Interwar years

Labour Party

Established in Great Britain in 1924 as a viable governing party.

Sinn Fein

An Irish nationalist movement that declared Irish independence on January 21, 1919.

Irish Republican Army (IRA)

The military wing of Sinn Fein that engaged in civil war against the British army.

Irish Free State

Established by a treaty in December 1921 as one of the dominions in the British Commonwealth.

Popular Front

A political coalition in France from 1936 composed of socialists, radicals, and communists, enacting major social reforms.

Bolshevik Revolution

A violent seizure of power by the Bolsheviks, leading to the establishment of an authoritarian government.

War Communism

A set of emergency measures implemented by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War to control the economy.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

Introduce by Lenin, it allowed private business and small-scale farming while the state controlled major industries.

Comintern

The Third International of European Socialism aimed at promoting the Bolshevik model.

Joseph Stalin

A political figure who believed socialism could be achieved in Russia alone and was known for his manipulative tactics.

Leon Trotsky

Head of the Red Army who advocated for rapid industrialization and voluntary collectivization.

Collectivization

The process of replacing private farms with state-run farms to increase agricultural production.

Great Purges

Stalin's campaign to eliminate perceived threats, characterized by show trials and mass executions.

Fascism

A totalitarian form of government that opposes democracy, aiming for a state that prioritizes the middle class.

Grigori Rasputin

A mystic healer who gained the trust of Russia’s royal family and was a controversial figure among nobles.

Benito Mussolini

The leader of Italian Fascism known for his opportunistic politics and consolidation of power.

Weimar Republic

Post-World War I German government that struggled due to political instability and the Treaty of Versailles.

Mein Kampf

Hitler's autobiography outlining his political ideology, including antisemitism and expansionist views.

Gustav Stresemann

Chancellor of Germany responsible for recovery and economic stability in the Weimar Republic.

Locarno Agreements

A series of treaties aimed at improving relations between Germany and its neighbors.

Nuremberg Laws

Racist laws that stripped German Jews of citizenship and legal rights.

Gulags

Forced labor camps in the Soviet Union with harsh conditions and high mortality rates.

Five-Year Plan

A government plan in the Soviet Union focused on rapid industrialization.

Fascist Symbol

The Fasces, a bundle of rods symbolizing unity and strength in Fascism.

treaty of versailles impact on germany

Germany blamed for WW1, no more military, loses their colonies, no say in it bc of new gov weimar republic

Kulaks

wealthy farmers

Lenin

introduced communism, leader of bolsheviks who wanted to overthrow russian gov for communism

Italy after ww1

politically unstable, felt less victorious, didn’t receive desired rewards

the kapp putsch

failed coup attempt in germany

German currency

fell drastically, hyperinflation, wiped out middle class savings, debts couldn’t be paid off

The SA

created by nazi party, parliamentary group to intimidate opponents

beer hall putsch

failed coup attempt by hitler when they tried to seize power of munich, leading to his arrest and jail time

the SS (schutzstaffel)

originally formed as bodyguards for hitler, known for many atrocities during holocaust

kristallacht (night of smashed glass)

Jewish stores were burned and destroyed, jews paid for damage

communism

all citizens are equal and work for everyone not themselves, based on marx’s idea of socialism

league of nations

established after ww1 to promote peace and cooperation among countries, no effective military force in conflicts