Trench warfare
A form of combat during World War I characterized by troops digging trenches for shelter and defense, resulting in prolonged battles along static lines with minimal movement.
U-boats
German submarines used during both World Wars, particularly known for their effectiveness in naval warfare, including disrupting enemy supply lines and sinking merchant and military vessels.
Zimmermann Telegram
A secret diplomatic communication sent by the German Empire to Mexico in 1917, proposing a military alliance against the United States in exchange for support in reclaiming lost territories in the American Southwest, intercepted by British intelligence and a catalyst for U.S. entry into World War I.
Total war
A concept involving the mobilization of all available resources, including civilian populations and industrial capacities, to support the war effort, often resulting in significant social, economic, and political upheaval.
Propaganda
Information, ideas, or images spread deliberately to influence public opinion or promote a particular political cause or ideology, often used by governments during wartime to manipulate perceptions and rally support for the war effort.
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC)
Military units from Australia and New Zealand that fought together during World War I, particularly known for their involvement in the Gallipoli Campaign and celebrated on ANZAC Day.
Paris Peace Conference/"Big Four"
The diplomatic meeting held in Paris in 1919 to negotiate peace terms after World War I, attended by the leaders of the victorious Allied powers (the United States, Britain, France, and Italy), known as the "Big Four."
Self-determination
The principle that nations have the right to freely choose their own political status, government, and sovereignty without external interference, often championed as a key principle in the post-World War I era.
League of Nations
An international organization established after World War I in 1920, aimed at promoting peace, collective security, and cooperation among nations, although ultimately ineffective in preventing the outbreak of World War II.
Treaty of Versailles
The peace treaty signed in 1919 at the end of World War I, imposing harsh penalties and territorial losses on Germany, contributing to economic hardship and resentment that would later fuel the rise of Adolf Hitler and World War II.
Five Year Plans
Series of centralized economic plans implemented by the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, aimed at rapidly industrializing the economy through state-controlled production targets and resource allocation.
Collectivization
Policy implemented by Stalin in the Soviet Union during the late 1920s and 1930s, forcibly consolidating agricultural land and resources into collective farms, resulting in widespread hardship and famine.
Gulags
System of forced labor camps in the Soviet Union used for political repression and economic exploitation, where millions of prisoners, including political dissidents and perceived enemies of the state, were subjected to harsh conditions and often died.
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)
Political party that dominated Mexican politics for much of the 20th century, founded in 1929, and characterized by a mix of corporatism, clientelism, and authoritarian rule.
Lázaro Cárdenas
Mexican president (1934-1940) known for his progressive reforms, including land redistribution, nationalization of the oil industry (through PEMEX), and support for workers' rights.
PEMEX (Mexican Petroleum)
Mexico's state-owned petroleum company, established in 1938 after the nationalization of the oil industry under President Lázaro Cárdenas.
Benito Mussolini
Italian dictator (1922-1943) and leader of the National Fascist Party, known for his authoritarian rule, nationalist ideology, and aggressive expansionist policies, forming the basis of fascism.
Totalitarian state
A political system characterized by centralized control, authoritarian leadership, and the suppression of opposition, exercising extensive control over all aspects of public and private life.
Francisco Franco
Spanish military dictator (1939-1975) who led the Nationalist faction to victory in the Spanish Civil War, establishing a fascist regime characterized by repression and authoritarian rule.
Bombing of Guernica
Aerial bombing of the Basque town of Guernica in Spain by Nazi German and Fascist Italian forces in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, resulting in widespread destruction and civilian casualties, famously depicted in a painting by Pablo Picasso.
Manchukuo
A puppet state established by Japan in Manchuria in 1932, serving as a buffer zone and base for Japanese imperial ambitions in Northeast Asia.
Weimar Republic
The democratic government in Germany post-World War I, marked by economic instability and the rise of Adolf Hitler.
Mein Kampf
Adolf Hitler's manifesto outlining his political ideology, including anti-Semitic beliefs and expansionist ambitions.
Nuremberg Laws
Anti-Semitic legislation in Nazi Germany (1935) stripping Jews of citizenship and imposing restrictions.
Kristallnacht
State-sponsored pogrom against Jews in Germany and Austria in 1938, leading to violence and destruction.
Luftwaffe
German air warfare branch during World War II responsible for air support and strategic bombing.
Appeasement
Western policy in the 1930s to avoid conflict by granting concessions to aggressive regimes like Nazi Germany.
Anschluss
Annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938, violating the Treaty of Versailles.
Neville Chamberlain
British Prime Minister known for his policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany.
Sudetenland
Region in Czechoslovakia annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, sanctioned by the Munich Agreement.
Blitzkrieg
German military strategy in World War II involving rapid coordinated movements to overwhelm the enemy.
