Political and Governmental Structures 1900 to Present - AP World History: Modern

Lenin was the leader of the Bolsheviks that ushered in the Russian revolution and subsequently formed the USSR in 1922. Stalin led the state from 1924-1953, Khrushchev from 1955-1964, Chernenko from 1984-1985, and Gorbachev from 1985-1991. The USSR was disbanded the day after Gorbachev left office.

Assuming the office of Prime Minister in 1940 following the resignation of Neville Chamberlin, Winston Churchill was the primary leader of the United Kingdom during the war. Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the leader of the United States. Josef Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union. Albert Francois Lebrun was the leader of the France at the time it surrendered to the Nazi forces. Charles de Gaulle was the leader of the Free French Forces and was considered (by the Allies) the leader in exile of France during the Nazi occupation.

While Mussolini, Franco, and Hitler all followed Fascist doctrines, Stalin was a follower of communism. Fascism differs in that it promotes staunch nationalism and authoritarianism whereas communism deals with common ownership of property. European Fascism, especially in Italy, was, as opposed to Communism, tied to corporate business interests.

Juntas emerged as commonplace during the turbulent late 19th and early 20th century throughout the regime changes of Latin American powers. The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican people who were conquered in the 15th century. Since there have been many polytheistic religions, and most have featured high priests, there are many terms used to describe this position in various cultures, but "junta" is not one of them. Biyelgee is the most famous style of dance developed by Mongolian nomads.

During the World War II, The United States was the largest Capitalist state in the world. At the same time, Germany was run by an autocratic Fascist government in the form of the Nazi party. The Soviet Union also had an autocratic government, but one that ruled using Stalinist Communism as the state ideology.

Tsar Nicholas II of Russia ruled during the last couple decades before World War I. During World War I, the increasingly worsening state of the country created a revolution, resulting in his overthrow and eventual execution by the Bolsheviks.

Bosnia was a part of Yugoslavia, but was never under the power of the USSR. It was an independent state before being annexed by Austria-Hungary and subsequently Yugoslavia. Bosnia regained independence in 1992. All of the other states declared independence from the USSR between 1990-1991 as it lost power, and subsequently dissolved.

In the last several years, Egypt has undergone an extreme changes in politics and society. A series of protests became a revolution that forced Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to resign in early 2011. The Arab Spring had emerged in Egypt, and citizens began seeking more representation in government, an increase in civil rights and liberties, and not just deeper national pride, but regional pride as well.

Mubarak transferred power to the military after stepping down. The military held control through a series of changes in parliament and society until Muhammad Morsi won the presidential election of 2012. The military removed Morsi from power the next year due to massive abuses of power. Egypt was set to enter a new era while being swept in the cultural and political revolution of 2012, only Morsi became more of dictator than a president.

There are two components to the executive branch, which makes Iran's system semi-presidential. The executive branch includes the Supreme Leader and President.

Islam is deeply important to Iran's society, government, and laws. The Supreme Leader is a religious and political leader, and is an expert in religion. His political power reigns above all branches in government. At any time, he can oust the president from office.

The Ba'athist Party became the ruling regime for Iraq in 1968, and Saddam Hussein took the presidency in 1979. The underlying Ba'athist belief is Arab unity, also called Pan-Arabism. The Ba'athist regime continued to dominate Iraq until Saddam was deposed by the American-led coalition.

The Knessetis Israel's elected parliament, procedurally the center of Israeli political life. The Prime Minister holds the true authority in Israel, and he is appointed by the president; the president is chosen by the Knesset. The Knesset is based on a proportional representation system of government—this means that a variety of parties and interests can gain a seat in the Knesset.

Jordan has a hereditary monarchy, with the kingship passing through the family since the formation of Jordan in the early 1920s (then Transjordan). The Hashemites are the ruling family of Jordan, and King Hussein (ruling from 1953–1999) ruled over several decades of modernization and regional warring. Abdullah II, the current King of Jordan, is King Hussein's son.

When the questions and answers are complicated, it's important to use your knowledge to eliminate wrong answers and pinpoint the correct one.

Iraq invaded Kuwait in the 1990s, and NATO (the North American Treaty Alliance) intervened on behalf of Kuwait. This intervention, coupled with Iraq's invasion, proves that Kuwait does not have a powerful military, at least historically.

Kuwait's leader is called the emir, and the discovery of oil fields created a massive amount of Kuwaiti business. Realizing that oil is not forever, Kuwait has established considerable investment opportunities abroad to bolster the economy while looking towards the future.

Bedouins are nomadic peoples who have a history across the Middle East. In Kuwait, Bedouins began to move into major cities, especially Kuwait City. The booming oil industry offered jobs and stability.

All of the following contributed to the outbreak of World War One except communism. Communism, although influential in European society in the early years of the twentieth century, did not take root in any country until Russia became the first communist country with the Russian Revolution of 1917. Competing nationalist and imperialist goals, however, were massive contributing factors to the outbreak of World War One. As were the forces of rapid militarization and industrialization that were so prevalent in Europe at the time.

The Lebanese Civil War was a sectarian conflict that involved several different factions. It was a very complicated situation that had multiple regional conflicts. The Taif Agreement (1990) reordered the power structure in Lebanese government so that the Council of Ministers took control of the overall flow of government away from the president. The prime minister and speaker of parliament were also empowered by the Taif Agreement.

To ensure the end of the civil war, the Taif Agreement expanded the powers of the national government. Militias were forced to relinquish weapons, and other measures were taken to limit the potential for sectarian violence.

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa gave migrant workers more rights in 2006—most importantly the right to move from employer to employer with more freedom. This was a landmark in Bahrain's history of worker's rights, and also in much of the Persian Gulf region.

There is a constant flow of populations into the Gulf region from Northeastern Africa, India, Pakistan, and beyond. Migrant workers account for a massive amount of the labor forces in several Gulf countries. They help build and maintain many of the developing and metropolitan areas of the Middle East.

A theocracy is a government that is guided by religion, where the highest ranking officials are considered to be connected to the deity they worship. The civil law is based on religious code. The reverse concept of this is the separation of church and state.

Comparing two governments is a good way to understand one or both better. In a theocratic government, the highest officials are chosen out of a specialized group of religious people or leaders supported by religious people while a democratic government allows for broader participation in public office among the citizenry.

Sunnism is the most widely practiced denomination of Islam. The second most practiced form of Islam is Shi'ism. Sunnis make up a massive amount of the Islamic community percentage-wise, but that does not speak to the influence of each denomination.

Iran is a country that practices Shia Islam as a national religion, which shows the political influence of not just the smaller denominations, but the Islamic faith as a whole.

Sharia Law is when Islam’s most important book is the foundation of law for a society. It requires a strict adherence to the laws of Islam, and any law created by government must coincide with what the Quran says (when strict sharia law is imposed).

Several countries adhere to sharia law or incorporate elements of it into their culture without completely applying it, including Iran, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.