Welcome, Truth Seeker!
The 20th century saw more change, more conflict, and more death than any previous century. Two massive world wars, the rise and fall of communism, incredible technological advances, and dramatic shifts in world power - all happened within living memory. But as with all history, there's often more to the story than textbooks tell.
How to Use This Workbook: Read each section carefully. Pay attention to what mainstream sources say AND what questions they leave unanswered. Test everything against Scripture and documented evidence.
Note: Your progress is automatically saved in your browser. Print this page to keep a physical copy of your work.
James 4:1-2 - "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have..."
By 1900, European nations had built vast empires and were competing for power, territory, and resources. A complex web of alliances meant that a small conflict could quickly become a massive war.
What Textbooks Teach
The late 1800s and early 1900s were called the "Age of Imperialism." European powers (Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy) conquered territories in Africa and Asia. Nationalism, militarism, imperialism, and a system of alliances created tensions that would lead to war. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914 sparked the conflict.
European Empires in 1900
- British Empire: Largest empire in history - "The sun never sets on the British Empire"
- French Empire: Large holdings in Africa and Southeast Asia
- German Empire: Newer empire, seeking its "place in the sun"
- Russian Empire: Vast territory from Europe to Pacific
- Ottoman Empire: "Sick man of Europe" - declining Turkish empire
Hidden History: Banking and War
Behind the scenes, international banking families had grown enormously powerful:
- The Rothschild banking family had branches in multiple European capitals
- Central banks controlled national money supplies
- Wars require massive loans - bankers profit from both sides
- Some researchers argue these financial interests pushed for war
Family Discussion
- Why does James 4:1-2 say wars happen? How does this apply to WWI?
- Who benefits financially when nations go to war?
Matthew 24:6-7 - "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars... For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom..."
The Great War by the Numbers
- Duration: July 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918
- Military Deaths: Approximately 9-11 million
- Civilian Deaths: Approximately 6-13 million
- Countries Involved: Over 30 nations
- New Weapons: Machine guns, poison gas, tanks, airplanes, submarines
What Textbooks Teach
WWI was fought between the Allied Powers (Britain, France, Russia, and later the US) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire). Trench warfare resulted in massive casualties with little movement. The US entered in 1917 after German submarine attacks. Germany surrendered in November 1918, and the Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh penalties on Germany.
Hidden History: Questions About US Entry
- The Lusitania: This ship was sunk by a German submarine in 1915, killing Americans. However, it was secretly carrying ammunition to Britain. Did Britain knowingly put passengers at risk?
- Banking Interests: J.P. Morgan and other American banks had loaned billions to Britain and France. If Germany won, those loans might not be repaid.
- The Zimmermann Telegram: Germany proposed an alliance with Mexico against the US - but was this genuine or a setup to justify war?
Questions to Consider
- Why did this war become known as "The War to End All Wars" - and why did it fail to be that?
- The Treaty of Versailles blamed Germany and imposed huge penalties. Did this help create conditions for WWII?
- New international organizations (League of Nations) emerged - why might some see this as suspicious?
Biblical Perspective
WWI showed the terrible consequences of human pride, greed, and hatred. The war destroyed empires, killed millions, and shattered the idea of inevitable "progress." Yet within decades, an even worse war would come. This reminds us that only Yahusha's return will bring true peace to a fallen world.
Map Activity
On a map of Europe, identify:
- The Allied Powers (shade in blue)
- The Central Powers (shade in red)
- Neutral countries (leave white)
- The Western Front (mark with a line)
Family Discussion
- What happens when nations base decisions on pride and greed rather than truth?
- Why might some people benefit from wars even when millions suffer?
Proverbs 22:7 - "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."
The 1920s brought great prosperity to America - then the 1929 crash brought it all crashing down. Understanding why helps us see patterns that continue today.
What Textbooks Teach
The 1920s (the "Roaring Twenties") saw economic prosperity, new technologies (radio, automobiles), and cultural changes (jazz, flappers). The stock market boomed, but speculation and buying "on margin" created a bubble. The 1929 crash led to the Great Depression - banks failed, unemployment soared to 25%, and poverty spread. FDR's "New Deal" programs helped recovery.
