10 EXAMPLES OF CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES IN HISTORICAL EVENTS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The causes and consequences of historical events are not always simple and in most cases they are not reduced to one. The great events of humanity are usually the result of long social processes and often unexpected events.

However, specific events that represent the ultimate cause of the changes are considered the root cause. For example, although the arrival to the Moon happened because of a series of international social situations and technological advances, the main cause is considered to be the space race with the Soviet Union.

Examples of causes and consequences in historical events

There have been many historical changes that have caused repercussions throughout the world. These are some with their direct causes and consequences.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs

The first atomic bombs used in war conflicts were those dropped by the United States on Japanese territory. These explosions were so devastating that they forced Japan to withdraw from the war. With this they marked the end point to World War II.

Causes: the need to have a more deadly and advanced weapon than other countries.

Consequences: end of the war and death of thousands of people.

End of the Cold War

The Cold War was a conflict between the so-called Western Bloc, led by the USA, and the Eastern Bloc, led by the USSR. It was called the cold war because there was no direct confrontation, but rather tensions caused by political and social differences.

This indirect confrontation came to an end due to the weakening of the USSR, caused by two main events; the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. With a nearly non-existent USSR, the United States could be considered the "winner" and the war came to an end.

Causes: the conflict between communism and capitalism.

Consequences: fall of the Berlin wall, end of the USSR.

The arrival of Columbus in America

This is one of the most important events in history, since it marked the beginning of a globalization process that has continued to this day. Because of the encounter between Europe and America, both civilizations were affected, and the American Indians were imposed religion and other customs.

The consequences of this encounter even have repercussions in today's society, and triggered a series of events that defined history.

Causes: Columbus wanted to find a faster route to Las Indias.

Consequences: colonization of America.

The inclusion of the USA in World War II

The bombing of Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack on the port by the US militia. It was led by the Japanese army on December 7, 1941 and left 2,402 dead. It was considered an act of foul play, since the United States was not an active participant in the war.

The direct consequence of this event was the inclusion of the United States in World War II, declaring war on Japan.

Cause: attack on Pearl Harbor.

Consequence: the United States enters World War II.

The Sarajevo bombing

It is known as the Sarajevo attack on the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Archduchess Sofía Chotek.

The archduke was assassinated in an attack during a diplomatic visit to Sarajevo, by the Serbian citizen Gavrilo Princip, a member of a radical faction called Young Bosnia.

The cause of the attack was that Francisco Fernando was the heir to the crown of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was an attack against the empire, which led him to declare war on Serbia, thus starting the First World War.

The collapse of the World Trade Center

On the morning of September 11, 2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City were hit by airplanes.

The aircraft had been hijacked by terrorists, whose objective was to carry out the attack. As a result of the attack, the twin towers collapsed, causing thousands of deaths.

The reaction of the US government was immediate. From that moment on, a war against terrorism was declared, which led to political measures such as the invasion of Iraq.

Chilean coup 1973

Salvador Allende was the first democratically elected socialist president in history. His policies were supported by the majority in Chile, but they caused noise abroad. There were economic attacks that destabilized Chile, and that ended in a coup in September 1973.

Allende died in the coup, and a military junta was installed. This dictatorial government was the cause of a time of repression in Chile, which left a large number of deaths and a wave of exiles.

The invention of the printing press

The invention of the printing press is considered one of the events that changed the world. Before Gutenberg came up with a way to mass-reproduce books, they were reproduced by hand. The handmade copy of books had as a consequence that the number of copies was limited.

With Gutenberg's printing press, the reproduction of books became mechanical, with this science, culture and history could be disseminated throughout the world, modifying the course of history.

The bombing of Casablanca

This is a dark episode in the history of the French military. It was a response to the murder of 9 French workers in the city. As revenge a French warship bombed the city, killing innocent lives.

References

1. The 10 most important moments in history. (2016) owlcation.com
2. 15 most important historical events that change the world forever. (2016) therichest.com
3. French warship bombard Casablanca. historycentral.com
4. 30 Historical Facts Any Educated Person Should Know (2016) culturacolectiva.com
5. Most important historical events of the 20th century. sololistas.net
6. 15 historical events that occurred in the world while Fidel Castro ruled Cuba. (2016) bbc.com