interwar terms 2 AP euro

George Grosz (pages 962–963)

A German artist known for his caricature-style drawings and paintings of Berlin life in the 1920s. His work was a biting social critique of the Weimar Republic, often depicting corrupt businessmen, wounded soldiers, and the decadence of the era.

Surrealism

An intellectual and artistic movement that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, often by juxtaposing irrational, dream-like imagery. Famous practitioners include Salvador Dalí and René Magritte.

Fascism

A far-right, authoritarian ultranationalist political ideology characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.

Franco and Spain

General Francisco Franco led the Nationalist forces to victory in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) with help from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. He subsequently ruled Spain as a dictator until his death in 1975.

George Orwell and Animal Farm

Orwell was an English novelist who wrote Animal Farm (1945), an allegorical novella reflecting events leading up to the Russian Revolution and the subsequent Stalinist era of the Soviet Union.

Mussolini and Italian Fascism

Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist Party in Italy. He promised to restore the glory of the Roman Empire and established a totalitarian regime characterized by extreme nationalism and the cult of the leader ("Il Duce").

March on Rome, 1922

An organized mass demonstration which resulted in Mussolini's Fascist Party ascending to power in the Kingdom of Italy. Fearing civil war, King Victor Emmanuel III appointed Mussolini as Prime Minister.

National Socialist German Worker’s Party / NAZI

A far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945. Under Adolf Hitler, the party rose to power by exploiting economic distress and promoting virulent antisemitism and pan-Germanism.

1923, Beer Hall Putsch

A failed coup attempt by Hitler and the Nazi Party to seize power in Munich, Bavaria. Though it failed and Hitler was imprisoned, the subsequent trial gave him a national platform for his ideas.

Mein Kampf

(My Struggle) An autobiographical manifesto written by Adolf Hitler while in prison. It outlines his political ideology, future plans for Germany, and his theories of racial hierarchy.

Dawes Plan

A 1924 plan to resolve the World War I reparations that Germany had to pay. It ended a crisis in European diplomacy and provided American loans to stabilize the German economy.

France and the Popular Front

An alliance of left-wing movements (including Communists and Socialists) that won the French legislative elections in 1936. They introduced social reforms like the 40-hour work week and paid vacations.

Great Depression

The severe worldwide economic downturn that began in 1929 following the U.S. stock market crash. It led to mass unemployment, poverty, and the rise of political extremism globally.

Reichstag Fire

An arson attack on the German parliament building in February 1933. The Nazis used it as a pretext to claim that Communists were plotting against the government, leading to the suspension of civil liberties.

The Enabling Act

A 1933 law that gave Hitler the power to enact laws without the involvement of the Reichstag (parliament). It effectively transformed his government into a legal dictatorship.

The Nuremberg Laws

Antisemitic and racist laws enacted in Nazi Germany in 1935. They stripped German Jews of their citizenship and prohibited marriage or sexual relations between Jews and "Germans or related blood."

Kristallnacht

(The Night of Broken Glass) A state-sponsored pogrom in November 1938 where Nazi paramilitaries and civilians destroyed Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues. Thousands of Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps.

Chamberlin and Appeasement

The policy followed by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in the late 1930s, involving making concessions to Hitler (such as the Munich Agreement) in an effort to avoid another world war.

Lebensraum

(Living Space) A core tenet of Nazi ideology claiming that Germany required more territory in Eastern Europe for the "Aryan race" to expand and thrive.

Anschluss

The annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in March 1938. It was a key step in Hitler's plan to unite all German-speaking peoples.

blitzkrieg

(Lightning War) A military tactic designed to create disorganization among enemy forces through the use of mobile, maneuverable forces, such as armored tanks and air support.

Holocaust

The systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews and millions of others (including Romani, people with disabilities, and political dissidents) by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.

Auschwitz

The largest of the Nazi concentration and extermination camps, located in occupied Poland. It became a primary site of the "Final Solution."

Big Three at Yalta

The 1945 meeting of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin. They discussed the post-war reorganization of Germany and Europe.

Big Three at Potsdam

The final wartime meeting of the Allied leaders (now Harry Truman, Clement Attlee, and Joseph Stalin) in July 1945. They finalized the terms for Germany's surrender and issued an ultimatum to Japan.