Key Events
- 1920: Prohibition begins (18th Amendment)
- 1920: Women gain right to vote (19th Amendment)
- 1927: Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight
- October 1929: Stock market crash ("Black Tuesday")
- 1933: FDR becomes President, starts New Deal
- 1933: Gold confiscation (Executive Order 6102)
Hidden History: The Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve (created in 1913) plays a key role in this story:
- The Fed controls the money supply - it can expand or contract credit
- In the 1920s, the Fed expanded credit, fueling the boom
- In 1929, the Fed tightened credit, helping trigger the crash
- During the Depression, the Fed further contracted the money supply
- Congressman Louis McFadden accused the Fed of deliberately causing the crash
Pattern: Boom → Bust → Increased government power
Historical Quote
"It was a carefully contrived occurrence. International bankers sought to bring about a condition of despair, so that they might emerge the rulers of us all."
- Congressman Louis McFadden, 1934
Biblical Perspective
The boom-and-bust cycle reveals the dangers of:
- Debt: "The borrower is servant to the lender" (Proverbs 22:7)
- Greed: Speculation driven by desire for quick wealth
- Central planning: A few people controlling the money supply
- Trust in wealth: "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches" (1 Timothy 6:17)
Family Discussion
- What does Proverbs 22:7 teach about debt? How does this apply to nations?
- What pattern do you notice: boom → bust → government power expansion?
Revelation 13:7 - "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."
The chaos after WWI and the Depression created conditions for dictators to rise. Three main totalitarian systems emerged: Fascism, Nazism, and Communism.
What Textbooks Teach
- Soviet Union (Communist): Lenin, then Stalin, ruled with an iron fist. The state controlled everything. Millions died in famines and purges.
- Italy (Fascist): Mussolini took power in 1922. Fascism emphasized nationalism, military power, and the state over individual rights.
- Germany (Nazi): Hitler rose to power in 1933. Nazism combined extreme nationalism with racial ideology, leading to the Holocaust.
| System |
Leader |
Key Features |
Deaths |
| Soviet Communism |
Stalin |
State owns everything, atheism enforced |
20+ million |
| Italian Fascism |
Mussolini |
Nationalism, corporatism, militarism |
1+ million |
| German Nazism |
Hitler |
Racial ideology, nationalism, anti-Semitism |
12+ million (Holocaust) |
Hidden History: Who Funded Whom?
Surprising facts about funding and support:
- Bolshevik Revolution: Wall Street bankers, including Jacob Schiff, helped finance the Russian Revolution
- Hitler's Rise: Some American and British industrialists invested in German industry in the 1930s
- Standard Oil, Ford, IBM: Had business dealings with Nazi Germany before and even during the war
Why would capitalists fund communists? Why would democracies fund dictators? These questions suggest more complex forces at work than simple ideology.
Biblical Perspective
All three systems shared characteristics that Scripture warns against:
- Idolatry: Worship of the state, the leader, or the race instead of Yahuah
- Murder: All three killed millions of innocent people
- Deception: Propaganda replaced truth
- Total control: These systems foreshadow the one-world system of Revelation 13
Family Discussion
- What warning signs should people look for when leaders promise to solve all problems?
- Why do you think some powerful people funded opposing systems?
Psalm 46:9 - "He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire."
World War II: The Deadliest War in History
- Duration: September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945
- Total Deaths: 70-85 million (including Holocaust)
- Military Deaths: 21-25 million
- Civilian Deaths: 50-55 million
- Holocaust Victims: 6 million Jews, plus millions of others
What Textbooks Teach
Germany invaded Poland in 1939, starting the war. The Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) fought against the Allied Powers (Britain, Soviet Union, US). The US entered after Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941). Key events: D-Day (June 1944), Holocaust, atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945). The Allies won, creating the United Nations.
Hidden History: Pearl Harbor Questions
- The McCollum Memo (1940): A Navy memo outlined eight steps to provoke Japan into attacking
- Code Breaking: The US had broken Japanese codes and knew an attack was coming somewhere
- Carrier Absence: All aircraft carriers were conveniently absent from Pearl Harbor during the attack
- FDR's Promises: FDR had promised not to enter the war - Pearl Harbor changed public opinion overnight
Was Pearl Harbor truly a surprise, or was it allowed to happen to justify entering the war?
