8.5 & 8.6 - Great Depression & Facism

Great Depression

A worldwide economic crisis that began in 1929 and led to massive unemployment and economic instability.

Dawes Plan

A plan to stabilize the German economy after WW1 by allowing Germany to pay reparations it could afford, with significant American financial investment.

Hyperinflation

An extremely high and typically accelerating inflation, as seen in Germany after WW1 where 1 dollar was equivalent to 4 trillion marks in 1923.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

An agreement that renounced war as an instrument of foreign policy, signed by major powers in the interwar years.

Keynesian Economics

An economic theory proposed by John Maynard Keynes that emphasizes government spending to increase consumer demand and stimulate the economy.

Totalitarianism

A political system in which the state holds total authority over society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life.

Fascism

A far-right authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society.

Overproduction

A situation in which the supply of manufactured goods exceeds demand, contributing to economic imbalance and crisis.

Speculation

The practice of buying stocks with the hope of selling them at a higher price, often leading to unstable economic conditions.

Holodomor

The man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933, caused by Stalin's policies, resulting in the deaths of millions.

Collectivization

The policy of consolidating individual landholdings and labor into collective farms, enforced by the Soviet government under Stalin.

Blackshirts

The paramilitary wing of the Italian Fascist Party, known for using violence and intimidation to maintain control and eliminate opposition.

Weimar Republic

The democratic government in Germany from 1919 to 1933, which faced significant political and economic challenges leading to the rise of fascism.

Popular Front

A coalition of leftist parties in France during the Great Depression aimed at preventing the rise of fascism, though it struggled to resolve economic issues.

National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party)

The political party led by Adolf Hitler that rose to power in Germany, promoting extreme nationalism and anti-semitism.