History Lecture Flashcards

These vocabulary flashcards cover world history topics ranging from the Great Divergence and Imperialism to the causes/outcomes of World War I, the Russian and Mexican Revolutions, the Great Depression, and World War II.

The Great Divergence

A historical period where Europe became economically superior, leading to significant global income gaps.

The Scramble for Africa

The division of Africa into colonies by European powers such as the UK, France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, and Italy, which resulted in lost African independence.

The Berlin Conference

A meeting of European leaders to establish rules for dividing Africa; notably, no African representatives were included.

Century of Humiliation

A period in China characterized by foreign invasions, unequal treaties, and instability, during which foreign countries gained control and power.

Opium Wars

Two conflicts fought between China and Britain (and later France) over Britain's desire to continue selling opium in China and maintain favorable trade conditions.

Perry Crisis

The 1853 arrival of American ships led by Matthew Perry which demanded trade with Japan, effectively ending the country's period of isolation.

The Meiji Restoration

The period where the shogunate was overthrown, power was restored to the Emperor Meiji, and Japan underwent rapid modernization and reform.

Direct Rule

A colonial management style where the colonizing country maintains full control over all aspects of the territory.

Indirect Rule

A colonial management style where the colonizing country maintains control through existing local leaders.

Mughals

A powerful Muslim empire that ruled over the majority of India prior to British intervention.

Sepoy Mutiny

A failed 1857 rebellion by Indian soldiers caused by the use of cow and pig fat on rifle cartridges and general resentment toward British rule.

Taiping Rebellion

A massive civil war in China that resulted in tens of millions of deaths and the weakening of the Qing dynasty.

Boxer Rebellion

An uprising by Chinese nationalists seeking to remove foreign influence from China, which was ended by an international force.

M.A.I.N.

The acronym for the four primary causes of World War I: Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace agreement ending World War I that forced Germany to accept blame, pay reparations, and lose territory, while establishing the League of Nations.

Bolsheviks

A socialist group led by Vladimir Lenin that gained power in Russia under the slogan "peace, land, bread" and established the USSR.

Madero

A leader of the Mexican Revolution who advocated for democracy and sparked the initial revolution.

Zapata

A southern leader of the Mexican Revolution who focused on the goal of land reform.

Great Depression

A global economic collapse in the 1930s caused by the stock market crash, overproduction, and bank failures, leading to extreme unemployment.

Fascism

A political ideology that rose in the 1930s due to economic crisis and a desire for strong leadership, particularly under Mussolini and Hitler.

Munich Pact

An agreement where France, Britain, and Italy allowed Hitler to keep the Sudetenland if he promised to leave the rest of Czechoslovakia alone.

Stalingrad

A major turning point in WWII and Germany's first major defeat, caused by over-expansion, brutal urban fighting, and the winter.

D-Day

The June 6, 1944, invasion of France where American, British, and Canadian troops landed on beaches to open a western front against Germany.

Nuremberg Trials

Post-WWII proceedings where Nazi leaders were charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

United Nations

An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, human rights, and prevent future wars.