AP World History 1900 - Present Vocabulary Review

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from AP World History 1900 to present.

Central Powers

An alliance in World War I that included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.

Triple Alliance

A military alliance among Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany's military plan for attacking France once Russia began to mobilize forces.

Isolationism

A policy of non-intervention in foreign conflicts, particularly in Europe and Asia, advocated by America in the 1930s.

Zimmerman Telegram

A secret message from Germany proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the United States during World War I.

Fourteen Points

A statement of principles by President Woodrow Wilson for peace negotiations to end World War I.

League of Nations

An international organization founded after World War I to promote peace and cooperation.

April Theses

Directives issued by Vladimir Lenin that criticized the Bolsheviks supporting the Provisional Government.

Red Army

The national military forces of Russia from 1918 to 1946.

New Economic Policy

An economic policy proposed by Lenin that included elements of state capitalism.

Five Year Plans

Economic development guidelines created by Joseph Stalin for the Soviet Union.

Collectivization

The policy of consolidating individual landholdings into collective farms in the USSR under Stalin.

Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic downturn during the 1930s, resulting from the consequences of World War I.

Fascism

A form of radical authoritarian nationalism that originated in Italy during World War I.

Totalitarianism

A political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority nor regulates every aspect of life.

Black Shirts

Members of the military wing of the National Fascist Party in Italy, loyal to Benito Mussolini.

Reichstag

The parliament of Germany, notable for its building that was set on fire, used as evidence by the Nazis.

Nationalism

Patriotic feelings that influenced the events of World War I and World War II.

Appeasement

A diplomatic policy of conceding to the demands of a potential aggressor to avoid conflict.

Manhattan Project

A research project that produced the first nuclear weapons during World War II.

Holocaust

The genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany resulting in the deaths of approximately six million Jews.

Genocide

The systematic elimination of a cultural, ethnic, or religious group.

Marshall Plan

An American initiative that provided $13 billion in economic aid to rebuild Western European economies post-WWII.

Cold War

A period of political and military tension between the USSR and Western powers after World War II.

Spheres of Influence

Regions where one state has cultural, economic, or political power over another outside its borders.

Soviet Bloc

Countries aligned with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Western Bloc

Countries aligned with NATO and the United States during the Cold War.

NATO

A military alliance formed to counter the Soviet Union after WWII.

Iron Curtain

The boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas during the Cold War.

Three Principles of the People

A political philosophy by Sun Yat-sen emphasizing nationalism, democracy, and people's livelihood.

Westernization

The process of adopting Western culture and practices.

Guerrilla Warfare

Military tactics involving small groups using ambushes and raids against larger armies.

Platt Amendment

A treaty that allowed the U.S. to intervene in Cuban affairs.

Good Neighbor Policy

The U.S. foreign policy aimed at non-intervention in Latin America.

Export Economy

An economy relying on exporting goods to foreign markets.

Glasnost

A policy of open government and political openness initiated by Gorbachev.

Perestroika

A policy of economic restructuring in the Soviet Union.

Ethnic Cleansing

The forced removal of an ethnic group from a territory.

Passive Resistance

A nonviolent method of protest to bring about social change.

NGOs

Non-Governmental Organizations providing humanitarian aid and service.

Apartheid

A system of racial segregation in South Africa enforced through legislation.

Pogroms

Violent riots aimed at the massacre of a specific ethnic or religious group.

OPEC

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries that coordinates oil production policies.

Special Economic Zones

Areas with different economic regulations to encourage trade and investments.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

His assassination triggered Austria-Hungary's declaration of war, starting World War I.

Gavrilo Princip

The assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Globalization

The process of increasing international integration and exchange.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty that ended World War I, imposing reparations on Germany.

Russian Revolution

The 1917 events that led to the rise of the Soviet Union.

Czar Nicholas II

The last Tsar of Russia, abdicated in 1917.

Alexander Kerensky

A leader during the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Bolsheviks

A faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labor Party led by Lenin.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolshevik Revolution and head of the Soviet state.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

The peace treaty that ended Russia's involvement in World War I.

Soviet Union

A Marxist-Leninist state that existed from 1922 to 1991.

Leon Trotsky

A key figure in the Russian Revolution and founder of the Red Army.

Mustafa Kemal

The founder of the Republic of Turkey.

Joseph Stalin

Soviet leader known for his totalitarian regime.

USSR

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

President of the U.S. during the Great Depression and World War II.

Benito Mussolini

Fascist leader of Italy from 1922 to 1943.

Weimar Republic

The German state established post-World War I.

Nazis

Members of the National Socialist German Workers' Party.

Adolf Hitler

Leader of Nazi Germany and initiator of World War II.

Third Reich

The Nazi regime in Germany from 1933 to 1945.

Francisco Franco

The dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975.

Rhineland

A demilitarized zone violated by Hitler, leading to WWII.

Munich Conference

A settlement permitting Nazi Germany's annexation of Czechoslovakia.

Neville Chamberlain

British Prime Minister known for the policy of appeasement.

Nazi-Soviet Pact

A non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

Manchukuo

A puppet state established by Japan in Northeast China.

Anti-Comintern Pact

An anti-communist pact signed by Germany and Japan.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister during World War II.

Battle of Britain

A significant air battle in WWII.

Tripartite Pact

A military alliance between Japan, Germany and Italy.

Pearl Harbor

A surprise attack by Japan on the U.S., leading to WWII involvement.

D-Day

The Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Harry Truman

U.S. President who made the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The two Japanese cities bombed by atomic bombs in WWII.

Berlin Blockade

A crisis during the Cold War where the Soviets blocked access to Berlin.

Berlin Airlift

An operation to supply West Berlin after the blockade.

Yalta and Potsdam

Conferences to discuss post-war reorganization in Europe.

Warsaw Pact

A collective defense treaty among Soviet-aligned countries.

Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty

A treaty aimed at preventing nuclear weapons spread.

International Atomic Energy Agency

An organization promoting peaceful nuclear energy use.

Chiang Kai-shek

Leader of the Republic of China and figure in the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Mao Zedong

Founding father of the People's Republic of China.

People's Republic of China

The communist state established in 1949.

Cultural Revolution

A movement initiated by Mao to reinforce communist ideology.

Tiananmen Square

A site of student-led protests for democracy in 1989.

Ho Chi Minh

Key leader in Vietnam's independence movement.

Ngo Dinh Diem

The leader of South Vietnam until his assassination in 1963.

Fidel Castro

Leader of Cuba's revolution and its communist government.

Cuban Revolution

An armed revolt against the Batista government in Cuba.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

A failed U.S.-backed invasion to overthrow Castro in Cuba.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A confrontation over Soviet missiles in Cuba.

National Action Party

A major political party in Mexico.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet leader known for his reform policies of glasnost and perestroika.

Boris Yeltsin

The first President of the Russian Federation.

Muslim League

A political party formed to advocate for a separate Muslim state in India.