Unit 8 Vocab

Balkan Crisis

A series of conflicts and political turmoil in the Balkan region during the early 20th century, particularly leading up to World War I, characterized by the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of nationalist movements.

Central Powers

The coalition of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria during World War I, opposing the Allied Powers. This alliance sought to expand their empires and influence at the cost of their opponents.

Triple Entente

An alliance formed in 1907 between France, Russia, and the United Kingdom, aimed at countering the threat posed by the Central Powers during World War I.

Battle of the Marne

A significant battle in 1914 during World War I where Allied forces halted the German advance into France, marking a turning point in the war.

Schlieffen Plan

A military strategy devised by Germany in 1905 to defeat France quickly by invading through Belgium before turning to fight Russia, aimed at preventing a two-front war during World War I.

Gallipoli

A campaign during World War I in 1915 involving a failed Allied attempt to secure a sea route to Russia and capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople.

total war

A military strategy where a country mobilizes all its resources and population to achieve total victory, involving the complete destruction of the enemy's military and civilian infrastructure.

Armenian Genocide

The systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I, which is considered one of the first modern genocides.

trench warfare

A type of combat in which opposing troops fight from trenches facing each other, characterized by stalemates and high casualty rates.

new military technologies

tanks, airplanes, and machine guns

Battle of Verdun

a major battle during World War I fought in 1916 between French and German forces, known for its extreme length and brutality.

Battle of the Somme

A major battle in World War I fought in 1916 between British and German forces, resulting in significant casualties and showcasing the brutality of trench warfare.

Easter Rebellion

A nationalist uprising in Ireland during Easter 1916 against British rule, aimed at establishing an independent Irish Republic.

Munitionnettes

Women employed in munitions factories during World War I, who played a crucial role in supporting the war effort by producing ammunition and supplies.

Tsar Nicholas II

The last Emperor of Russia, ruling from 1894 until his abdication in 1917 during World War I, known for his poor leadership and the fall of the Romanov dynasty.

Bolshevik Revolution

Also known as the October Revolution, it occurred in 1917 when the _____ Party seized power in Russia, leading to the establishment of a communist government.

February Revolution

A major political revolution in Russia in 1917 that led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the end of the Romanov dynasty.

Leon Trotsky

A key figure in the Bolshevik Revolution, he served as the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs and was a leader in the Red Army.

Bolsheviks

A faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party led by Vladimir Lenin, advocating for a socialist revolution.

Mansheviks

A faction within the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party that opposed the Bolsheviks, advocating for a more moderate approach to socialism and the need for a broad-based party.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

A peace treaty signed in March 1918 between the Central Powers and Soviet Russia, ending Russia's involvement in World War I. It resulted in significant territorial losses for Russia, including Ukraine and the Baltic states.

Versailles Provisions

The terms that outlined the peace settlement after World War I, specifically in the Treaty of Versailles, which imposed heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

League of Nations

An international organization established after World War I to promote peace and cooperation among countries, but ultimately failed to prevent future conflicts.

mandate territories

territories administered by a foreign power, often former colonies, under a mandate from the League of Nations.

Russian Civil War

The conflict from 1917 to 1923 between the Red Army (Bolsheviks) and the White Army (anti-Bolsheviks), which shaped the future of Russia.

Joseph Stalin

A leader of the Soviet Union who rose to power after Lenin's death and ruled with an iron fist, implementing policies of collectivization and industrialization.

Collectivization

a policy implemented by Stalin in the late 1920s aimed at consolidating individual landholdings and labor into collective farms to increase agricultural productivity and state control.

5 Year Plans

State-led economic plans in the Soviet Union aimed at rapid industrialization and collectivization of agriculture.

Kulaks

wealthy peasants who opposed collectivization and were targeted by Stalin's policies.

gulag

a system of labor camps used by the Soviet government for political prisoners and criminals, known for harsh conditions and forced labor.

The Great Terror

a campaign of political repression in the Soviet Union during the late 1930s, characterized by widespread purges, arrests, and executions of perceived enemies of the state.

Nuremberg Laws

discriminatory laws enacted in Nazi Germany that stripped Jews of their citizenship and rights.

Benito Mussolini

Italian dictator and founder of Fascism, he ruled Italy from 1922 until 1943, aligning with Nazi Germany during World War II.

