World History Flashcards

Flashcards based on lecture notes for World History.

Totalitarianism

A political ideology or system in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life.

Indoctrination

The systematic instruction of individuals in a particular set of beliefs or principles, often with the aim of shaping public opinion.

Great Purge

A series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin during the late 1930s.

Jiang Jieshi

Chinese political and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China between 1928 and 1975.

Mao Zedong

A Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China

Gandhi

A nationalist leader who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the Indian independence movement.

Mustafa Kemal

Elected leader and reformer who is recognized as the founder of the Republic of Turkey.

Command Economy

An economic system in which the government controls a country's economy.

Coalition Government

A temporary alliance of several parties

Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s

Hyperinflation

When a country's money becomes worthless

Kellogg Briand Pact

A pact signed in 1928 that denounced war as a way to resolve disputes.

Fascism

A political philosophy that exalts nation and race above the individual.

Appeasement

The act of giving concessions to an aggressor to preserve peace.

Axis powers

Germany, Italy, and Japan

Non-Aggression Pact

A pact where Germany and the Soviet Union pledged not to attack each other

Blitzkrieg

A military tactic designed to create disorganization among enemy forces through the use of mobile equipment and air power.

Island Hopping

A system where Allied forces bypassed heavily fortified Japanese posts, increasing the speed to reach Japan

Final Solution

The code name for Nazi Germany's plan to exterminate the Jewish people during World War II.

Kamikaze

A Japanese aircraft loaded with explosives and used in a suicide attack.

Auschwitz

A Nazi extermination camp in Poland, the largest center of mass murder during the Holocaust. Close to 1 million Jews, Gypsies, Poles, and others were killed there.

Militarism

The belief in building up strong armed forces to prepare for war, often leading to an arms race and increased tensions between nations.

Alliances

Formal agreements between nations to cooperate for specific purposes, often for mutual defense or political goals.

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force, often leading to the domination of foreign territories.

Nationalsim

A strong patriotic feeling, often leading to the promotion of national interests above those of other nations. Nationalism can lead to unity within a nation, but it may also create conflict with others.

Leader of Germany before and during WW1

Kaiser Wilhelm II was the leader of Germany before and during World War I, known for his militaristic policies and role in escalating tensions that led to the war.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination in 1914 sparked the beginning of World War I, leading to a series of alliances and conflicts.

Gavrilo Princip

was a Bosnian Serb nationalist who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, an act that triggered the outbreak of World War I.

allied powers

were the coalition of countries, including France, Britain, Russia, and later the United States, that fought against the Central Powers during World War I.

Central Powers

were the coalition of countries, primarily Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria, that fought against the Allied Powers during World War I.

Trench Warfare

is a type of warfare in which opposing troops fight from trenches facing each other, characterized by static positions and high casualty rates. It was notably used in World War I, leading to prolonged stalemates.

Weapons of WW1

refer to the various military technologies and armaments used during World War I, including rifles, machine guns, artillery, tanks, and chemical weapons, which significantly impacted the course of the war.

Schlieffen Plan

was Germany's military strategy during World War I to quickly defeat France by invading through Belgium, allowing them to then turn east to fight Russia.

No Man’s Land

the area between opposing trenches, extremely dangerous and often littered with obstacles, where soldiers faced high risk of casualties.

Lusitania

a British ocean liner that was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1915, leading to significant loss of life and influencing public opinion against Germany during World War I.

Zimmerman Telegram

A secret diplomatic communication sent by Germany to Mexico in 1917, proposing a military alliance against the United States, which contributed to the U.S. entering World War I.

Gallipoli Campaign

A military campaign during World War I where Allied forces attempted to capture the Dardanelles and secure a sea route to Russia, resulting in heavy casualties and ultimately, failure.

Reparations

payments made by a country for damages caused during war, often imposed after a conflict ends.

War Guilt Clause

A provision in the Treaty of Versailles that placed full responsibility for World War I on Germany and its allies, leading to significant reparations and territorial losses.

Armistice

An agreement to stop fighting, typically preceding a peace treaty, that was signed on November 11, 1918, effectively ending World War I.

Woodrow Wilson

The 28th President of the United States, who led the country during World War I and was a key figure in the establishment of the League of Nations.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty that officially ended World War I, outlining reparations and territorial changes primarily affecting Germany and its allies.