Faithful in the Fire: Corrie ten Boom
Corrie ten Boom and her Dutch family hid Jews from the Nazis. They were eventually caught and sent to concentration camps. Corrie survived and spent her life teaching forgiveness. Her book "The Hiding Place" tells her story of faith amid horror.
"There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still." - Corrie ten Boom
The Holocaust and Biblical History
The murder of 6 million Jews is one of history's greatest tragedies. As believers, we must:
- Recognize anti-Semitism as sin - the Jewish people are Yahuah's chosen nation
- Honor the memory of victims and learn from this horror
- See how hatred can grow when truth is suppressed
- Understand that Yahuah's plan for Israel continues despite persecution
Family Discussion
- What can we learn from Corrie ten Boom's example of faith during persecution?
- Why is it important to question official narratives while still respecting the reality of tragedies like the Holocaust?
Jeremiah 9:4-5 - "Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbour..."
After WWII, the US and Soviet Union became rival superpowers. For over 40 years, they competed without direct war - but the threat of nuclear destruction loomed over everything.
Cold War Timeline
- 1947: Truman Doctrine, CIA created
- 1948-49: Berlin Blockade and Airlift
- 1950-53: Korean War
- 1957: Soviet Sputnik satellite
- 1961: Berlin Wall built
- 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis
- 1965-73: Vietnam War
- 1969: US moon landing
- 1989: Berlin Wall falls
- 1991: Soviet Union collapses
What Textbooks Teach
The Cold War was an ideological battle between American capitalism/democracy and Soviet communism. The US pursued "containment" - preventing the spread of communism. Both sides built massive nuclear arsenals. Proxy wars were fought in Korea and Vietnam. The Soviets collapsed in 1991, ending the Cold War.
Hidden History: The National Security State
The Cold War created lasting changes in American government:
- CIA (1947): Secret agency with minimal oversight; conducted coups, assassinations, and experiments (MK-Ultra) on unwitting citizens
- NSA: Surveillance agency; later revealed to spy on Americans (Snowden revelations)
- Operation Paperclip: Nazi scientists brought to US to work on rockets and other programs
- Operation Mockingbird: CIA infiltrated and influenced major media outlets
Many of these secret programs were only revealed years later. What might still be hidden?
Questions to Consider
- If Wall Street helped fund the Bolsheviks originally, was the US-Soviet conflict as simple as textbooks say?
- Why did the US bring Nazi scientists into secret programs?
- What happens to a republic when powerful agencies operate in secret?
Family Discussion
- What does Jeremiah 9:4-5 teach about trusting people? How might this apply to powerful organizations?
- Is it possible for secret agencies to exist in a truly free society?
Acts 17:26 - "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation."
After WWII, European empires collapsed. Dozens of new nations emerged in Africa and Asia. This transformation reshaped the world but also created new conflicts.
What Textbooks Teach
Colonial empires were unsustainable after WWII. Independence movements - some peaceful (India under Gandhi), some violent (Algeria, Vietnam) - led to new nations. However, many former colonies faced ongoing problems: arbitrary borders, ethnic conflicts, weak economies, and interference from Cold War superpowers.
Key Independence Dates
- 1947: India and Pakistan (from Britain)
- 1948: Israel established
- 1960: "Year of Africa" - 17 nations gain independence
- 1962: Algeria (from France)
- 1975: Vietnam unified; Portuguese colonies independent
Hidden History: Neo-Colonialism
While formal empires ended, new forms of control emerged:
- Economic Control: World Bank and IMF loans came with conditions that kept poor nations dependent
- Resource Extraction: Western corporations continued to extract oil, minerals, and other resources
- CIA Interventions: The US overthrew governments that threatened Western interests (Iran 1953, Guatemala 1954, Congo 1960)
- Debt Traps: Many new nations became trapped in cycles of debt to international banks
Faith and Resistance: Desmond Tutu
Archbishop Desmond Tutu fought against apartheid (racial segregation) in South Africa using Christian principles of nonviolence. He chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission after apartheid ended, promoting forgiveness over revenge. His example shows how faith can guide resistance to injustice.
Family Discussion
- How can economic control be as powerful as military control?
- What does Scripture teach about how nations and peoples should treat each other?
Matthew 24:4-5 - "And Yahusha answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Messiah; and shall deceive many."
