WHAP Unit 6 Vocab

Appeasement/Munich

A diplomatic policy of conceding to aggressive demands to avoid conflict, exemplified by the Munich Agreement of 1938, where Britain and France allowed Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland.

Armenian Genocide

The systematic extermination of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during 1915–1916, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands.

Atomic Bomb

A weapon that uses nuclear fission to release massive energy, causing widespread destruction and radiation.

Balfour Declaration

A 1917 statement by Britain supporting the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, fueling tensions in the region.

Battle of Britain

A series of air battles in 1940 where Britain’s Royal Air Force successfully defended against German Luftwaffe attacks during World War II.

Bolsheviks

A revolutionary socialist group led by Lenin that seized power in Russia during the 1917 Revolution, establishing a communist regime.

Central Powers

The World War I alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria, defeated by the Allied Powers in 1918.

Collectivize

The process of merging private farms or businesses into state-owned entities under collectivism, often seen in communist regimes.

Conscription

Mandatory enlistment for military service imposed by governments during wartime.

Fascism

An authoritarian political ideology emphasizing nationalism, militarism, and centralized control under a dictatorial leader.

Fascist Corporatist Economy

An economic system where industries are organized into state-controlled corporations to align with government goals.

Firebombing

The use of incendiary bombs to destroy cities or infrastructure, commonly seen during World War II.

Five Year Plan

Economic plans implemented by communist states like the Soviet Union to achieve rapid industrialization and development.

Fourteen Points

President Woodrow Wilson’s post-WWI proposal for peace and self-determination, including the creation of the League of Nations.

Genocide

The deliberate extermination of a specific ethnic, religious, or cultural group.

Great Depression

A global economic crisis beginning in 1929 marked by mass unemployment and financial instability.

Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

Japan’s WWII propaganda concept promoting Asian unity under Japanese leadership but often masking imperial domination.

Holocaust

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

Indian National Congress

A political party in India advocating for independence from British colonial rule.

Keynesian Economics

Economic theory advocating government intervention to stabilize markets and promote growth during downturns.

League of Nations

An international organization established after WWI to promote peace but ultimately failed to prevent WWII.

Long March

A strategic retreat by Chinese Communists led by Mao Zedong during their struggle against Nationalist forces in 1934–1935.

Luftwaffe

Germany’s air force during World War II, instrumental in campaigns like the Battle of Britain.

Mandate System

Post-WWI system where former territories of defeated powers were governed by Allied nations under League of Nations oversight.

Mao Zedong

Leader of the Chinese Communist Party who established communist rule in China after its victory in 1949.

Mexican Revolution

A decade-long conflict (1910–1920) that led to social reform and the end of dictatorship in Mexico.

Militarism

The belief in maintaining a strong military presence and using it aggressively for national interests.

National Socialism (Nazism)

The ideology of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party combining fascism with racial supremacy and anti-Semitism.

New Deal

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s series of programs aimed at economic recovery during the Great Depression in the U.S.

Operation Barbarossa

Nazi Germany’s 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, marking a turning point in WWII with massive losses on both sides.

Paris Peace Conference

The post-WWI meeting where treaties like Versailles were drafted to reshape Europe and punish Central Powers.

Propaganda

Information spread to influence public opinion or promote political agendas, often used extensively during wars.

Reparations

Payments imposed on defeated nations after wars as compensation for damages caused (e.g., Germany after WWI).

Rwanda Genocide

The 1994 mass killing of Tutsi people by Hutu extremists in Rwanda, resulting in over 800,000 deaths.

Spanish Civil War

A conflict (1936–1939) between Republicans and Nationalists led by Franco; it was a precursor to WWII ideologies clashing globally.

Spanish Flu/1918 Influenza Pandemic

A global pandemic that killed millions during WWI due to widespread infection and lack of medical resources.

Trench Warfare

A form of combat where opposing armies fight from fortified trenches, common during WWI.

Total War

Warfare involving complete mobilization of resources and targeting civilian infrastructure alongside military objectives.

U-boats

German submarines used extensively during WWI and WWII for naval warfare and blockades.

War of Attrition

A strategy aiming to wear down an opponent through continuous losses in personnel and resources over time.

Weimar Republic

Germany’s democratic government between WWI and Hitler’s rise, plagued by economic crises and political instability.

Zimmerman Telegram

A secret message from Germany proposing an alliance with Mexico against the U.S., intercepted before America entered WWI.

Zionism

A movement advocating for Jewish self-determination and the establishment of a homeland in Palestine.