#2 World History Final Exam Flashcards

What were the economic consequences of WWI for Germany?

Hyperinflation and total loss of personal savings.

Why did extremist ideologies rise after WWI?

Economic collapse and political chaos led people to trade democracy for national unity and order.

What is the goal of Communism?

A classless, stateless society with public ownership of everything.

Who were the Bolsheviks?

A radical far-left group led by Lenin that seized power in the 1917 October Revolution.

Who was Vladimir Lenin?

Leader of the Bolsheviks and the first head of Soviet Russia.

Who was Tsar Nicholas II?

The last Russian emperor who's poor leadership and rigid rule fueled the revolution.

What happened on Bloody Sunday (1905)?

Tsarist soldiers fired on workers petitioning the Tsar for better conditions.

What was the Bolshevik slogan in 1917?

“Peace, Land, and Bread”

(End WWI, give land to peasants, stop food shortages)

What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

The 1918 peace agreement that forced Russia to exit WWI and give up massive territory.

Who was Leon Trotsky?

Bolshevik leader and strategist who organized the Red Army to victory in the Civil War.

What was the Russian Civil War?

A conflict between the Bolshevik Red Army and the anti-communist White Army.

What was the Red Terror?

A Bolshevik campaign of mass arrests and executions to eliminate political opposition.

What was the New Economic Policy (NEP)?

A temporary plan that allowed some private profit and markets to revive in the Soviet economy.

Who was Joseph Stalin?

The dictator of the Soviet Union who used industrialization and purges to create a totalitarian state.

What is Totalitarianism?

A government that asserts total control over every aspect of public and private life.

Who was Benito Mussolini?

The founder of Italian Fascism and dictator known as Il Duce.

Who was Adolf HItler?

Leader of the Nazi Party who transformed Germany into a totalitarian state.

Communism vs. Fascism (Goal)?

Communism wants a classless society

Fascism wants state power and national unity

Communism vs. Fascism (Spectrum)?

Communism is revolutionary far-left

Fascism is ultranationalist far-right

How did the Great Depression help totalitarian leaders?

It caused mass unemployment and poverty, leading people to trust leaders who promised order and recovery.

What was the Weimar Republic?

The fragile democratic government in Germany (1919-1933) that failed during the Great Depression.

What was the Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact?

An agreement between Hitler and Stalin not to attack each other, which secretly divided Eastern Europe.

What was the Provisional Government?

A temporary, moderate coalition that ruled Russia for eight months before the Bolshevik Revolution.

Why did the Provisional Government fail?

It stayed in WWI and couldn’t solve food shortages, losing support to the Bolsheviks.

What was the Cheka?

The Bolshevik secret police used to eliminate opposition during the Red Terror.

What was Stalin’s policy of Collectivization?

Forced state control of all agriculture/farms to support rapid industrialization.

What was the goal of Stalin’s rapid industrialization?

To transform the USSR into a powerful industrial nation through total state control.

According to Marxism, who exploits the working class?

The ruling class (under the system of capitalism).

What did Marxism argue was necessary to create a classless society?

A revolution by the working class.

How did Hitler and Mussolini rise to power?

By capitalizing on economic discontent and promising national recovery and order.

Who developed the theory of Marxism?

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

What was the 1917 October Revolution?

The event where the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, seized power to establish a communist state.

What did Command Economies prioritize during the war?

Military needs and production over consumer goods.

What fueled the rise of radical authoritarian nationalism?

Wartime disillusionment

Economic collapse

Political Chaos

What was Benito Mussolini’s title/nickname?

Il Duce

What was Joseph Stalin’s initial high-ranking position?

General Secretary of the Communist Party.

What happened to Tsar Nicholas II after the revolution?

He was forced to abdicate and was later executed by the Bolsheviks.

What was the primary goal of the Red Terror?

To eliminate opposition and consolidate Bolshevik power.

In what year did Hitler transform Germany into a totalitarian state.

1933

What was the secret part of the Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact?

It secretly divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence between Germany and the USSR.