Since the Cold War ended, the world has seen rapid change: new technologies, new conflicts, and increasing talk of "global governance." Many believers see prophetic patterns emerging.
Recent History
- 1991: Soviet Union collapses; "New World Order" announced
- 2001: September 11 attacks; "War on Terror" begins
- 2001: Patriot Act passed (surveillance expansion)
- 2003: Iraq War begins
- 2008: Global financial crisis
- 2020: COVID-19 pandemic; lockdowns worldwide
- 2020: "Great Reset" announced by World Economic Forum
What Mainstream Sources Say
The end of the Cold War brought hopes for peace, but new threats emerged: terrorism, regional conflicts, climate change. Globalization connected economies but also spread problems. The pandemic required unprecedented coordination. International organizations work to address global challenges.
Hidden History: Global Governance
Many researchers see a pattern of increasing centralization:
- World Economic Forum: "You will own nothing and be happy" - Klaus Schwab's vision for 2030
- Central Bank Digital Currency: Governments developing digital money that can be programmed and tracked
- Digital ID: Plans for worldwide digital identification systems
- 9/11 Questions: Building 7 collapsed without being hit by a plane; many engineers question the official story
- Pandemic Response: Lockdowns and mandates gave governments unprecedented power
Prophetic Perspective
Many believers see current events aligning with biblical prophecy:
- Revelation 13: A system where no one can buy or sell without a mark
- Matthew 24: "Wars and rumors of wars... nation against nation"
- 2 Timothy 3: Perilous times, people "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof"
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3: "When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh"
We don't know exact timing, but we should be watchful and prepared!
Family Discussion
- What does it mean to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" in today's world?
- How should believers prepare for uncertain times?
- Why is it important to be watchful but not fearful?
Ecclesiastes 1:9 - "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."
As we conclude, let's identify patterns that repeat throughout modern history. Understanding these patterns helps us discern what's happening today.
Recurring Patterns
- Crisis → Power Grab: Every major crisis (wars, depression, pandemic) leads to expansion of government power
- Problem-Reaction-Solution: Create or allow a problem → public demands action → implement pre-planned solution
- Funding Both Sides: Powerful financial interests often fund opposing sides of conflicts
- Secrecy and Deception: Truth about major events often emerges years later
- Global Consolidation: After each crisis, international institutions gain more power
Reflection Questions
1. What pattern do you see repeated most often in modern history?
2. How does understanding "hidden history" change how you view current events?
3. How should believers respond to the times we live in?
Final Discussion
- What does Ecclesiastes 1:9 mean when it says "there is no new thing under the sun"?
- How can understanding history help us be better prepared for the future?
- What gives us hope despite concerning patterns in history?
Answer Key
For parent/teacher use
Lesson 1: World Before WWI
- militarism
- British
- Franz Ferdinand (or Archduke Franz Ferdinand)
- loans
Lesson 2: World War I
- 1918
- Russia
- Lusitania
- Versailles
- 9-11 (accept range)
Lesson 3: Roaring Twenties/Depression
- 1929
- 25
- Reserve
- New Deal
Lesson 4: Totalitarianism
- Stalin
- Mussolini
- Nazi
- 20
Lesson 5: World War II
- Poland
- Harbor
- 6
- D
- Hiroshima
Lesson 6: Cold War
- CIA
- 1961
- Cuban
- 1991
- Paperclip
Lesson 7: Decolonization
- 1947
- Africa
- IMF (International Monetary Fund)
- Tutu
Lesson 8: Contemporary World
- 1991
- 2001
- Patriot
- Reset
- buy
Lesson 9: Review
Matching:
- 1914-1918 — World War I
- 1929 — Stock Market Crash / Great Depression begins
- 1939-1945 — World War II
- 1947-1991 — Cold War
- 2001 — September 11 attacks
True/False:
- TRUE
- FALSE (it was carrying ammunition)
- FALSE (created in 1947, after WWII)
- TRUE
- TRUE
Congratulations!
You have completed the Modern World History workbook. Remember that Yahuah is sovereign over all history - the rise and fall of nations, the plans of powerful men, and the struggles of ordinary people. Our confidence is not in nations or governments, but in Him.
"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." - Yahusha (John 16:33)