Untitled Flashcards Set

Czar Nicholas II

The last emperor of Russia who was overthrown during the Russian Revolution.

March 1917 Revolution

A popular uprising that forced Czar Nicholas II to step down.

Soviets

Local councils of workers and soldiers that gained power after the czar’s fall.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolsheviks who brought communism to Russia.

Bolshevik (November) Revolution

A 1917 revolution where Lenin's party took control of Russia.

Communist Party

The political party that ruled the Soviet Union based on Lenin’s and Marx’s ideas.

Karl Marx

A philosopher whose ideas inspired communism and influenced Lenin.

Totalitarianism

A system where the government controls every aspect of public and private life.

Great Purge

Stalin’s campaign to eliminate enemies and critics in the Soviet Union.

Joseph Stalin

Soviet leader who turned the USSR into a totalitarian state.

Command economy

An economy where the government makes all economic decisions.

Kuomintang

China’s Nationalist Party that wanted modernization and national unity.

Sun Yixian

The first great leader of the Kuomintang who wanted to create a democracy in China.

Mao Zedong

Communist leader who eventually took control of China after a long civil war.

Ho Chi Minh

Vietnamese nationalist who later led the fight for independence from France and the U.S.

Weimar Republic

Germany’s democratic government after World War I, seen as weak.

Hyperinflation

A situation where prices rise rapidly and money loses its value, like in 1920s Germany.

Great Depression

A worldwide economic downturn during the 1930s, beginning with the U.S. stock market crash.

Isolationism

A policy of avoiding involvement in other countries’ affairs, especially wars.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

U.S. president during the Great Depression and most of World War II.

Fascism

A political system based on nationalism, dictatorship, and control of society.

Benito Mussolini

Fascist leader of Italy who allied with Hitler.

Adolf Hitler

Nazi leader of Germany responsible for World War II and the Holocaust.

Mein Kampf

Hitler’s book outlining his beliefs and plans for Germany.

Emperor Hirohito

Emperor of Japan during World War II.

Manchuria

Region of China invaded by Japan in 1931 for its resources.

Nanjing (1937)

Chinese city where Japanese soldiers committed mass killings and atrocities.

Haile Selassie

Emperor of Ethiopia who resisted Italian invasion.

Appeasement

Giving in to an aggressor to avoid conflict, used against Hitler before WWII.

Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis

Alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan before and during WWII.

Francisco Franco

Fascist dictator of Spain who came to power after a civil war.

Third Reich

The Nazi regime in Germany from 1933 to 1945.

Munich Conference

A 1938 meeting where Britain and France gave Hitler part of Czechoslovakia to avoid war.

Nonaggression Pact

Agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union not to fight each other.

Blitzkrieg

“Lightning war” strategy using quick, powerful attacks by Germany.

Charles de Gaulle

Leader of Free France who resisted Nazi occupation.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister who led Britain through WWII.

Battle of Britain

Air battle where Britain successfully defended against German bombing.

Battle of El Alamein

A turning point battle in North Africa where Allied forces defeated Germany.

Operation Barbarossa

Hitler’s failed invasion of the Soviet Union.

Stalingrad Campaign

A brutal battle where the Soviet Union defeated Germany, marking a turning point.

Atlantic Charter

Agreement between the U.S. and Britain on post-war goals.

Isoroku Yamamoto

Japanese admiral who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor

Surprise Japanese attack on a U.S. naval base that led to America entering WWII.

Bataan Death March

Brutal forced march of American and Filipino prisoners by Japanese soldiers.

Battle of Midway

A major naval battle where the U.S. defeated Japan and turned the tide in the Pacific.

Douglas MacArthur

U.S. general who led forces in the Pacific and helped rebuild Japan after the war.

Battle of Guadalcanal

The first major land victory for Allied forces in the Pacific.

Battle of the Coral Sea

A naval battle that stopped Japan’s advance toward Australia.

