10.05 - Causes and Effects of WWII

Adolf Hitler

(1889-1945) fascist leader of Germany from 1933 to 1945 during which his Nazi Party used nationalism, militarism, and anti-semitism to gain support for the expansion of the country, starting World War II

anti-semitism

prejudice or discrimination toward Jewish people

appeasement

the act of giving in to someone's demands

Benito Mussolini

(1883-1945) fascist leader of Italy from 1922 to 1943

fascism

a system of government in which the government has complete control over a country and is also anti-communist

Great Depression

(1929-1939) the decade of economic hardship experienced in the United States and other countries in the 1930s

Hitler Youth

(1933-1945) a youth organization for boys in Nazi Germany that trained them in military tactics and to fight for Hitler

indoctrination

to instruct in a particular set of ideas or beliefs

Nazi Party

(1920-1945) a fascist political party in Germany led by Adolf Hitler

Nuremberg Laws

(1935) laws passed in Nazi Germany that established rules for who was considered "Germany" and who was considered "Jewish" based on their ancestory, outlawed marriage between Germans and Jews, and established other rights based on ancestory

propaganda

information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view

reparations

payments required of a defeated nation by those who won a war for damages

totalitarianism

a system of government in which the government has complete control over a country

Treaty of Versailles

(1919) agreement signed that officially ended WWI, blamed Germany for the war and started the League of Nations

alliance

a union or team formed to support and protect one another

Allied Powers

WWII alliance that included Great Britain, France, United States, and USSR

atomic bomb

an explosive device that is powered by nuclear reactions; it was used by the US against Japan to end WWII

Axis Powers

WWII alliance that Germany, Italy, and Japan

blitzkrieg

"lightning war" the policy used by Nazi Germany of defeating opponents quickly

Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

(August, 1945) the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending World War II in the Pacific theater

D-Day

(June 6, 1944) the day Allied forces invaded German occupied France and started a push that would end in Berlin and Germany's defeat in 1945

genocide

the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation

Holocaust (The)

(1941-1945) the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jewish people by the Nazi regime and its collaborators

total war

a conflict in which all of country's resources are used for the war effort including the time and energy of people who are not fighting in it

industrialize

to make something industrial

Manchuria

a region of northeastern China invaded by the Japanese in 1931

Meiji Restoration

(1868-1912) a period of industrialization and modernization in Japan in reaction to European imperialism that led to Japan's imperial period

modernize

to bring up to date

Nanking (Nanjing) Massacre

(1937-1938) a period of mass killing and ravaging of Chinese citizens and surrendered soldiers by soldiers of the Japanese Imperial Army after the Japanese invaded China and the capital city, Nanking

natural resources

materials the occur in nature and can be used for economic gain (to make money) like forests, water, fertile land, oil, or coal

Russo-Japanese War

(1904-1905) conflict between Russia and Japan over land in Manchuria (northern China) in which the Japanese defeated the Russians

bourgeoisie

the rich and middle class

Communism

a system of government derived from the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in which all factories, farms, and other valuable things are owned and controlled by the government

Communist

a person who believes that all factories, farms, and other valuable things should be owned and controlled by the government

Communist Manifesto

(1848) a pamphlet, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in which the principles of modern communism are outlined

Friedrich Engels

a nineteenth century German political philosopher who wrote The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844 and co-wrote the Communist Manifesto with Karl Marx

Karl Marx

(1818-1883) a German political philosopher and economist who founded modern socialism and wrote The Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engels

means of production

farms, factories, and other large businesses

proletariat

the poor and working class

socialism

a political and economic theory that advocates for the people as a whole rather than private individuals to own and operate the means of production

"Peace, Land, and Bread"

Bolshevik Party slogan that made promises to the Russian people and helped the party gain support from peasants, workers, and soldiers

Bloody Sunday

(1905) event in which in Russian soldiers serving under Czar Nicholas II opened fire on industrial workers who were protesting for shorter working hours, higher pay, and better working conditions