Weimar Republic’s Early Coalition

a government in Germany formed after World War I, characterized by unstable coalitions and political strife.

Adolf Hitler

Nazi leader and dictator of Germany, responsible for initiating World War II and the Holocaust.

Social Democratic Party

a political party in Germany that played a significant role in the Weimar Republic, advocating for socialism and democracy.

Nazi party

a far-right political party in Germany that rose to power in the 1930s, promoting fascism, anti-Semitism, and nationalism.

Joseph Gobbles

A prominent Nazi official and Minister of Propaganda in Germany, known for his role in shaping Nazi ideology and controlling the media.

Kristallnacht

a violent pogrom against Jews in Nazi Germany on November 9-10, 1938, marked by the destruction of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses, leading to widespread arrests.

pogrom

a violent riot aimed at the massacre or persecution of a specific ethnic or religious group, particularly in Eastern Europe.

Dawes Plan

an agreement in 1924 that aimed to resolve reparations issues following World War I by providing loans to Germany to stabilize its economy.

Great Depression

a severe worldwide economic downturn that lasted from 1929 until the late 1930s, resulting in widespread unemployment and hardship.

Keynesian economics

an economic theory that advocates for increased government expenditures and lower taxes to stimulate demand and pull the economy out of recession.

Dadaism

an art movement of the early 20th century that rejected traditional aesthetic values and embraced absurdity and irrationality as a reaction to the horrors of World War I.

Frank Lloyd Wright

an influential American architect known for his innovative designs, including the Prairie School movement and the concept of organic architecture.

appeasement

a diplomatic policy aimed at avoiding conflict by making concessions to an aggressor, notably used before World War II.

Francisco Franco

a Spanish general who led the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War and served as the dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975.

Spanish Civil War

a conflict from 1936 to 1939 between the Republicans and Nationalists in Spain, resulting in the rise of Francisco Franco.

firebombing

the military tactic of dropping incendiary bombs to cause widespread destruction, particularly used during World War II.

Picasso: Guernica

A painting by Pablo Picasso that depicts the horrors of the bombings during the Spanish Civil War, specifically the tragedy of the town of Guernica. It serves as a powerful anti-war statement and symbolizes the suffering caused by violence.

Munich Agreement

A pact signed in 1938 between Germany, Britain, France, and Italy that permitted Nazi Germany's annexation of portions of Czechoslovakia. It was intended to prevent further conflict but ultimately failed to stop World War II.

Molotov Ribbentrop Pact

A non-aggression treaty signed in 1939 between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that included secret protocols for dividing Eastern Europe between the two powers, allowing Germany to invade Poland without fear of Soviet intervention.

Blitzkrieg

A military strategy developed by Germany during World War II that emphasizes rapid and coordinated strikes using aircraft and armored forces to quickly overwhelm the enemy.

Vichy

The capital of the French government during the Nazi occupation in World War II, known for collaborating with German forces.

annexation of Austria

The incorporation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938, which was part of Adolf Hitler's expansionist policies and aimed at unifying all German-speaking peoples.

The Battle of Britain

A significant air campaign waged by the German Luftwaffe against the United Kingdom in 1940, aiming to gain air superiority and weaken British morale.

Polish Campaign of 1939

The invasion of Poland by Germany in September 1939, marking the start of World War II in Europe.

Italian invasion in Ethiopia

The military campaign launched by Italy in 1935-1936 to conquer Ethiopia, which resulted in Ethiopian occupation and showcased the aggressive expansionist goals of Mussolini's regime.

Operation Barbarossa

the code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, aiming for a quick defeat but leading to a prolonged and brutal conflict.

Rape of Nanking

the mass murder and rape of Chinese civilians in the Nanking area by Japanese troops during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937-1938.

Untermenschen

A Nazi term used to describe people deemed racially inferior, particularly Jews and Slavs, justifying their persecution and genocidal policies during World War II.

The Holocaust

the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and genocide of six million Jews and millions of others by the Nazi regime and its collaborators during World War II.

Einsatzgruppen

Mobile killing units responsible for mass shootings of Jews and others deemed undesirable by the Nazis during World War II.

Stalingrad

the site of a major battle during World War II between Soviet and German forces, marking a turning point in the war.

Nuclear proliferation

the spread of nuclear weapons, fissile material, and weapons-related nuclear technology to nations not recognized as Nuclear Weapon States by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).