WWII History In-Class Test Study Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, and political concepts from WWII preparation study notes.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

The peace treaty that officially ended the First World War between Germany and the Allied Powers.

Georges Clemenceau

French leader who wanted Germany weakened, forced to pay reparations, and prevented from attacking France again.

David Lloyd George

British leader who wanted Germany punished and forced to pay reparations, but not destroyed completely.

Woodrow Wilson

USA President who proposed the Fourteen Points, supported self-determination, and wanted a League of Nations to prevent future wars.

Article 231

The clause in the Treaty of Versailles that forced Germany to accept war guilt.

Diktat

A term meaning 'dictated peace', used by Germans to describe the Treaty of Versailles because they were not allowed to negotiate its terms.

League of Nations

An international organisation created after WWI to prevent future wars, encourage cooperation, and resolve disputes peacefully.

Collective Security

A principle used by the League of Nations where an attack on one member state was considered a concern for all members.

Weimar Republic

Germany's democratic government from 1919 to 1933.

Hyperinflation (1923)

An economic crisis in Germany caused by printing huge amounts of money, leading to the collapse of the German mark's value and rapid price increases.

Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic crisis beginning in 1929 following the Wall Street Crash.

Appeasement

The policy of giving Hitler some of his demands in the hope that this would prevent another major war.

Munich Agreement (1938)

An agreement between Britain, France, Italy, and Germany that allowed Germany to take the Sudetenland area of Czechoslovakia.

Lebensraum

A German term meaning 'living space', referring to the territory Hitler sought to gain through German expansion.

Propaganda

Information or ideas deliberately presented to influence people's opinions, beliefs, or behaviour.

Fascism

An extreme authoritarian and nationalist political ideology defined by dictatorship, militarism, obedience to the state, and rejection of democracy and communism.

Totalitarianism

A political system where the government attempts to control almost every aspect of people's lives, including politics, education, media, and culture.

Nuremberg Race Laws (1935)

Nazi laws that institutionalised racial discrimination, removed German citizenship from Jewish people, and banned marriages between Jewish people and Aryans.