Nazism and the Rise of Hitler - Key Terms (Video Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the Nazism and Hitler lecture notes.

Weimar Republic

The democratic German state established after World War I (1919–1933) that faced Versailles terms, economic turmoil, and political instability.

Proportional representation

An electoral system in which seats are allocated roughly in proportion to votes, contributing to fragmented coalitions and unstable government.

Article 48

Weimar provision giving the President emergency powers to suspend civil rights and rule by decree.

November criminals

A label used by conservatives to shame supporters of the Weimar Republic for the Versailles settlement and postwar problems.

Dawes Plan

A 1924 US plan to restructure Germany’s reparations and stabilize its economy.

Hyperinflation

A 1923 economic crisis in Germany where the mark collapsed and prices skyrocketed.

Great Depression

Global economic crisis (starting 1929) causing mass unemployment and economic suffering, hit Germany hard.

Spartacist League

A radical socialist group (later formed the Communist Party) that led an uprising in 1919.

Reichstag Fire Decree

The 1933 decree that suspended civil liberties and enabled Nazi repression after a fire at the parliament.

Enabling Act

1933 law that gave Hitler dictatorial powers by allowing him to rule by decree.

Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers' Party)

Hitler’s mass political movement that rose to power and established a totalitarian regime.

Lebensraum

Living space; Nazi idea of expanding eastward to provide land and resources for Germans.

Aryan

Racial category regarded by Nazis as superior; used to justify racial hierarchy and exclusion.

Nuremberg Laws

1935 laws stripping Jews of citizenship, prohibiting intermarriage, and restricting rights.

Ghetto

Segregated Jewish districts in occupied territories, characterized by deprivation and overcrowding.

Gas chambers

Facilities used in gas-based executions during the Holocaust in death camps.

Final Solution

Nazi plan to annihilate the Jews through systematic murder in extermination camps.

Concentration camp

Prison camps used for detention, forced labor, and mass murder without due process.

Propaganda

Nazi use of media, posters, films, and rhetoric to shape opinion and demonize enemies.

Nuremberg Tribunal

International Military Tribunal (post-WWII) that prosecuted Nazi war criminals for crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Crimes against Humanity

Nuremberg category describing atrocities committed against civilian populations by the Nazi regime.

Allies vs Axis

Allied Powers (UK, France, USSR, USA) fought the Axis (Germany, Italy, Japan) in WWII.