Modern world history is the continuation and development of modern world history. Contradictions in modern history still exist, but they have also developed. Its contradictions include the contradiction between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie in capitalist countries, the contradiction between socialist countries and capitalist countries, the contradiction between developed capitalist countries, the contradiction between colonial and semi-colonial third world developing countries and imperialist, colonial and developed capitalist countries, the contradiction between socialist countries and the contradiction between national independent countries. These basic contradictions and struggles are intertwined, which are the main contradictions in different periods and form a very complicated situation. At present, peace and development are two major themes.
According to the development of modern world history and the changes of major contradictions, it can be divided into two periods. The first period is from 19 17 to 1945, which is the stage of war and revolution. 1945 to the 1990s was the second period, which was the stage when revolution and war gradually turned to strive for peace and development. Each period can be divided into different stages.
The first stage (19 17 to the end of the 20th century) was characterized by the climax of the revolution and the adjustment of international relations. The contradiction between imperialism and Soviet Russia is the main contradiction at this stage.
The socialist revolution that broke out in October turned the socialist theory into reality and established a new social system. With the consolidation of Soviet regime, it became the center of proletarian revolution in the world. Under this influence, the climax of proletarian revolution broke out in western countries after the war; International capitalism has made new progress, countries have established * * * production parties, and * * * production international has been born.
The first world war greatly weakened imperialism and caused a new imbalance of imperialism. Proletarian revolutions in European countries have failed one after another, and bourgeois rule has been further consolidated. Britain and France were weakened, the United States and Japan gained great power status, and the United States mastered world economic hegemony. After entering the 20th century, countries were in a relatively stable period, the economy resumed development, and Coolidge flourished in the United States.
The national liberation movement reached a new climax, and the Asian-African national democratic movement flourished, which dealt a heavy blow to imperialist rule. The national liberation movement has become a part of the proletarian world revolution, thus entering a new stage.
In international relations, there are contradictions and struggles between the victorious country and the defeated country around German reparations and European security issues. After the war, a new pattern of international relations-Versailles-Washington system was formed, which readjusted the imperialist relations between the East and the West after the war. This adjustment is temporary and implies many new contradictions. Britain and France used the Versailles Conference and the League of Nations to safeguard European hegemony in the world. The United States, on the other hand, used its advantages in the Pacific Ocean and its control over the western economy to challenge the hegemony of Europe. But on the whole, Europe still maintains the central position in international relations.
The second stage (1929 when the economic crisis of the capitalist world broke out and 1945 when the World War II ended). The general characteristics of this stage are the capitalist economic crisis, the establishment of the socialist system in the Soviet Union and the Second World War. Fascism and anti-fascism are the main contradictions in this period.
The Soviet Union overcame the economic blockade and political encirclement of imperialism, adopted a series of measures, consolidated the dictatorship of the proletariat, carried out socialist construction, basically realized national industrialization and agricultural collectivization, and 1936 established the basic socialist system. However, it has also formed a highly centralized political and economic system, and there have been problems such as imbalance in the proportion of the national economy. * * * Production International, as the center of proletarian revolutionary struggle in the world, has played an important role in guiding the activities of production parties in various countries and promoting the revolutionary development of various countries; Especially in the face of the threat of fascism, the strategy of establishing an anti-fascist United front was put forward, which promoted the anti-fascist struggle of all countries. But there have also been many mistakes, which have had a certain impact on the revolutions of various countries and the international capitalist movement.
This is a disastrous period in the history of capitalist development. The unprecedented economic crisis and political crisis that broke out in 1930s dealt a heavy blow to the capitalist system, and bourgeois democracy was severely impacted. In order to get rid of the crisis, Germany and Japan embarked on the fascist road, and Italy strengthened fascist dictatorship. Roosevelt's New Deal set a precedent for post-war state intervention and state monopoly of capitalist development. Countries with democratic traditions such as Britain, the United States and France adopt state intervention policies. Both aim to maintain the rule of monopoly capitalism. After the fascist countries provoked the world war, Britain, France, the United States and other countries were forced to participate in the war, and all countries entered the wartime system. The great war caused serious damage to the capitalist economy, destroyed fascism and dealt a heavy blow to imperialism.
The national liberation movement was combined with the world anti-fascist movement, and the people of China, such as China, Korea, Spain and Ethiopia, waged heroic anti-fascist struggles and became an important part of the world anti-fascist war. World War II dealt a blow to imperialism and promoted the vigorous development of the national liberation movement. The revolutionary forces in the colonies and semi-colonies have grown stronger, creating conditions for the development of the national liberation movement after the war.
Due to the outbreak of the economic crisis and the formation of the war source, the Versailles-Washington system disintegrated in the mid-1930s. Around the change of principal contradiction and the threat of fascism, countries have formed complex relations. Before the war, the United States, Britain and France pursued the policy of appeasement; In order to protect itself, the Soviet Union dealt with Britain, America, Germany and other countries. Fascist countries have accelerated the pace of union. Under the restriction of the main contradiction between fascism and anti-fascism, fascist countries formed the axis fascist group; Capitalism and capitalism also temporarily abandoned ideological confrontation, formed an alliance and established a broad anti-fascist alliance to jointly fight fascism. During World War II, through a series of national conferences, the relationship between anti-fascist alliances was further coordinated, which provided a guarantee for the anti-fascist war and laid the groundwork for more complicated relations after World War II.
