Key Vocabulary from History Lecture

Flashcards created from key vocabulary and concepts from the history lecture notes to assist in studying.

Lebensraum

A German term meaning 'living space,' used to justify expansionist policies.

diplomatic revolution

The shift in foreign policy in the 1930s that favored aggressive nationalism.

Rhineland

The region of western Germany that was remilitarized by Germany in 1936.

Rome-Berlin Axis

The alliance between Italy and Germany before and during World War II.

appeasement

The policy of conceding to aggression by a warlike nation, notably used in the context of pre-WWII Europe.

Neville Chamberlain

The British Prime Minister known for his policy of appeasement towards Hitler.

Sudetenland

A region of Czechoslovakia with a significant ethnic German population taken by Hitler.

Nazi New Order

The plan for the political organization of Europe under Nazi domination.

Madagascar Plan

A proposed plan to deport the Jews of Europe to Madagascar, which was never implemented.

Final Solution

The Nazi plan for the extermination of the Jews during World War II.

Einsatzgruppen

Mobile killing units responsible for mass shootings of Jews and others during the Holocaust.

Auschwitz

The most infamous Nazi concentration and extermination camp in Poland.

Wannsee Conference

The 1942 meeting where Nazi officials discussed the implementation of the Final Solution.

Great Patriotic War

The term used in Russia to describe the conflict against Nazi Germany.

Albert Speer

Nazi Germany's chief architect and Minister of Armaments and War Production.

Munich Conference

The 1938 conference where European powers allowed Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland.

1939 non-aggression pact

The treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union to not attack each other.

Luftwaffe

The German air force used in World War II.

Blitzkrieg

A military strategy that involves rapid attacks using coordinated air and ground forces.

Dunkirk

The site of the evacuation of Allied troops from France in 1940.

Winston Churchill

The British Prime Minister known for his leadership during World War II.

Battle of Britain

The air campaign waged by the Luftwaffe against the United Kingdom.

Grand Alliance

The military alliance of Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States against the Axis powers.

Stalingrad

The site of a major battle between Germany and the Soviet Union during WWII.

Battle of Kursk

The largest tank battle in history, fought between Germany and the Soviet Union.

Dresden

A German city that was heavily bombed by Allied forces in 1945.

Big Three

The leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union during WWII.

Yalta

The 1945 conference where the Big Three discussed post-war arrangements.

Potsdam

The 1945 conference that finalized the arrangements made at Yalta.

an iron curtain

A term used to describe the political boundary divide between Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold War.

League of Nations

An international organization founded after WWI to promote peace.

Little Entente

Alliance formed between Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia against Hungary.

Dawes Plan

A plan for resolving the reparations crisis in Germany after WWI.

Treaty of Locarno

A set of agreements that regulated Germany's borders after WWI.

Kellogg-Briand pact

An international agreement to outlaw war as a means of resolving conflicts.

John Maynard Keynes

Economist who advocated for government intervention in the economy.

the Popular Front

A coalition of leftist groups in France during the 1930s.

the New Deal

A series of programs and policies designed to promote economic recovery in the US.

Totalitarianism

A political system in which the state recognizes no limits to its authority.

Benito Mussolini

The founder of Italian Fascism and dictator of Italy.

Fascio di Combattimento

The political group founded by Mussolini that formed the basis of Italian Fascism.

squadristi

Fascist squads that were used to intimidate opponents.

Weimar Republic

The democratic government that was established in Germany after WWI.

Mein Kampf

The autobiography of Adolf Hitler outlining his political ideology.

S.A: Sturmabteilung

The paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party in Germany.

Führerprinzip

The leadership principle central to Nazi ideology, emphasizing the authority of the leader.

the Enabling Act

A 1933 law that gave Hitler the power to enact laws without the involvement of the Reichstag.

Aryanism

The racial ideology of the Nazi regime that viewed Aryans as the superior race.

Nuremberg laws

Racist laws that stripped Jews of citizenship and rights in Nazi Germany.

Kristallnacht

The 'Night of Broken Glass,' a coordinated attack on Jewish businesses and synagogues in 1938.

war communism

The economic system implemented by Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War.

New Economic Policy

A policy by Lenin that allowed for some private enterprise to stimulate the economy.

Joseph Stalin

Leader of the Soviet Union who implemented the Five-Year Plans.

five-year plans

Centralized economic plans aimed at rapid industrialization in the Soviet Union.

collective farms

Large, state-owned farms that replaced private farms in the Soviet Union.

Francisco Franco and the Spanish Civil War

The fascist leader of Spain who emerged victorious in the civil war.

Dopolavoro and Kraft durch Freude

Organizations in Fascist Italy that focused on leisure and worker welfare.

Oswald Spengler's The Decline of the West

A philosophical work that argues for the cyclical nature of civilizations.

Bauhaus School and Walter Gropius

An influential art and design school in Germany known for its innovative approach.

degenerate art

A term used by the Nazis to describe art that did not conform to their ideals.

socialist realism

A style of painting and literature that glorified socialist ideals.