed socially harmful or dangerous and specifically defined,......
Croatia
Croatia, country located in the northwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It is a small yet highly geographically......
- Introduction
- Slavic, Catholic, Adriatic
- Economy, Tourism, Agriculture
- Trade, Services, Finance
- Politics, Culture, Society
- Culture, Cuisine, Music
- Cultural Institutions
- Medieval, Adriatic, Balkans
- National Revival, Culture, Language
- WWI, Kingdom, Serbs-Croats-Slovenes
- WWII, Partisans, Yugoslavia
- Adriatic Coast, Balkan Peninsula, EU Member
Cromwell tank
Cromwell tank, British medium tank that was used in the later stages of World War II. The Cromwell was designed......
Cronkite, Walter
Walter Cronkite was an American journalist and pioneer of television news programming who became known as “the......
Cuba
Cuba, country of the West Indies, the largest single island of the archipelago, and one of the more-influential......
- Introduction
- Soils, Climate, Agriculture
- Spanish, Haitian Creole, Sign Language
- Migration, Population, Economy
- Farming, Crops, Fisheries
- Trade, Economy, Exports
- Local Gov, Provinces, Municipalities
- Political System, Elections, Constitution
- Music, Art, Cuisine
- Art, Music, Dance
- Museums, Music, Cuisine
- Slavery, Sugarcane, Caribbean
- Filibustering, Struggle, Independence
- Caribbean, Revolution, Communism
- Revolution, Communism, Fidel Castro
- Revolution, Economy, Politics
Cuban missile crisis
Cuban missile crisis, (October 1962), major confrontation that brought the United States and the Soviet Union close......
Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution, armed uprising in Cuba that overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista on January 1, 1959.......
Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution, upheaval launched by Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong during his last decade in......
Culture
Culture, behaviour peculiar to Homo sapiens, together with material objects used as an integral part of this behaviour.......
Cunningham, Andrew Browne
Andrew Browne Cunningham was a British naval officer who was an outstanding combat commander early in World War......
Cunningham, Sir Alan Gordon
Sir Alan Gordon Cunningham was a British army officer who scored important victories over Italian forces in eastern......
current U.S. governors
Each U.S. state is headed by a governor who serves as its chief executive. They are directly elected and share......
Currie, Sir Arthur William
Sir Arthur William Currie was the first Canadian commander, from 1917, of Canada’s overseas forces in World War......
Curtin, John
John Curtin was a statesman, prime minister of Australia during most of World War II, and leader of the Australian......
Curzon Line
Curzon Line, demarcation line between Poland and Soviet Russia that was proposed during the Russo-Polish War of......
Cushman, Vera Charlotte Scott
Vera Charlotte Scott Cushman was an American social worker, an active and influential figure in the early 20th-century......
Czech Republic
Czech Republic, also called Czechia, landlocked country located in central Europe. It comprises the historical......
- Introduction
- Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia
- Slavs, Bohemians, Moravians
- Manufacturing, Automotive, Tourism
- Resources, Power, Manufacturing
- Services, Economy, Tourism
- Democracy, Unitary State, Constitution
- Culture, Cuisine, Music
- Bohemian, Moravian, Baroque
- Theatre, Puppetry, Opera
- Cultural Institutions
- Bohemia, Moravia, Habsburgs
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia, former country in central Europe encompassing the historical lands of Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia.......
Czernin, Ottokar
Ottokar Czernin was the foreign minister of Austria-Hungary (1916–18), whose efforts to disengage his country from......
D-Day in pictures
After a prolonged naval and aerial bombardment of German defenses on the Channel coast of France and the Low Countries,......
Dachau
Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp in Germany, established on March 10, 1933, slightly more than five weeks......
Dardanelles Campaign, naval operations in the
In an attempt to knock Germany’s ally, Turkey, out of World War I and to open a supply route across the Black Sea......
