History Final Studying (TERMS) - 2026

Patriotism

Confidence and optimism of the future. A willingness to sacrifice for your country. Devotion and love for country. Unifying. Feeling of national pride

Extreme Nationalism

Focus on what's best for your own country even at the cost of others. Self interest.

Militarism

Willingness to use war to settle disputes. Increased military budget, military influence on government, war seen as romantic and heroic.

Balance of Power

Lead up to WWI, unification of Germany vs the Ottoman empire. Congress of Vienna.

Martial Races

During WW1 the idea that some races or ethnic groups were better fitted to war (soldiers) than others. They were called the martial races and included the Sikhs. Racist and social darwinistic.

Women of WWI

Women put the suffrage movement on hold and began doing many men's jobs as well as jobs that helped the war and were dangerous like ammunition plants that turned their skin yellow. They faced less pay than men and some discrimination but felt that they were now living a “life worth living.” some woman (Russian) even disguised themselves and joined the army.

Genocide

The systematic killing of groups of people in order to exterminate them.

Dictator

Leader that was originally appointed during a crisis, or for 6 months. Changed to “A leader who rises up in a democratic system and keeps power”.

Totalitarianism

Total control over every aspect of citizens’ lives. → overlap of Communism (Stalin) and Facism (Hitler/Mussolini).

Personality Cults

People would support leaders like gods. The leader is worthy of loyalty because they are “extraordinary”. An example of this is Lev Kopalev participating in horrible acts because of the progress of Russia and Communism. He believed that he shouldn’t give into pity.

Fascism

“Bundle of Sticks” → authority. Opposite of Marxist Socialism. Not a conflict of the classes. Reaction against Liberalism. Goal = State Control. Rejecting the Enlightenment. 

Nazism

“The political principles of the far-right National Socialist German Workers' Party” - Google

Pogrom

Targeted, planned attacks against an ethnic group, esp. Jews, ex: Kristallnacht

“Western Civilization”

Is western ideas/western civilization the best way to move forward? Western classics being taught. > to prove that Western ideas are the best way

Appeasement

The granting of political and territorial concessions in order to preserve peace. 

Pacifism

Rejection of violence as a means of solving disputes. A pacifist believes: “War is morally wrong”. Security can only be obtained through non-violent resistance.

Guernica

Deliberate civilian attack. Bombers killed hundreds of innocent people. Painting done by Pablo Picasso in response to the attack on Guernica. When asked if he did the painting by a German soldier, he replied, “no, you did”. 

“The Good War”

Americans joined after the Pearl Harbour attack in 1941. “Really clear evil vs really clear good”. 

Nuremberg Trials

Criminal trials held by the US, France, the UK, and the Soviet Union against Nazi leaders. The trials were coming from a place of rage - they had to do something in order to move forward. 

United Nations

The goal was to create a list of universal human rights. 

The Absurd

Unreasonable - what is the meaning of life? - existentialism. What is the meaning of life with so many people being dead? “The Plague”, “The Stranger”.

DPs

Displaced persons > ex: displacement of German citizens after WWII.

The Welfare State

A society in which the central government, funded by heavy taxation, provides all essential social services. It took hold in the Western European states after WWII to address concerns coming out of WWII, and it was in charge of “fixing” the problem of unequal wealth distribution. 

Social Democracy

A reformist wing of the socialist movement that sought to achieve socialism through peaceful, democratic means rather than violent revolution. It emerged from the late 19th-century labour movement, particularly in Germany, where socialist parties like the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) grew rapidly by winning seats in parliaments

Third World

Countries that were neither part of the capitalist First world nor the communist Second world.

Decolonization

The removal of imperialist nations ruling others and gaining freedom. 

Post-colonialism

Decolonization. Critiques colonialism. Ex: Ho Chi Minh 

Globalization

The process by which the world becomes more interconnected and more interdependent

Westernization

The spread of Western ideals (including freedom and democracy), popular culture, free-market capitalism, and technology

Fundamentalism

A form of religion, esp. Islam or Protestant Christianity, that upholds belief in a strict, literal interpretation of Scripture. A strict adherence to the basic principles of any subject or discipline. 

Terrorism

Organized violence that deliberately targets civilians, and that is intended to sow fear among a population for ideological, religious, or political purposes. 

Feminism

The fight for equality for both genders – the advocacy for women’s rights on the basis of equality of the sexes. Women should be seen as citizens. Get girls educated → fight against fundamentalism (similar to Flora Tristan’s argument)

UDHR

Universal Declaration of Human Rights - similar to the US constitution.