World War I, the Russian Revolution, and the Interwar Period

These vocabulary flashcards cover key terms, people, and events from the lecture notes spanning WWI, the Russian Revolution, interwar developments in Asia and the Middle East, and the rise of totalitarian regimes leading into WWII.

Militarism

A policy of glorifying military power and keeping a standing army always prepared.

World War I (Short term effects)

Countries created or collapsed, $338$ billion in damages, many dead, shifting roles for women, and the Russian Revolution.

World War I (Long term effects)

Harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles (totalitarianism), memories of nationalism, Middle East created, and "total war."

Triple Alliance

An alliance between Germany, A-H, and Italy.

Triple Entente

An alliance between France, Great Britain, and Russia.

Central Powers

An alliance consisting of Germany, A-H, Ottomans, and Bulgaria.

Allies

An alliance consisting of France, UK, Russia, US, Japan, and Serbia against the Central Powers.

Schlieffen Plan

German plan to invade Belgium to attack the French and then race back to defeat Russia.

Kaiser Wilhelm

Militaristic last Emperor of Germany who issued the "blank check."

Balkan Powder Keg

Internal tensions between Serbia and A-H from the Balkan wars that were ready to ignite.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

His assassination sparked the start of WWI; he was murdered by the Black Hand in Serbia.

First Battle of Marne

Battle considered most significant as it ruined the Schlieffen Plan.

US Entry into WWI

Occurred after the interception of the Zimmerman note.

Battle of the Somme

Symbolized the uselessness of trench warfare.

Dardanelles / Gallipoli

A strategy for Allies to attack Ottomans to establish supply lines to Russia, which failed.

USW (Unrestricted Submarine Warfare)

Germany declared and used U-boats to sink anything near Britain.

Zimmerman Note

A secret telegram from Germany telling Mexico to attack the US.

Armistice

A formal agreement between nations to stop fighting.

Article 231

A treaty provision which assigned responsibility of WWI solely to Germany.

Paris Peace Conference

Meeting of $32$ countries in an attempt to make lasting peace; organized new countries and expanded Western Imperialism on behalf of the League of Nations.

Eastern Front

Primary battleground involving Russians and Romanians against A-H, Bulgaria, and Ottomans.

MAIN Causes

Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism.

New Technology of WWI

Tanks, machine guns, poison gas, and the weaponization of planes.

Western Front

Primary battleground located between France and Germany characterized by trenches.

Trench warfare

The primary form of warfare along the Western Front.

Big Four

Leaders from Great Britain, France, US, and Italy who were the key decision makers at the Paris Peace Conference.

Total War

When all resources were devoted to the war, with no distinction between soldiers and citizens.

Treaty of Versailles

Agreement Germany was forced to sign that blamed them for causing the Great War.

Gavrilo Princip

A Black Hand member who assassinated the Archduke.

League of Nations

An organization created by the Treaty of Versailles to try and prevent future global conflicts.

Czer Nicolas II

The last Romanov Czer (Czar) of Russia.

Russification

The process where non-Russian populations are forced to adopt Russian language, culture, and religion.

Russian autocracy

A system where one person had all power; anyone who questioned the Czer was labeled as dangerous.

Proletariat

The working class.

Bolsheviks

The group behind the Russian Revolution led by Lenin.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolshevik Revolution.

NEP (New Economic Policy)

Lenin's policy allowing peasants to sell surplus crops.

Alexander III

Implemented strict media censorship, monitored schools, and forbade other languages; very unpopular in Russia.

Russo-Japanese War

Paved the way for revolution because repeated news of losses caused unrest as more soldiers were lost.

Bloody Sunday

An event where $200,000$ people asked for better working conditions, and the Czer sent his soldiers on the crowd.

Rasputin

A self-proclaimed "holy man" who "healed" the Czer's son, giving him influence on the government.

Impact of WWI on Russia

It revealed the weaknesses of the Czer's rule and military leadership.

March Revolution

Uprisings of women in the textile industry that forced the Czer to abdicate his throne.

November Revolution

Event where factory workers stormed the Winter Palace.

USSR

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Kerensky

Leader of the Provisional Government who allowed Lenin to take over because of the impacts of World War I.

Provisional Government

The temporary government overthrown by the Bolsheviks.

Trotsky

Commander of the Red Army who competed with Stalin after Lenin's death.

