World History 106 Final Vocab - Oregon State University

Coca-Colanization

The cultural and economic influence of American consumerism, particularly through brands like Coca-Cola, which reflects the spread of Western culture and values worldwide.

Means of production

The facilities and resources used for producing goods, including factories, machinery, and labor; essential for determining economic systems and power dynamics within a society.

Relations of production

The social relationships that people enter into as they acquire and use the means of production; these relations shape economic structures and influence class systems.

Marshall Plan

An American initiative passed in 1948 providing foreign aid to Western Europe, aiming to rebuild war-torn economies after World War II and prevent the spread of communism.

Manchurian Incident

A staged event orchestrated by Japanese military personnel in 1931 as a pretext for invading Manchuria, which had significant repercussions for Sino-Japanese relations.

Superstructure

The cultural, political, and social structures and institutions that arise from the economic base; it includes arts, law, and social norms that reflect and shape the economy.

Völkerschau

A derogatory term for 'people shows' or 'human zoos' that displayed individuals from different cultures and ethnicities for public amusement, often reinforcing colonial stereotypes.

Sonderkommando

Special units of prisoners in Nazi extermination camps who were forced to remove bodies from gas chambers; their existence highlights the horrors of the Holocaust.

Indian Salt March

A nonviolent protest led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 against the British salt monopoly, symbolizing the struggle for Indian independence and inspiring future civil rights movements.

Kristallnacht

A pogrom against Jews in November 1938, marked by widespread violence and destruction of Jewish property; it included the murder of 91 Jews and signaled increasing Nazi brutality.

Front de Liberation Nationale

The nationalist political party in Algeria that led the Algerian War of Independence against France, advocating for self-determination and social justice.

Satyagraha

A philosophy and movement of nonviolent resistance developed by Mahatma Gandhi, emphasizing the power of truth and moral force in the struggle for rights.

Racial equality amendment

Legislation aimed at abolishing racial discrimination and promoting equality; significant in the context of civil rights movements worldwide.

Mahatma Gandhi

Leader of the Indian independence movement known for his philosophy of nonviolent civil disobedience and commitment to social justice, peace, and equality.

Nanjing massacre

A period of mass murder and mass rape committed by Japanese troops against the residents of Nanjing during the Second Sino-Japanese War, resulting in widespread suffering.

Nuremberg Laws

Anti-Jewish statutes enacted in Nazi Germany that stripped Jews of their citizenship and rights, establishing a legal foundation for widespread discrimination.

Hijra

The migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina, marked as a pivotal event in Islamic history that established the Muslim community.

Swaraj

The concept of self-rule particularly significant in the context of India’s struggle for independence from British rule, encapsulating the desire for autonomy and governance.

pieds-noirs

Algerians of French or other European ancestry who settled in Algeria, often with complex socio-political ties to both Algeria and France.

Washington Naval Treaty

A 1922 treaty aimed at preventing an arms race by limiting naval construction among major world powers following World War I.

Mutually Assured Destruction

A military doctrine which holds that full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more opposing sides would result in the total destruction of both the attacker and defender.

Fifth Bureau

The Soviet agency responsible for internal security and counterintelligence during the later part of the Soviet Union, often involved in political repression.

Women’s Solidarity Movement

A movement advocating for women's rights and gender equality, emphasizing solidarity across diverse struggles and promoting feminist goals.

Setif Massacre

An event in 1945 when French colonial forces killed thousands of Algerians in response to anti-colonial demonstrations, highlighting the violent colonial response to independence efforts.

Benito Mussolini

Italian politician and leader of the National Fascist Party, known for his authoritarian regime in Italy and involvement in World War II as an ally of Nazi Germany.

Tiananmen Square Protest 1989

A series of protests led mainly by students advocating for political reform and freedom in China, culminating in a violent crackdown by the government that became a symbol of repression.