Island hopping

U.S. strategy of capturing key islands to get closer to Japan.

Kristallnacht

A night of violent attacks on Jews, their businesses, and synagogues in Nazi Germany.

Final Solution

Nazi plan to murder all Jews in Europe.

Genocide

The systematic killing of an entire group of people.

Death Camps

Nazi camps where millions of people, especially Jews, were murdered.

Auschwitz

The largest Nazi death camp where over a million people were killed.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

U.S. general who led Allied forces in Europe.

Operation Torch

Allied invasion of North Africa to fight Axis forces.

D-Day

June 6, 1944, Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France.

Battle of the Bulge

Germany’s last major offensive, which failed.

V-E Day

May 8, 1945, the day Germany surrendered and the war in Europe ended.

Kamikazes

Japanese suicide pilots who crashed planes into enemy ships.

Battle of Iwo Jima

Fierce battle where the U.S. captured a key island near Japan.

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Japanese cities destroyed by U.S. atomic bombs, ending the war in the Pacific.

U.S.S. Missouri

The ship where Japan officially surrendered on September 2, 1945.

Nuremberg Trials

Trials after WWII where Nazi leaders were punished for war crimes and the Holocaust.

Old Regime

Political and social system that existed in France before the French Revolution.

The Three Estates

The 3 social classes in France before the French Revolution.

The Third Estate

98% of the population; Working class.

Bourgeoisie

The middle class, including merchants, industrialists, and professional people.

Louis XVI

King of France from 1774-1792; unpopular politics helped trigger French Revolution.

Marie Antoinette

Queen of France; married to King Louis. Hated by French citizens.

Estates-General

Assembly of reps. from all 3 estates in France.

National Assembly

French congress established by reps. of 3rd estate on June 17, 1789.

Tennis Court Oath

Pledge made by members of the French National Assembly to continue meeting until they had made a new constitution.

The Bastille

French Prison.

The Great Fear

Wave of panic that spread through the French countryside after storming the Bastille.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

Created by the National Assembly to give rights to all (except women).

Guillotine

Machine for beheading people, used as execution during French revolution.

National Convention

Meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket.

Maximilien Robespierre

Leading figure of French Revolution; known for his dedication to revolution.

Reign of Terror

When Maximilien Robespierre ruled France as nearly a dictator.

Napoleon Bonaparte

General/emperor of France; seized power in coup d’état in 1779.

Coup d'etat

Sudden seizure of political power in a nation.

Plebiscite

Direct vote where country's people could approve or reject a proposal.

Napoleonic Code

Comprehensive system of laws established for France by Napoleon.

Battle of Austerlitz

Massive victory by the French causing Russia and Austrians to suspend their support against France.

Battle of Trafalgar

1805 naval battle where Napoleon’s forces were defeated by British fleet.

Peninsular War

Conflict from 1808-1813; Spanish rebels fought to drive Napoleon’s troops out of Spain.

Napoleon's Russian Campaign

Failed campaign due to scorched earth policy and starvation of Napoleon's soldiers.

The Hundred Days

Period in 1815 where Napoleon made last bid for power.

Battle of Waterloo

Battle that Napoleon lost after his return from Elba, ending his reign.

Congress of Vienna

Series of meetings in 1814-1815 where European leaders sought to establish long-lasting peace after Napoleon's defeat.

Klemens von Metternich

Austrian statesman and diplomat; Austrian representative at Congress of Vienna.

Balance of power

Situation where no one nation is powerful enough to pose a threat to others.

Concert of Europe

Series of alliances among European nations in the 19th century to prevent the outbreak of revolutions.

Peninsulares

Spanish people living in the Spanish colonies born in Spain.

Creoles

People living in Spanish colonies born in Latin America to Spanish Parents.

Mulattos

Person of mixed European and African ancestry.

Toussaint Louverture

Important leader of the Haïtian Revolution and the first leader of a free Haiti.

Simon Bolivar

South American revolutionary who led independence wars in several nations.