The third stage (1940s to 1970s). This stage is a peaceful period in which the socialist and capitalist social systems are in the cold war and fierce competition. It is also a period of tortuous development of contemporary capitalism and contemporary socialism; At the same time, it is also a period of in-depth development of the national liberation movement; It is also the formation period of the pattern of hegemony between the United States and the Soviet Union under the Yalta system.
After the Second World War, a series of socialist countries and eastern blocs appeared in Europe and Asia, and the international socialist forces grew unprecedentedly. All projects are modeled after the Soviet Union, and a highly centralized political and economic system has been built. This system has played an active role in socialist construction in various countries. But later, its disadvantages became increasingly exposed, and countries began to explore the reform of the socialist development path. Due to the restriction of political and economic system, the reform of all countries has gone through a tortuous process. As the Soviet Union pursued chauvinism and hegemonism, the struggle between Soviet control and opposition to control became increasingly fierce, the relationship between the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia deteriorated, China and the Soviet Union turned against each other, and the Eastern bloc split.
During this period, monopoly capitalism developed further, and the model of state intervention in the economy laid by Roosevelt's New Deal was widely used for reference, and capitalism developed to the stage of state monopoly capitalism. After a short recovery after the war, with the help of the achievements of the third scientific and technological revolution and the development of state monopoly capitalism, the capitalist economy entered a relatively stable period of rapid development from the 1950s to the early 1970s, which was called the "golden age". With its strongest industrial strength and the advantages of monetary system, the United States has become the number one power in the capitalist world. From 1950s to 1970s, the economic development of Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany was particularly prominent. Western European countries accelerated the pace of cooperation and gradually began to challenge the hegemony of the United States.
This is also a period of great development of the national liberation movement and the rise of the Third World. After the war, dozens of countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America were suitable for independence, and the national independence movement reached its climax. On this basis, in the face of the formation of the hegemony pattern between the United States and the Soviet Union, a large number of newly independent countries strengthened their unity and began a common struggle against colonialism and hegemony. The Non-Aligned Movement was born in 196 1. After the rise of the Third World, it entered the international political arena as an independent force.
In international relations, the global characteristics are more prominent, and the United Nations has become an important organization in international political life. The traditional pattern centered on Europe was broken, and the Yalta system of bipolar pattern between the United States and the Soviet Union was formed. This is also a period of "Cold War" confrontation between the capitalist camp and eastern bloc. There are also contradictions and struggles within the two camps. There is a struggle between control and anti-control in the Eastern Group. In the imperialist camp, with the establishment of western Europe, Japan's hat has also formed a force to compete with the United States. On a larger scale, it is a complex struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union after the rise of the Third World.
The fourth stage (1970-90' s) is a period of alternation between the old and new world patterns.
This stage is a period of great twists and turns and new exploration of the socialist movement. Since the mid-1980s, the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries have experienced major setbacks in the process of reform, and severe political and economic situations have emerged, leading to constant political turmoil. The further intensification of various contradictions eventually led to drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, the transformation of the socialist system to the capitalist system, and the socialist movement suffered major setbacks. However, China began to explore the development path of the socialist market economy with China characteristics, and the unified model of the socialist movement was broken, thus starting to explore a model adapted to its national conditions.
Since the Middle East oil crisis in 1973, capitalist countries have entered the "stagflation" period of 10. Right-wing forces in western countries have the upper hand. With the help of the new economic theory, they have taken a series of measures to develop the economy. By the mid-1980s, western capitalist countries had stepped out of the stagflation stage. After the 1990s, the economic development of western countries has undergone new changes, but the economic growth of all countries except the United States is not obvious. Due to the basic contradictions of capitalism and the influence of the old and new political patterns, the monetary system of the capitalist world controlled by the United States collapsed, and the economic hegemony of the United States was shaken, thus forming a new pattern of capitalist development in which the United States, Japan and Western Europe are the three pillars. At the same time, economic regionalization has been strengthened, and three industrialized regions, North America, Western Europe and East Asia, have become the main bodies of today's capitalist world pattern. However, the United States still has the economic strength to maintain its superpower status, and the situation of "one superpower is more powerful" in the capitalist world is still maintained.
The national liberation movement has entered a new era. In the 1990s, the imperialist colonial system finally collapsed. At the same time, the third world forces have developed and established influential international organizations, fought for the establishment of a new international economic order and played an increasingly important role in international affairs. During this period, the national economies of newly independent countries in Asia and Gulf countries developed rapidly.
In international relations, there has been a trend from the bipolar pattern of the United States and the Soviet Union to the multipolarization of the world. The United States and the Soviet Union strive for hegemony, both attacking and defending, but the general trend is that the Soviet Union is on the defensive and at a disadvantage. After the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, the bipolar pattern of the United States and the Soviet Union and the Cold War ended, and the Yalta system collapsed. The United States has become the only big country, and the United States, Japan, Western Europe, China and Russia compete and depend on each other to become a powerful multipolar country. Economically, regional collectivization is developing towards global integration. The competition of comprehensive national strength has become the center of international competition, and peace and development are important issues in international life.