Soviets

Influential local councils of workers, peasants, and soldiers.

Russian Civil War

Conflict between the Mensheviks (White Army) and Bolsheviks (Red Army) resulting in $14$ million casualties.

Communist Party

The name the Bolsheviks adopted, differing from Karl Marx's traditional communists.

Stalin

Became the dictator of the USSR after Lenin died.

Kuomintang

Nationalist party led by Sun Yat-sen that overthrew the Qing Dynasty.

Sun Yat-sen

Leader of the Kuomintang who became president in $1912$.

Yuan Shikai

Gained control after Sun and tried to create his own dynasty.

Mao Zedong

A teacher of the Communist Party who envisioned a rural peasant society.

Amritsar Massacre

Event that caused millions of Indians to become nationalists.

Ghandhi

Peaceful protector who used civil disobedience.

Jinnah

The founder of the Muslim League.

CCP (Chinese Communist Party)

Led by Mao Zedong, it differed from traditional communism by focusing more on peasant populations.

Qing Dynasty

The last Chinese dynasty, overthrown in the $1911$ revolution.

Jiang Jieshi

Leader of the Kuomintang after the death of Sun Yat-sen.

Long March

A $6000$ mile journey taken by Mao and his followers to avoid being killed by Jiang Jieshi's army.

Indian National Congress

Led by Nehru, this group supported Indian self-rule.

Salt March

A $240$ mile protest against British salt taxes.

Sykes-Picot

A secret treaty between Great Britain and France that divided the Ottoman Empire after its downfall.

Civil disobedience

Ghandhi's method of protest involving deliberate and public refusal to obey unjust laws.

3 Principles of the People

Nationalism, people's rights, and people's livelihood.

May 4th Movement

Protest by Chinese students against Japan's increased sphere of influence.

Shanghai Coup

An attack where Jiang Jieshi murdered many members of the CCP, nearly eliminating them.

Rowlatt Acts

Laws allowing the British to jail Indian protesters without a trial.

Muslim League

Founded to protect Muslim interests and led by Jinnah.

Partition

The separation of India into Hindu and Muslim states.

Balfour Declaration

A document promoting a Jewish homeland to be created in Palestine.

Aryans Race

Hitler's "perfect race," seen as the most pure.

Sudetenland

A region of Czechoslovakia that Hitler demanded be made part of Germany.

Great Purge

Stalin's campaign to eliminate Communist party members, resulting in $750,000$ deaths.

Kristallnacht

November $10, 1938$, the "Night of Broken Glass" where Jewish people were killed and institutions destroyed.

Nuremberg Laws

Laws that separated Jews from Germans.

Non-Aggression Pact

A German-Soviet agreement not to fight each other.

Totalitarianism

A government system that takes total, centralized state control over every aspect of life.

Command Economy

An economy where the government controls production.

Anschluss

The annexation of Austria to Germany.

Appeasement

A diplomatic policy of giving in to an aggressor to avoid war, used by Britain and France.

Francisco Franco

Leader of the Spanish fascist movement.

Weimar Republic

The democratic government of Germany from $1919$ to $1933$, between WWI and Hitler.

Japanese expansion

Japan's strategy to solve economic problems through expansion, specifically targeting China for resources.

Kulaks

Wealthy peasants in Russia.

Mein Kampf

Hitler's book and blueprint for Germany, meaning "My Struggle."

Nazis

The fascist party that took over the Weimar Republic, eventually led by Hitler.

Show trials

A strategy used during the Great Purge to force people to own up to things they did not do.

Coalition Government

A system where multiple parties rule the government at the same time.

Collective farms

Stalin's policy of combining small farms into large farms, forcing peasants to work in cities.

Dawes Plan

A temporary fix to the German economic crisis where the US gave loans to Germany to pay their reparations.

Great Depression

The greatest economic crash in history, leaving Germany unable to pay back reparations.

Neville Chamberlain

British Prime Minister who flew to Germany to create peace but failed.

Spanish Civil War

Conflict between fascists and republicans, described as a "dress rehearsal" for WWII.

Munich Conference

Meeting between Britain, France, Italy, and Germany where Sudetenland was given to Germany as part of appeasement.

Fascism

A political movement that emphasizes loyalty to the state and obedience to the leader.

Axis Powers

The alliance of Japan, Italy, and Germany.