World War I and II: Causes and Contexts

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to World War I and II, focusing on causes, political ideologies, and key terms from the lecture.

Nationalism

A political ideology that emphasizes the interests and culture of a particular nation, often at the expense of other nations.

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, military force, or other means.

Alliances

Agreements between nations to provide mutual support in case of conflict.

Triple Alliance

An alliance formed in 1882 between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy for mutual defense.

Triple Entente

An alliance formed in 1907 between Britain, France, and Russia as a counterbalance to the Triple Alliance.

Pan-Germanism

The nationalist idea of uniting all German-speaking peoples under one nation.

Pan-Slavism

A nationalist movement aimed at uniting all Slavic peoples and liberating them from the rule of foreign empires.

Industrial Warfare

A type of warfare characterized by the use of industrial technology to increase the scale and destructiveness of conflict.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe post-World War II to prevent the spread of communism.

Cold War

A state of political tension and military rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II.

Proxy Wars

Conflicts where two opposing countries support combatants that serve their interests instead of waging war directly.

Espionage

The practice of spying or using spies to obtain information about the plans and activities of a foreign government.

Holocaust

The genocide of six million Jews and millions of others by the Nazi regime during World War II.

Totalitarianism

A political system in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life.