Darquier de Pellepoix, Louis
Louis Darquier de Pellepoix was a French politician who was notorious as an antisemite and collaborator with Nazi......
Dauser, Sue Sophia
Sue Sophia Dauser was an American nurse and naval officer responsible for preparing the Navy Nurse Corps for World......
Davies, David Davies, 1st Baron
David Davies, 1st Baron Davies was a British promoter of the League of Nations, advocate of an international policing......
Davis, Benjamin O., Jr.
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. was a pilot, officer, and administrator who became the first African American general in......
Davis, Benjamin O., Sr.
Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. became, in 1940, the first Black general in any branch of the U.S. military. Citing census......
Davis, Sammy, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr. was an American singer, dancer, actor, and entertainer who broke down barriers for African American......
Dawes Plan
Dawes Plan, arrangement for Germany’s payment of reparations after World War I. On the initiative of the British......
dazzle camouflage
dazzle camouflage, strategy of disguising military ships by painting them with geometric patterns, using bold swaths......
De Gasperi, Alcide
Alcide De Gasperi was a politician and prime minister of Italy (1945–53) who contributed to the material and moral......
de Hoop Scheffer, Jaap
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is a Dutch politician who served as secretary-general (2004–09) of the North Atlantic Treaty......
DeCarava, Roy
Roy DeCarava was an American photographer whose images of African Americans chronicle subjects such as daily life......
decline of the Ottoman Empire
decline of the Ottoman Empire, period of Ottoman history that followed the empire’s zenith in the 16th century......
Deer Hunter, The
The Deer Hunter, American dramatic film, released in 1978, that focused on the devastating effects of the Vietnam......
Defence of India Act
Defence of India Act, (1915), legislation designed to give the government of British India special powers to deal......
Degrelle, Léon
Léon Degrelle was the founder and leader of the Rexist Party of Belgium, who collaborated with the Germans during......
Deir Yassin
Deir Yassin, Palestinian Arab village that was located just west of Jerusalem. On April 9, 1948, on the eve of......
Delano, Jane A.
Jane A. Delano was an American nurse and educator who made possible the enlistment of more than 20,000 U.S. nurses......
demilitarized zone
demilitarized zone (DMZ), region on the Korean peninsula that demarcates North Korea from South Korea. It roughly......
Demjanjuk, John
John Demjanjuk was a Ukrainian-born autoworker who was accused of being a Nazi camp guard during World War II.......
Dempsey, Martin
Martin Dempsey is a U.S. Army general who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2011–15). Dempsey graduated......
Dempsey, Miles Christopher
Miles Christopher Dempsey was a British army officer who commanded the Second Army, the main British force in the......
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was the most powerful figure in the People’s Republic of China from the late 1970s until his death......
Denmark
Denmark, country occupying the peninsula of Jutland (Jylland), which extends northward from the center of continental......
- Introduction
- Maritime, Temperate, Mild
- Wildlife, Forests, Coastlines
- Scandinavian, Vikings, Inuit
- Lutheranism, Christianity, Paganism
- Coastal, Islands, Fjords
- Trade, Agriculture, Fisheries
- Agriculture, Fishing, Livestock
- Resources, Power, Economy
- Constitutional Monarchy, Welfare State, Scandinavian
- Politics, Constitution, Monarchy
- Healthcare, Welfare, Quality
- Art, Science, Culture
- Sports, Recreation, Culture
- Media, Publishing, Culture
- Viking, Scandinavia, Jutland
- Medieval, Vikings, Trade
- Church, Lutheranism, Scandinavia
- Medieval, Vikings, Trade
- Margaret I, Kalmar Union
- Reformation, War, Lutheranism
- Absolutism, Monarchy, Constitution
- Economy, Agriculture, Reforms
- Napoleonic Wars, Aftermath
- Schleswig, Holstein, Question
- Welfare State, EU Member, Scandinavian
- Welfare State, Scandinavian, EU
- Renewable Energy, Welfare State, EU Member