Ap world words

Communism

A political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society in which all property is commonly held and the means of production are controlled by the community.

Imperialism

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

Trading Post Empires

Empires that established trade outposts and monopoly over trade routes, rather than large territorial conquests, focusing on controlling commerce.

Sakoku

The period of national isolation in Japan from the early 17th to the mid-19th century, where foreign influence and trade were severely restricted.

Dutch Learning

A term used to describe the knowledge acquired by Japanese scholars from the Dutch, particularly in fields like medicine and science during the Edo period.

Kongo

A historical kingdom located in Central Africa, known for its significant trade and cultural exchanges with European powers.

Asante

A West African empire established by the Asante people, known for its wealth from trade, particularly in gold and palm oil.

Viceroy

A royal official who runs a country, colony, or province on behalf of the sovereign or emperor, with the power to govern in their name.

Mercantilism

An economic theory that emphasizes the importance of accumulating wealth, primarily gold and silver, through a favorable balance of trade.

Atlantic System

The complex system of trade and economic exchange between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, particularly during the transatlantic slave trade.

Middle Passage

The forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas, part of the Atlantic slave trade.

Encomienda

A Spanish labor system that granted colonists the right to demand labor from Indigenous peoples in the Americas in exchange for protection and Christianization.

Spinning Jenny

An early multi-spindle spinning frame invented by James Hargreaves in 1764, which revolutionized the textile industry.

Steam Engine

A heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid, crucial for the Industrial Revolution.

Bessemer Process

The first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel from molten pig iron, developed by Henry Bessemer.

Cotton Gin

A machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, significantly impacting the cotton industry and the economy.

Internal Combustion Engine

An engine that generates power by the combustion of fuel within the engine itself, a key development for transportation.

Assembly Line

A production process that divides work into a series of tasks, each performed repeatedly by workers or machines to enhance efficiency.

Trans-Siberian Railroad

A railway that connects Moscow to the Russian Far East, facilitating the transport of goods and people across Russia.

Tanzimat Reforms

A period of reform in the Ottoman Empire during the 19th century aimed at modernizing and centralizing the state's administrative structure.

Vladivostok

A major port city in the Russian Far East, serving as a focal point for trade and military activity in the Pacific.

Self-Strengthening Movement

A Chinese initiative between the late 19th century and early 20th century aimed at modernizing China's military and economy.

Meiji Restoration

The period from 1868 to 1912 in Japan characterized by rapid modernization and industrialization following the end of feudalism.

Zaibatsu

Large Japanese family-controlled vertical monopolies that played a significant role in Japan's industrialization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Charter Oath

A set of principles established in 1868 during the Meiji Restoration, outlining the goals for Japan's modernization and governance. The five tenets include: 1. Deliberative assemblies shall be established. 2. All classes shall unite in actively promoting the welfare of the country. 3. The common people's rights and duties shall be clearly defined. 4. Education will be promoted in all areas. 5. Every person shall be able to pursue their own opinions.

White Man’s Burden

A phrase used to justify imperialism, suggesting that Western nations had an obligation to civilize and educate non-Western peoples.

Social Darwinism

A sociological theory that applies natural selection concepts to human societies, often used to justify imperialism and racial hierarchy.

Colonies

Territories governed by a foreign power, where the colonizers exert control over the local population and resources.

Protectorates

Regions that maintain their local rulers but are under the guidance and protection of a more powerful nation.

Sphere of Influence

A region where one nation has special rights and privileges, often in terms of trade and investment.

Suez Canal

A man-made waterway in Egypt connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, significantly reducing travel time between Europe and Asia.

Malaria

A disease caused by parasites transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes, historically significant in colonization and public health.

Eugenics

A set of beliefs and practices aimed at improving the genetic quality of a population, often associated with controversial and unethical policies.

Maxim Gun

The first fully automatic machine gun invented by Hiram Maxim in 1884, which had a significant impact on warfare.

Settler Colonialism

A form of colonialism where foreign settlers permanently inhabit and establish control over a territory, often displacing Indigenous populations.

Plan of San Luis Potosi

A document that initiated the Mexican Revolution in 1910, proclaiming an end to the Porfirio Díaz regime.

Tongmenghui

A revolutionary alliance in China founded in 1905 that aimed to overthrow the Qing dynasty and establish a republic.

Pogrom

Violent riots aimed at the massacre or expulsion of an ethnic or religious group, notably Jewish communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Bloody Sunday

The events of January 22, 1905, when peaceful protestors were shot by the Imperial Guard in St. Petersburg, sparking the 1905 Revolution in Russia.

Armenian Genocide

The systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Atatürk

The founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who implemented extensive reforms to modernize Turkey.

Soviet

An elected local, district, or national council in the former Soviet Union.

Fascism

A far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology characterized by dictatorial power and strong central government.

Stock Market

A public market for buying and selling company shares and derivatives at agreed prices, considered an indicator of economic health.

N.A.T.O.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance established in 1949 for mutual defense against aggression.

Warsaw Pact

A collective defense treaty established in 1955 among eight communist states in Eastern Europe led by the Soviet Union.

Non-Aligned Movement

A group of states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc, emerging during the Cold War.

Superpowers

Nations with the ability to project their power and influence globally, especially the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Deterrence

A strategy aimed at preventing an adversary from taking an undesirable action, often associated with nuclear strategy.

Iron Curtain

A term coined by Winston Churchill to describe the division between Western powers and the areas controlled by the Soviet Union.

Domino Theory

A political theory that suggests if one country in a region falls to communism, neighboring countries will follow.

Nuclear Proliferation

The spread of nuclear weapons and technology to nations not recognized as nuclear-weapon states.

Berlin Wall

A wall that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, symbolizing the Cold War and the division of Europe.

Space Race

The competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War for supremacy in space exploration.