Battle of Britain
Aerial campaign in World War II between RAF and German Luftwaffe, preventing German invasion.
Destroyers-for-Bases Agreement
1940 agreement between the US and UK exchanging destroyers for military bases rights.
Lend-Lease Act
1941 US policy lending war supplies to nations vital for US defense, aiding Allies.
Atlantic Charter
1941 declaration by US President Roosevelt and British PM Churchill outlining post-WWII principles.
Pearl Harbor
Surprise Japanese attack on US naval base in Hawaii in 1941, leading to US entry into WWII.
Rosie the Riveter
Symbol of American women working in factories during WWII to support the war effort.
Battle of El Alamein
Decisive battles in North Africa in 1942 halting Axis advance.
Battle of Stalingrad
Pivotal battle in 1942-1943 resulting in a significant defeat for the Germans.
Battle of the Coral Sea
Naval battle in the Pacific in 1942 halting Japanese expansion.
Battle of Midway
Decisive naval battle in 1942 turning the tide of the war in the Pacific.
Island-hopping
Allied strategy in the Pacific during WWII involving capturing key islands.
D-Day
Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944, a crucial turning point in WWII.
Battle of the Bulge
Major German offensive in 1944 repelled by Allied forces.
Armistice Day
Holiday commemorating the end of WWI, later evolved into Remembrance Day.
Armenian Genocide
Systematic extermination of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during WWI.
Influenza Epidemic
Widespread outbreak of influenza affecting a significant population.
Lost Generation
Term for young people disillusioned by WWI and its aftermath.
Heinrich Himmler
Leading Nazi figure responsible for implementing policies of persecution and genocide.
Nuremberg Laws
Anti-Semitic laws in Nazi Germany institutionalizing racial discrimination.
Final Solution
Nazi plan for the systematic extermination of European Jews during WWII.
Holocaust
Systematic genocide of six million Jews by the Nazi regime during WWII.
Dresden
City heavily bombed by Allies during WWII, controversial for its destruction.
Slobodan Milošević
Serbian politician indicted for war crimes, including genocide.
Ethnic Cleansing
Systematic expulsion or extermination of an ethnic group from a territory.
Rwandan Genocide
genocidal mass slaughter of Tutsi and moderate Hutu civilians inRwanda in 1994, perpetrated by extremist Hutu militias and government forces. The RwandanGenocide resulted in the deaths of an estimated 800,000 people in just 100 days, making it one ofthe most brutal genocides in history
Mao Zedong:
Chinese communist revolutionary and founding father of the People's Republic ofChina, who led the CCP to victory in the Chinese Civil War and served as Chairman of theCommunist Party and the country's paramount leader until his death in 1976
Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, or KMT)
A political party in China founded by SunYat-sen, which governed China until its defeat by the Chinese Communist Party in 1949, andsubsequently retreated to Taiwan
Chinese Communist Party
The ruling political party of China since 1949, founded in1921 and led by figures such as Mao Zedong, advocating for Marxist-Leninist principles andplaying a central role in the Chinese Revolution.
March First Movement:
mass protest movement in Korea against Japanese colonial rule,sparked by the signing of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, demanding Korean independence andinspiring nationalist sentiment.
Pakistan
South Asian country established in 1947 as a separate nation for Muslims,following the partition of British India, and comprising the regions of West Pakistan (present-dayPakistan) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
Muhammad Ali Jinnah:
leader of the All-India Muslim League and the founder of Pakistan, who advocated for the creation of a separate Muslim-majority nation in the Indian subcontinent.
Salt March
symbolic act of civil disobedience led by Gandhi in 1930, in which thousands ofIndians marched to the Arabian Sea to collect salt in defiance of British salt taxes, highlightingthe oppressive nature of colonial rule in India
Nonviolent civil disobedience:
strategy of political action advocated by Mahatma Gandhi,involving the deliberate and peaceful violation of unjust laws or practices to challenge authorityand bring about social or political change
Mohandas Gandhi:
Indian nationalist leader and advocate of nonviolent resistance, who played a central role in India's struggle for independence from British rule through campaigns of civil disobedience and peaceful protest.
Amritsar massacre
Also known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, a tragic event in 1919 where British troops opened fire on unarmed Indian civilians gathered for a peaceful protest in Amritsar, Punjab, killing hundreds and fueling anti-colonial sentiment in India.
Indian National Congress (INC):
A statement issued by the British government in 1917 expressing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, laying the groundwork for the eventual creation of the state of Israel and leading to tensions with Arab populations in the region
Mandate System:
A system established by the League of Nations after World War I, assigning temporary control of former German and Ottoman territories to various Allied powers as mandates, with the expectation that these territories would eventually achieve independence
Léopold Senghor:
Senegalese poet, philosopher, and politician, a leading figure in the anti-colonial movement in French West Africa, and the first President of Senegal after its independence from France.
