WHAP Unit 7

Militarism

The buildup of military forces and arms among European powers, leading to an arms race.

Triple Entente

Alliance between Britain, France, and Russia during World War I.

Triple Alliance

Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy during World War I.

Nationalism

A sense of pride in one's nation or ethnic group, which contributed to tensions in the Balkans.

Imperialism

Competition among European nations for colonies and resources that heightened tensions.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The event in June 1914 that triggered World War I, leading Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia.

Naval arms race

Competition for naval superiority, particularly between Britain and Germany before World War I.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany's military strategy to quickly defeat France and then focus on Russia during World War I.

Trench Warfare

A form of warfare where opposing armies fight from trenches, characterized by brutal conditions.

Battle of Verdun

One of the deadliest battles of World War I, fought in 1916 on the Western Front.

Battle of the Somme

A significant battle of World War I, marked by heavy casualties and the introduction of new warfare technology.

Unrestricted submarine warfare

Germany's policy of sinking ships without warning, leading to American ships being targeted.

Zimmermann Telegram

A secret communication from Germany urging Mexico to attack the U.S. during World War I.

Treaty of Versailles

The treaty that officially ended World War I, imposing heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

War Guilt Clause

The clause in the Treaty of Versailles that placed full blame for the war on Germany.

Spanish Influenza Epidemic

A pandemic that killed millions worldwide and spread rapidly due to conditions during World War I.

Self-Determination

The concept that ethnic groups should have the right to govern themselves.

Armenian Genocide

The systematic destruction of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman government during World War I.

League of Nations

An intergovernmental organization established after World War I to prevent future conflicts.

Fascism

An authoritarian political ideology characterized by extreme nationalism, militarism, and totalitarian control.

Benito Mussolini

The fascist dictator of Italy known for promoting militarism and aggressive expansion.

Adolf Hitler

The leader of Nazi Germany responsible for the genocide of Jews and initiation of World War II.

Great Depression

A worldwide economic downturn that began in 1929 and had severe social and economic consequences.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

U.S. President who led the New Deal programs to address the Great Depression and engaged the U.S. in World War II.

Munich Agreement

The 1938 agreement that allowed Hitler to annex the Sudetenland, exemplifying the policy of appeasement.

Lenin’s NEP

The New Economic Policy that allowed limited capitalism to revive the Soviet economy after the Russian Civil War.

Stalin's Five-Year Plans

Government plans aimed at rapid industrialization and collectivization in the Soviet Union.

Operation Barbarossa

The code name for Hitler's invasion of the USSR during World War II.

Pearl Harbor

The location of Japan's surprise military attack that brought the U.S. into World War II.

D-Day

The Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944, marking a significant turning point in World War II.

Atomic Bomb

Nuclear weapon dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender in World War II.

V-E Day

Victory in Europe Day, celebrated on May 8, 1945, after Germany's surrender.

V-J Day

Victory over Japan Day, celebrated on August 15, 1945, marking Japan's surrender.

Women in WWII

Women took on various roles, including factory work and combat positions, during World War II.

Holocaust

The genocide of six million Jews and millions of others by the Nazi regime during World War II.

Propaganda

Information used to influence public opinion and behavior during World War II.

Hideki Tojo

Japanese general and Prime Minister known for militarism and expansion during World War II.

Joseph Stalin

Leader of the Soviet Union, known for his totalitarian regime and rapid industrialization.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister who opposed Hitler's aggression and played a key role in World War II.

Neville Chamberlain

British Prime Minister known for his policy of appeasement towards Hitler before World War II.

Woodrow Wilson

U.S. President known for proposing the League of Nations after World War I.

League of Nations membership

The U.S. Senate refused to join the League of Nations, undermining its effectiveness.

Treaty of Sèvres

The treaty that dealt with the Ottoman Empire's defeat, dividing its territories.

Nanjing Massacre

A series of atrocities committed by Japanese troops against Chinese civilians during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Militarism in Japan

The belief in building a strong military to promote national interests and imperial expansion.

Appeasement

The policy of giving in to aggressor nations to avoid conflict, notably used by Britain and France.

Totalitarianism

A political system where the state holds total authority and individual freedoms are subordinated.

Spanish Civil War

Conflict in Spain where fascists led by Franco were supported by Hitler and Mussolini.

Vietnamese independence movement

The movement seeking to free Vietnam from French colonial rule.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; a military alliance formed in 1949.

Moscow Declaration

Post-World War II declaration that called for peace and cooperation among nations.

Wartime economy

An economy structured to support military efforts during conflict, often leading to shortages in consumer goods.

Cold War

The period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the Western bloc after World War II.

FDR's Lend-Lease Act

U.S. program that supplied Allied nations with war materials before joining WWII.

Axis Powers

Alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II.

Allied Powers

The coalition of nations opposing the Axis Powers in World War II, including the U.S., Britain, and the USSR.

Kamikaze pilots

Japanese suicide pilots who carried out attacks against Allied ships during World War II.

Internment camps

Detention centers where Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated during WWII.

Postwar reconstruction

Efforts to rebuild nations and societies after the devastation of World War II.

German reparations

Payments imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles to compensate for war damages.

Russian Revolution

The 1917 revolutions that led to the fall of the Tsar and the rise of the Bolsheviks.

Collective security

The cooperation of several countries in an alliance to strengthen the security of each.

War Communism

A policy implemented during the Russian Civil War that nationalized industry and seized grain from peasants.

Russian Civil War

The 1917-1923 conflict between the Red Army (Bolsheviks) and the White Army (anti-Bolsheviks).

Yalta Conference

The meeting of Allied leaders in 1945 to plan the postwar world.

Atomic Age

The period characterized by the development and use of nuclear weapons and energy.

Nuclear proliferation

The spread of nuclear weapons technology to nations that do not already possess them.

Imperial ambitions

Desire of nations to expand their territories and influence, often through military means.

Axis aggression

The military actions taken by Axis Powers that contributed to the outbreak of World War II.

Soviet Expansionism

The policy of expanding Soviet influence and control in Eastern Europe after WWII.

UN Declaration of Human Rights

A document adopted by the UN in 1948 outlining fundamental human rights to be universally protected.

Battle of Midway

The 1942 naval battle in the Pacific that marked a turning point in favor of the Allies.

Rationing

The controlled distribution of scarce resources and goods during wartime.

Economic sanctions

Restrictions placed on countries to limit trade and financial exchanges.

Decolonization

The process by which colonies gained independence from colonial powers after WWII.

Civilians in warfare

The impact of war on non-combatants, including casualties and displacement during conflicts.

War crimes

Serious violations of the laws of war, including genocide and atrocities against civilians.

Holodomor

The famine caused by forced collectivization that resulted in millions of deaths in Ukraine during Stalin's regime.

Great Purge

A campaign of political repression in the Soviet Union during the late 1930s.

Non-aggression pact

An agreement between two or more nations to avoid conflict; notably between Germany and the USSR.

Major Allied Conferences

Meetings between Allied leaders to discuss strategy and postwar plans.

Military-industrial complex

The relationship between a country's military and the defense industry that supplies it.

War-related technologies

Innovations developed during war that have civilian applications post-conflict.

Post-war economic conditions

The state of economies rebuilding and restructuring after the end of a major war.

Cold War ideology

Competing political and economic ideologies between the U.S. and USSR during the Cold War.