Fourteen Points

A statement of principles for peace negotiations to end World War I, articulated by President Woodrow Wilson, promoting self-determination, free trade, and the establishment of the League of Nations.

Leauge of Nations

An international organization founded after World War I to maintain world peace and promote cooperation among countries.

Spanish Flu

A deadly influenza pandemic that spread globally in 1918-1919, infecting one-third of the world's population and causing millions of deaths.

Russian Czar

The autocratic ruler of Russia before the 1917 revolution, known for their absolute power and resistance to political reform.

Bloody Sunday

A massacre that occurred in 1905 when unarmed protesters were shot by Russian soldiers while marching to present a petition to Czar Nicholas II, leading to widespread unrest.

Soviets

The councils of workers and soldiers that emerged during the Russian Revolution, advocating for the rights and interests of the proletariat.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolshevik Party and head of the Soviet government after the 1917 revolution, known for his role in establishing a communist state in Russia.

Bolsheviks

A faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party that advocated for revolutionary socialism and played a pivotal role in the October Revolution of 1917.

Communism

A political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society, where the means of production are owned collectively by the community.

Joseph Stalin

Leader of the Soviet Union after Lenin, known for his totalitarian regime, rapid industrialization, and the Great Purge.

Rasputin

A Russian mystic and advisor to the Romanov family, particularly influencing Tsarina Alexandra during World War I.

Sun Yixian

Chinese revolutionary leader and founder of the Republic of China. He promoted nationalism, democracy, and people's livelihood in his political philosophy.

May Fourth Movement

A cultural and political movement in China that emerged in 1919, advocating for modernization, national sovereignty, and a resistance to foreign influence, particularly in response to the Treaty of Versailles.

Salt March

A nonviolent protest led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 against British salt taxes in India, symbolizing civil disobedience and the fight for Indian independence.

Government of India Act

Legislation passed in 1935 that transferred some powers to Indian provinces and established a federation, marking a significant step towards self-governance.

US economy in 1920s

A period of economic prosperity characterized by industrial growth, consumerism, and technological advancements, often referred to as the "Roaring Twenties."

New Deal

A series of programs and policies initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression, aimed at promoting economic recovery and social reform.

Munich Conference

A 1938 meeting of leaders from Germany, Britain, France, and Italy, where the policy of appeasement was used to allow Nazi Germany to annex parts of Czechoslovakia, notably the Sudetenland.

Japanese invasion of Manchuria

In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria, seeking to expand its territory and resources, leading to the establishment of the puppet state of Manchukuo.

Benito Mussolini

An Italian politician and leader of the National Fascist Party, he ruled as Prime Minister from 1922 until his ousting in 1943, aligning Italy with Nazi Germany during World War II.

Adolf Hitler

Leader of Nazi Germany, key figure in World War II.

Neutrality Acts

A series of laws passed in the 1930s aimed at preventing American involvement in foreign conflicts, particularly in Europe, by restricting trade and military support.

Invasion of Poland

The military invasion by Germany on September 1, 1939, marking the start of World War II in Europe.

Pearl Harbor

The surprise military strike by the Japanese Navy against the United States naval base on December 7, 1941, leading to the U.S. entering World War II.

Dunkirk

The evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, between May 26 and June 4, 1940, during World War II.

Operation Barbarossa

The code name for the Nazi Germany invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, which aimed to conquer Soviet territory and eliminate communism.

Harry Truman

The 33rd President of the United States, who succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt and led the nation through the final stages of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War.

D-Day

the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, marking a significant turning point in World War II.

Battle of Britain

he Royal Air Force (RAF) successfully defended Great Britain against sustained attacks by the German Luftwaffe (air force) from July to October 1940

Holocaust

The Holocaust was a horrific genocide during World War II, carried out by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. It was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of roughly six million European Jews.

Nuremberg trials

a series of 13 trials held in Nuremberg, Germany, between 1945 and 1949, focusing on Nazi leaders indicted as war criminals

Atomic Bomb Drops

two main locations were Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Douglas MacArthur

Douglas MacArthur is primarily known for his role in World War II, particularly his command of the Allied forces in the Pacific Theater. He led the Southwest Pacific Theater and oversaw the Allied occupation of Japan after the war.