← Unit 2: Movements in the modern world

QLDModern HistorySyllabus dot point

How did the postwar world order shape the second half of the 20th century?

The postwar world order from 1945, including the United Nations, the Cold War, decolonisation, and the major shifts of the late 20th and early 21st centuries

A focused answer to the QCE Modern History Unit 2 subject-matter point on the postwar world order. UN foundation (1945), Cold War 1945-1991, decolonisation, the end of the Cold War (1989-1991), and the early 21st century (9/11, GFC, rise of China).

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What this dot point is asking

QCAA wants Year 11 students to survey the postwar world order from 1945 to the present, identifying major phases and shifts.

1945-1949: Foundation

  • UN founded (1945).
  • Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945).
  • Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan (1947).
  • Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948-49).
  • Founding of NATO (1949).
  • Communist victory in China (1949).
  • Two Germanies established (1949).

1949-1989: Cold War

  • Korean War (1950-53).
  • Hungary 1956, Berlin Wall 1961.
  • Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).
  • Vietnam War (1955-75 US involvement 1965-73).
  • Detente (1969-79): SALT I, Helsinki Accords.
  • Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979).
  • Reagan-Gorbachev arms reduction (1985-91).

1989-1991: End of the Cold War

  • Revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe.
  • Fall of Berlin Wall (9 November 1989).
  • German reunification (1990).
  • Dissolution of USSR (25 December 1991).

1990s: Unipolar moment

  • Gulf War (1990-91).
  • Yugoslav wars (1991-2001).
  • Rwandan genocide (1994).
  • End of apartheid (1994).
  • NAFTA (1994), WTO (1995).
  • EU expansion (1995 and after).

2001-2010: War on Terror

  • September 11 attacks (2001).
  • Afghanistan invasion (October 2001).
  • Iraq invasion (March 2003).
  • Global Financial Crisis (2007-08).
  • Continued rise of China.

2010s onwards: multipolar emergence

  • Arab Spring (2010-12).
  • European refugee crisis (2015 onwards).
  • Brexit (2016), Trump (2016).
  • Rise of populism globally.
  • China-US strategic competition.
  • COVID-19 pandemic (2019-22).
  • Russia-Ukraine war (2022 onwards).

Decolonisation

Continuous through the period:

  • India and Pakistan (1947).
  • Ghana (1957), Year of Africa (1960).
  • Most African colonies independent by 1965.
  • Vietnam War (1955-75) as decolonisation and Cold War.
  • End of apartheid (1994).

In one sentence

The postwar world order moved through four phases: bipolar Cold War (1945-1989), unipolar US dominance (1989-2001), War on Terror (2001-2010), and emerging multipolarity with China-US competition and global challenges (climate, pandemic, populism) in the 2010s and 2020s.

Past exam questions, worked

Real questions from past QCAA papers on this dot point, with our answer explainer.

Year 11 class taskExplain the major shifts in the postwar world order from 1945 to the present.
Show worked answer →

A Year 11 survey-style response.

Four phases:

1945-1989 (Cold War). Bipolar US-Soviet rivalry. NATO vs Warsaw Pact. Major conflicts: Korea (1950-53), Cuba (1962), Vietnam (1955-75), Afghanistan (1979-89).

1989-2001 (unipolar moment). USSR collapsed (1991). US as sole superpower. Globalisation accelerated (NAFTA, WTO, EU expansion). 1990s wars in Yugoslavia, Rwandan genocide, Gulf War.

2001-2010 (War on Terror). September 11, 2001 attacks. Afghanistan invasion (2001), Iraq invasion (2003). GFC (2007-08). Continued rise of China.

2010-present (multipolar emergence). Arab Spring (2010-12). Rise of populism. China-US strategic competition. Climate change. COVID-19 (2019-22).

Markers reward dated specifics and the structural framing of the shifts.

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