History - Unit 3

WWI & WW2

Wilson’s 14 Points

A plan proposed by Woodrow Wilson outlining principles for peace after World War I, including self-determination, free trade, and reduced armaments. It also proposed creating the League of Nations to maintain international peace.

Demilitarization

Reducing or removing a country's military forces and weapons to promote peace and security.

War Reparations

Money or compensation a defeated nation pays to the victors for damages caused by a war.

War Guilt Clause

Clause in the Treaty of Versailles that blamed Germany for starting World War I.

Self-determination

The right of people to choose their own government and political status.

Dawes Plan

A 1924 plan to help Germany pay World War I reparations and stabilize its economy.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

An agreement signed in 1928 where countries renounced war as a means of resolving disputes.

Munich Beer Hall Putsch

A failed 1923 coup by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis to seize power in Munich, Germany.

Weimar Republic

Germany’s democratic government established after World War I, lasting from 1919 to 1933.

Treaty of Locarno

A 1925 agreement where Germany and Western European countries promised to respect existing borders and maintain peace.

Invasion of Ethiopia

When Fascist Italy, led by Benito Mussolini, attacked Ethiopia in 1935 to expand its empire. It led to Italian occupation until 1941 and showed the weakness of the League of Nations.

Rome-Berlin Axis

The 1936 alliance between Italy and Germany. It marked closer cooperation before World War II.

Concentration camps

Places where people were detained without trial in harsh conditions. Nazi Germany used them to imprison and kill millions.

Kristallnacht

A 1938 attack against Jewish people in Nazi Germany, involving violence, arrests, and destruction of property. It marked a major escalation of Nazi persecution.

Anschluss

The 1938 annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany. It expanded Hitler’s control without immediate resistance.

Appeasement

A policy of giving in to aggressive demands to avoid conflict. It is often associated with European leaders allowing Adolf Hitler to expand before World War II.

 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

A 1939 agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to not attack each other. It secretly divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence.

Blitzkrieg

A fast, surprise military strategy using tanks, planes, and infantry. It aimed to quickly overwhelm the enemy.

Battle of Britain

A 1940 air battle between Germany and Britain. Britain successfully defended itself, stopping a German invasion.

Operation Barbarossa

A 1941 invasion in which Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union. It opened the Eastern Front and became a turning point in World War II.

Pearl Harbor

A 1941 surprise attack by Japan on a U.S. naval base in Hawaii. It led the United States to enter World War II.

Holocaust

The systematic murder of six million Jews and millions of others by Nazi Germany during World War II. It involved ghettos, concentration camps, and mass executions.

Potsdam Conference

Totalitarianism

A system of government where the state has total control over all aspects of life. Individual freedoms are limited or eliminated.

Black Shirts

A paramilitary group that supported Benito Mussolini in Italy. They used violence and intimidation to enforce fascist rule.

March on Rome

A 1922 mass demonstration that brought Benito Mussolini to power in Italy. It led the king to appoint him as prime minister.

Mein Kampf

A book written by Adolf Hitler outlining his political ideas and goals. It promoted nationalism, racism, and expansion.

Enabling Act

A 1933 law that gave Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers in Germany. It allowed him to pass laws without parliament.

Nuremberg Laws

A set of 1935 laws in Nazi Germany that stripped Jews of citizenship and basic rights. They legalized racial discrimination.

War Communism

An economic policy in Soviet Russia during the civil war that gave the government control of industry and agriculture. It aimed to support the war effort but caused shortages and unrest.

New Economic Policy

A policy in Soviet Russia that allowed some private trade and small businesses. It was introduced to revive the economy after War Communism.

Collectivisation

A policy in the Soviet Union that forced farmers to join large, state-controlled farms. It aimed to increase food production but caused famine and resistance.

Kulaks

Relatively wealthy peasants in the Soviet Union who owned more land or livestock. They were targeted and persecuted during collectivisation.

Holodomor

A man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine in 1932–1933 that caused millions of deaths. It was linked to Stalin’s collectivisation policies.