Jomo Kenyatta:
Kenyan nationalist leader and the first President of Kenya after its independence from British colonial rule, instrumental in the anti-colonial movement and the struggle for Kenyan independence
Decolonization:
The process through which colonies gained independence from their colonial rulers, often occurred in the mid-20th century as European empires dissolved and former colonies asserted their sovereignty.
Hypernationalism:
Extreme and aggressive form of nationalism characterized by fervent devotion to one's nation or ethnic group, often leading to xenophobia, militarism, and expansionist policies
Estado Novo (“New State”) program:
authoritarian regime established in Portugal in 1933under António de Oliveira Salazar, characterized by corporatism, censorship, and repression of political dissent
Politburo
The highest policymaking body within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, responsible for setting party policies and directing the implementation of government decisions.
New Economic Policy (NEP):
Policy introduced by Vladimir Lenin in Soviet Russia in 1921,temporarily allowing limited capitalism and private enterprise to revive the economy after thedevastation of the Russian Civil War.
Russian Civil War:
Conflict fought between the Bolshevik (Red) forces and anti-Bolshevik(White) factions in Russia from 1917 to 1922, resulting in the establishment of the Soviet Union under Bolshevik control
The New Deal
Series of economic and social programs implemented by U.S. President FranklinD. Roosevelt during the Great Depression, aimed at providing relief, recovery, and reform,including public works projects, financial regulation, and social welfare initiatives.
John Maynard Keynes
British economist whose theories revolutionized macroeconomic thought, advocating for government intervention to mitigate economic downturns, including spending and monetary policies to stimulate demand
Emiliano Zapata
Mexican revolutionary leader and champion of agrarian reform, who led the peasant movement in southern Mexico during the Mexican Revolution, advocating for land redistribution and indigenous rights.
Francisco “Pancho” Villa
Mexican revolutionary leader and guerrilla fighter, who led forces in the north of Mexico during the Mexican Revolution, known for his military prowess and often remembered as a folk hero.
Francisco Madero
Mexican revolutionary and leader of the Anti-Reelectionist Party, who played a key role in overthrowing the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz in the Mexican Revolution, serving as President of Mexico from 1911 to 1913
Porfirio Díaz
Mexican dictator who ruled Mexico for over three decades until 1911, known forhis authoritarian regime, economic modernization, and suppression of political opposition,ultimately overthrown during the Mexican Revolution.
Mustafa Kemal/ Atatürk
Founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey, known for hisleadership in modernizing and secularizing Turkey, implementing Western-style reforms, andestablishing a nationalist identity, earning him the title "Atatürk" (Father of the Turks).
Turkification
A policy pursued by the Young Turks and later the Republic of Turkey, aimed atpromoting Turkish nationalism and culture, often through the suppression of minority languagesand cultures.
Young Turks:
A reformist and nationalist movement in the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th andearly 20th centuries, advocating for constitutional government, modernization, and the rights ofethnic minorities.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen
Chinese revolutionary leader and first president of the Republic of China, who played a pivotal role in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and establishing the Republic of China, advocating for modernization, nationalism, and democracy.
Vladimir Lenin
Russian revolutionary leader and founder of the Bolshevik Party, who played a central role in the Russian Revolution of 1917, leading to the overthrow of the Provisional Government and the establishment of a communist state in Russia.
Bolsheviks
A faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party led by Vladimir Lenin,advocating for revolutionary Marxism, the overthrow of the bourgeoisie, and the establishmentof a proletarian dictatorship, ultimately leading the October Revolution and the creation of theSoviet Union.
Bloody Sunday (January 22, 1905)
A peaceful protest in St. Petersburg, Russia, led by workers and their families, demanded reforms and better working conditions, which turned violent when Tsarist forces fired on the demonstrators, resulting in hundreds of casualties and galvanizing opposition to the Russian monarchy.
Revolution of 1905
A series of mass protests, strikes, and uprisings in Russia triggered bydissatisfaction with the autocratic rule of Tsar Nicholas II, leading to the creation of the firstRussian constitution, the establishment of the Duma, and other reforms.
Russo-Japanese War
A conflict fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japanfrom 1904 to 1905 over territorial disputes in East Asia, resulting in a Japanese victory and asignificant shift in the balance of power in the region.
Central Powers
The alliance formed between Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and other smaller states during World War I, opposing the Triple Entente powers.
Triple Entente
An alliance formed between France, Russia, and Britain prior to World War I,aimed at countering the threat posed by the Triple Alliance and maintaining the balance of powerin Europe.