New Democratic Socialism and the Rise of Nazism

Vocabulary flashcards covering Democratic Socialism, the Weimar Republic, Hitler's rise to power, Nazi ideology, and the events leading to World War II based on the chapter notes.

Democratic Socialism

A political ideology adopted by Western and Central European countries following the Communist Manifesto of 1848 that shunned revolution and sought to reform society gradually through democratic means like labor unions, free press, and the right to vote.

Marxism (Russian Communists)

An ideology that advocated for immediate change through revolution and violent means, such as strikes and industrial sabotage, to completely establish socialism and replace existing society.

Weimar Republic

The democratic federal republic established in Germany by a National Assembly at Weimar following the defeat of Imperial Germany and the abdication of the emperor in November 1918.

Reichstag

The German Parliament whose deputies were elected on the basis of equal and universal votes cast by all adults, including women.

Treaty of Versailles

The harsh peace treaty with the Allies that forced Germany to give up its overseas colonies, 1/10th of its population, 13 percent of its territory, 75 percent of its iron, 26 percent of its coal, demilitarise, and pay £6 billion in compensation.

War Guilt Clause

A provision in the Treaty of Versailles that held Germany solely responsible for the First World War and all damages suffered by the Allied countries.

'November Criminals'

A derogatory term used by conservative nationalist circles to mock Socialists, Catholics, and Democrats who supported the Weimar Republic and accepted the Versailles Treaty.

Proportional Representation

An inherent flaw in the Weimar Constitution that made achieving a majority by any single party nearly impossible, leading to unstable coalition governments.

Article 48

A clause in the Weimar Constitution that gave the President the power to declare an emergency, suspend civil rights, and rule by decree.

Mein Kampf

An autobiographical book ('My Struggle') written by Adolf Hitler in prison at age 35 detailing his hatred for democracy, Marxism, and Jews, and outlining his bitter feelings over Germany's WWI surrender.

Brown Shirts

Gangs of armed Nazi volunteers who beat and murdered anti-Fascists and Jews to advance the party's goals, growing to 100,000 members by 1930.

Paul Von Hindenburg

The German WWI Field Marshall who was elected President of Germany in 1932 and appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor on 30 January 1933.

Lebensraum

A Nazi concept meaning 'living space', used by Hitler to justify foreign conquests and territorial expansion in Eastern Europe.

Nordic Aryans

The group classified by Hitler as the 'master race' at the top of the racial hierarchy, characterized as blond and blue-eyed, destined to dominate other races.

Fire Decree

An emergency decree issued on 28 February 1933 following the Reichstag fire that indefinitely suspended civic rights such as freedom of speech, press, and assembly.

Enabling Act

A law passed on March 23, 1933, that granted Hitler complete power to bypass parliament and rule by decree, creating a single-party dictatorship in Germany.

Gestapo

The secret state police in Nazi Germany that possessed extra-constitutional powers to detain, arrest without legal procedure, and torture suspected opponents.

The Third Reich

The name given to the total totalitarian state created under Adolf Hitler, governed by the motto 'One People, One Reich, One Fuhrer!'.

Tripartite Pact

A pact signed in September 1940 between Germany, Italy, and Japan that fortified Hitler's position as an international power.