Russian Revolution, Interwar Period, and WWII Key Terms & Definitions

Czar Nicholas II

Last emperor of Russia whose poor leadership and resistance to reform helped trigger the 1917 revolutions.

Romanov Dynasty

Royal family that ruled Russia for over 300 years until overthrown in 1917.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolsheviks who led the October Revolution and established a communist government.

Bolsheviks

Radical Marxist group led by Lenin that supported immediate revolution and worker control.

Mensheviks

Moderate Marxist faction that believed Russia needed gradual reform before socialism.

February Revolution

Uprising that forced the czar to abdicate and ended the monarchy.

October Revolution

Bolshevik takeover of the Provisional Government.

Provisional Government

Temporary democratic government formed after the czar's abdication.

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

Communist state created after the Russian Civil War.

Treaty of Brest‑Litovsk

Peace treaty where Russia exited WWI and surrendered territory to Germany.

Weimar Republic

Germany's democratic government after WWI that struggled with instability.

Hyperinflation

Extreme price increases that destroyed savings and weakened trust in the government.

Fascism

Authoritarian ideology focused on nationalism, dictatorship, and suppression of opposition.

Nazism

German fascist ideology based on racism, antisemitism, and totalitarian control.

Totalitarianism

System where the state controls all political, social, and cultural life.

Adolf Hitler / Nazi Party

Hitler's political movement that rose to power through propaganda, violence, and economic frustration.

Benito Mussolini

Italian dictator who founded fascism and ruled with totalitarian control.

Josef Stalin

Soviet dictator who industrialized the USSR through harsh policies and repression.

Beer Hall Putsch

Hitler's failed attempt to overthrow the Weimar government.

Mein Kampf

Hitler's book outlining Nazi ideology and goals.

Nuremberg Laws

Nazi racial laws stripping Jews of citizenship and rights.

Kristallnacht

Coordinated Nazi attack on Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues.

Munich Agreement

Britain and France allowed Hitler to take the Sudetenland in an attempt to avoid war.

Anschluss

Nazi annexation of Austria.

Sudetenland Crisis

Conflict over Hitler's demand for the German-speaking region of Czechoslovakia.

Molotov‑Ribbentrop Pact

Non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the USSR that secretly divided Eastern Europe.

Allied Powers

Alliance of the U.S., Britain, USSR, and others fighting the Axis.

Axis Powers

Germany, Italy, and Japan, united by expansionist goals.

Blitzkrieg

German 'lightning war' strategy using fast, coordinated attacks.

Luftwaffe

Nazi Germany's air force.

Holocaust

Systematic genocide of six million Jews and millions of others by Nazi Germany.

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Jewish resistance revolt against Nazi deportations.

Vichy France

French regime that collaborated with Nazi Germany.

Battle of Stalingrad

Major Soviet victory that became a turning point in the war.

Battle of Britain

Air battle where Britain resisted German bombing.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Japanese surprise attack that brought the U.S. into WWII.

D-Day / Invasion of Normandy

Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France.

Manhattan Project

U.S. program that developed the first atomic bombs.

Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki

U.S. atomic bombings that led to Japan's surrender.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister who led the nation through WWII.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

U.S. president who led the country through the Great Depression and most of WWII.

Harry S. Truman

U.S. president who authorized the atomic bombings and led early Cold War policy.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Military alliance formed to defend Western nations against Soviet expansion.

United Nations (UN)

International organization created to promote peace, cooperation, and human rights.

World War I

1914-1918

Russian Revolution

1917

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

1918

Treaty of Versailles

1919

Weimar Republic

1918-1933

Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany

1933

Munich Agreement

1938

World War II

1939-1945

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Dec. 7th 1941

D-Day (Invasion of Normandy)

1944

Bombing of Hiroshima+ Nagasaki

Aug. 6 + 9 1945