AZ/US History: Unit 4B Vocabulary

Imperialism

Policy by a stronger nation to attempt to create an empire by dominating weaker nations economically, politically, culturally, or militarily.

Nationalism

Devotion to one’s nation.

Annexation (annex)

To join or attach, as in the joining of a new territory to an existing country.

Sphere of Influence

Area of economic and political control exerted by one nation over another nation or other nations.

Roosevelt Corollary

President Theodore Roosevelt’s 1904 extension of the Monroe Doctrine in which he asserted the right of the United States to intervene in the affairs of Latin American nations.

Dollar Diplomacy

President Taft’s policy of encouraging American investment in foreign economics.

Injunctions

Court order prohibiting a certain activity.

Direct Primary

Election in which all citizens vote to select nominees for upcoming elections.

Jingoism

A feeling of strong national pride and a desire for an aggressive foreign policy.

Guerilla

A soldier who uses surprise raids and hit-and-run tactics.

New Nationalism

Theodore Roosevelt’s plan for greater federal regulation of business and workplaces, income and inheritance taxes, and electoral reforms.

Federal Reserve System

Nation’s central banking system, established in 1913.

Civil Disobedience

Nonviolent refusal to obey a law in an effort to change that law.

Militarism

Policy of aggressively building up a nations’ armed forces in preparation for war, as well as giving the military more authority over the government and foreign policy.

Mobilization

The readying of troops for war.

Autocrat

Ruler with unlimited power.

Zimmerman Note

A telegram sent by Germany’s foreign secretary in 1917 to Mexican officials proposing an alliance with Mexico and promising the united States territory if Mexico declared war on the United States.

Russian Revolution

Collapse of the czar’s government in Russia in 1917, after which the Russian monarchy was replaced with a republican government.

American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)

Name given to American troops in Europe in World War I.

Selective Service

Law passed in 1917 authorizing a draft of young men for military service in World War I.

Armistice

A cease-fire or truce.

Genocide

Organized killing of an entire people.

Rationing

Distribution of goods to consumers in a fixed amount.

Self-Determination

The power to make decisions about one’s own future.

Reparations

Payment from an enemy for economic injury suffered during a war.

Banana Republic

Term used to describe a Central American nation dominated by United States business interests.

Open Door Policy

American approach to China around 1900, favoring open trade relations between China and other nations.

Arbitration

Settlement of a dispute by a person or panel chosen to listen to both sides and come to a decision.

Social Welfare Program

Program designed to ensure a basic standard of living for all citizens.

Central Powers

In World War I, Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Allies

In World War I, Russia, France, Serbia, and Great Britain; in World War II, the alliance of Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and other nations.

Lusitania

British ship, the sinking of which by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, contributed indirectly to the entry of the United States into World War I.

League of Nations

International organization formed after World War I that aimed to ensure the security and peace for all its members.

Versailles Treaty

1919 treaty that ended World War I.