Bolsheviks

the communist political party led by Vladimir Lenin that took control of the Russian Empire in 1917 and renamed it the Soviet Union

Czar Nicholas II

(1894-1917) the ruler of the Russian Empire before the Russian Revolution

Joseph Stalin

(1878-1953) totalitarian ruler of the Soviet Union who industrialized the country through Five Year Plans and controlled people through terror and propaganda

New Economic Plan (NEP)

a policy instituted by Lenin in the early years of the Soviet Union to revive its economy that included some elements of capitalism

Russian Civil War

(1917-1922) conflict for control over the Soviet Union caused by the Bolshevik seizure of power in 1917 between the Bolsheviks represented by the Red Army and those who opposed them represented by the White Army. The Bolsheviks won and took control of the USSR

Russo-Japanese War

(1904-1905) conflict between Russia and Japan over land in Manchuria (northern China) in which the Japanese defeated the Russians

Soviet Union (USSR)

(1922-1991) the name for modern-day Russia when the country was ruled by the Communist Party

totalitarianism

a system of government in which one party tries to rule with complete control over every aspect of the lives of its citizen

Vladimir Lenin

(1870-1924) leader of the communist Bolshevik Party who started the Russian Revolution and founded the Soviet Union (USSR)

arms race

a competition for supremacy in weapons and technology between the United States (and their NATO allies) and the Soviet Union (and their Warsaw Pact allies) during the Cold War

Berlin Wall

(1961-1989) barrier built by the Soviet Union to separate west and east Berlin

Cold War

(1945-1991) a state of political and military tension after World War II between powers in the Western Bloc (the United States and its capitalist allies) and powers in the Eastern Bloc (the Soviet Union and its communist allies)

containment

a strategy of keeping communism within its existing boundaries and preventing its further expansion. This policy meant the United States would support any nation facing an external or internal communist threat.

Cuban Missile Crisis

(1962) a confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States regarding the Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba

Detente

the time in the Cold War between 1969 and 1979 when tension between the Soviet Union and the United States relaxed

Korean War

(1950- 1953) a civil war between the nations of North Korea (supported by the USSR) and South Korea (supported by USA), which were created out of the occupation zones of the Soviet Union and United States established at the end of World War II

Marshall Plan

the United State's economic recovery plan to offer assistance to countries after WWII so those countries would favor capitalism over communism

Non-Aligned Movement

a group of countries who chose not to choose a side between the US and USSR during the Cold War

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

military alliance formed by countries in western European, the United States, Canada, and others

Potsdam Agreement

(1945) agreement between Great Britain, USA, and USSR for the military occupation and reconstruction of Germany

proxy war

wars in which those fighting are supported by other nations; proxy wars were common during the Cold War between groups supported by the USSR and those supported by the USA

satellite state

country that is formally independent in the world, but under heavy political, economic and military influence or control from another country

Soviet-Afghan War

(1979-1989) a conflict in which the Soviet Union supported a communist government in Afghanistan and the United States supported rebels known as the Mujahideen

superpower

a nation with a great deal of power and influence over other nations; during the Cold War the Soviet Union and USA were superpowers

Truman Doctrine

US President Truman's foreign policy of combating communism through the Marshall Plan, the creation of NATO, and containment

Vietnam War

(1954-1974) a war between the communist regime of North Vietnam and Viet Cong (communist-led guerrillas) and the anti-Communist South Vietnam and its ally, the United States

Warsaw Pact

military alliance formed by the Soviet Union and its satellite states in Eastern Europe

Yalta Conference

(1945) meeting between Great Britain, USA, and USSR to discuss Europe's reorganization after WWII

glasnost

a policy of governmental openness started by Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union that led to more political freedoms and freedom of expression

Mikhail Gorbachev

(born 1931) the last leader of the Soviet Union who instituted reforms that led to the collapse of the USSR

perestroika

a policy of governmental and economic reorganization started by Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union that led to a freer market