Decolonization and Nationalism

Fidel Castro

The dictatorship of Cuba and a leader of the Cuban Revolution. He transformed Cuba into a a Marxist-Leninist, one-party socialist state.

Cuban Revolution

The successful overthrow of the Fulgencio Batista regime in 1959 by the Fidel Castro-led 26th of July Movement. This revolution marked the end of a period of authoritarian rule and the beginning of a socialist state in Cuba.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A tense standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union, bringing the world close to nuclear war.

Israel

A middle eastern country, established to be a completely Jewish state

Palestinian

An Arab ethnonational group native to Palestine

Zionism

A movement for the re-establishment and the development/ protection of a Jewish nation.

UN Partition Plan

A plan that proposed dividing the British Mandate of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem under international control. The plan aimed to address the complex situation in Palestine, where both Jewish and Arab populations had significant claims to the land.

Six Day War

A brief but impactful conflict between Israel and neighboring Arab states resulting in in significant geopolitical and territorial shifts, impacting the region for decades to come.

Oslo Accords

A series of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They established a framework for Palestinian self-governance in the West Bank and Gaza, paving the way for a potential two-state solution. While the accords were intended to lead to a lasting peace, they ultimately failed to achieve this goal and the conflict continues to this day.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

A Turkish Turkish field marshal and revolutionary statesman who was the founding father of the Republic of Turkey. He was the first president, who modernized Turkey into a industrialized and secular state.

modernization

The process of adapting something to modern needs or habits.

secular

Government that is not specifically religious, its separated from politics.

westernization

The process of adopting ideas and behaviors typical to Western Europe/ North America rather than preserving traditional cultural practices.

Iranian Revolution

A series of events that occured during the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty and the establishment of Iran. Fueled by widespread discontent with the Shah's autocratic (absolute ruler) rule, it was lead by people such as Ayatollah Khomeini who opposed the secular reforms.

Ayatollah Khomeini

The leader of the Iranian revolution. Supreme religious leader with a crucial role in the overthrow of the Shah.

theocracy

A government where religious leader hold political power.