Unit 6: The Rise of Authoritarianism

Who were the Bolsheviks? What kind of economic system did they believe in?

• The Bolsheviks were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) that eventually became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
• They believed in a communist economic system,

Who ruled Russia before the Bolshevik Revolution? What happened to them?

• Tsar Nicholas II of the Romanov dynasty.
• he abdicated the throne and he and his family were eventually executed by Bolshevik forces in 1918.

Who was the leader of the Bolsheviks?

• The leader of the Bolsheviks was Vladimir Lenin.

Who led the Soviet Union after 1925? How did they run the country?

• Lenin dies in 1924, Joseph Stalin takes over the Soviet Union by 1927.
• totalitarian regime
• characterized by centralized control, political repression, purges, and widespread use of propaganda.

How does Mussolini define Fascism?

• Benito Mussolini defined Fascism as a political system that is authoritarian and nationalist, emphasizing the supremacy of the state over individual interests and rejecting democracy and liberalism.

What was the relationship between Mussolini and Hitler?

• Mussolini and Hitler had a strategic alliance based on mutual interests. Mussolini's Italy and Hitler's Germany formed the Axis Powers during World War II, supporting each other militarily and politically.

What steps did Hitler take to rise to power in Germany?

• Hitler's rise to power involved:
  • Joining and leading the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party).
  • Attempting the failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923.
  • Capitalizing on economic woes and political instability.
  • Using effective propaganda and charismatic oratory.
  • Being appointed Chancellor in 1933.
  • Consolidating power through the Reichstag Fire, the Enabling Act, and the elimination of political opponents.

What was the Holocaust?

• The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored genocide of six million Jews and millions of others, including Roma, disabled individuals, Polish and Soviet civilians, political dissidents, and others by Nazi Germany during World War II.

How was Japan similar to European Fascist states?

• Japan was similar to European Fascist states in its militarism, nationalism, expansionist policies, and authoritarian governance during the pre-World War II and World War II periods.

Unit 7: WWII

How did European countries attempt to prevent war with Germany prior to the outbreak of WWII?

• appeasement, making concessions to Hitler's demands in hopes of avoiding conflict
• This included allowing the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland.

Who was Neville Chamberlain? Why is he so unpopular?

• Neville Chamberlain;British Prime Minister
• He is unpopular for signing the Munich Agreement in 1938, which allowed Hitler to annex the Sudetenland

Which countries did Hitler just take without having to fight?

• Hitler annexed Austria 1938 and took the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia in 1938 without military conflict, both through diplomatic pressure and agreements.

What countries were allies during the war?

• United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, China, and France.

Which countries were in the Triple Axis?

• Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Which allied country did Germany sign a non-aggression pact with and then break?

• Soviet Union (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) in 1939,
• which it broke by invading the Soviet Union in 1941 (Operation Barbarossa).

What was D-Day?

• June 6, 1944, was the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, marking the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.

What happened in Nanjing?

• The Nanjing Massacre (1937-1938) was a period of mass murder and atrocities committed by Japanese troops against residents of Nanjing, China, including widespread rape, looting, and killing.

Why did Japan attack the United States?

• Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, to eliminate the U.S. Pacific Fleet as a potential threat to its imperial expansion in Southeast Asia.

Unit 8: The Cold War

Which American President set the Cold War policy for the USA that would last for the next 30 years?

• President Truman;Truman Doctrine in 1947.

What alliance did the USA form with European countries to counter Soviet influence?

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949.

What alliance did the Soviet Union form with other European countries to counter American influence?

• The Soviet Union formed the Warsaw Pact in 1955.

What international organization was formed to keep peace after WWII?

• The United Nations (UN) was formed in 1945 to maintain international peace and security.

What were the Satellite Nations?

• Satellite Nations were Eastern European countries that were politically and economically dominated by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and East Germany.

What was the Marshall Plan?

• The Marshall Plan was an American initiative providing aid to Western Europe to help rebuild economies after WWII and prevent the spread of Soviet communism.

What was the Truman Doctrine and the policy of containment?

• The Truman Doctrine was a policy to provide economic and military aid to countries threatened by communism, marking the start of the policy of containment aimed at stopping the spread of Soviet influence.

What was the Warsaw Pact?

• The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe, created in response to NATO.

What was the Berlin Wall?

• The Berlin Wall was a physical barrier built by East Germany in 1961 to prevent East Berliners from fleeing to West Berlin and became a symbol of the Cold War's division.

What reforms did Soviet leader Gorbachev institute that led to the fall of the Soviet Union?

• Mikhail Gorbachev instituted reforms including Perestroika (economic restructuring) and Glasnost (political openness), which ultimately led to greater freedoms, economic turmoil, and the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

What proxy wars (AKA Cold War hotspots) did the USA fight during the Cold War?

• The USA fought in proxy wars such as the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and supported various anti-communist movements in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

What Soviet hotspot helped lead to their demise?

• The Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989) drained Soviet resources, led to military losses, and contributed to the internal weakening and eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.

Unit 9: Decolonization during the Cold War

Explain what the “Third Way” was.

• The “Third Way” was a political stance during the Cold War advocating for a path that was independent of both the US-led capitalist bloc and the Soviet-led communist bloc, often associated with non-aligned movements.

What was Partition? Who advocated for it in India and who advocated against it?

• Partition was the division of British India into two independent dominions, India and Pakistan, in 1947. It was advocated by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League and opposed by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress.

Outcomes of countries post-decolonization:

• India: Gained independence in 1947, becoming a democratic republic, but faced partition violence, religious tensions, and economic challenges.
• Pakistan: Also gained independence in 1947, initially comprising East and West Pakistan until East Pakistan became Bangladesh in 1971. Pakistan faced political instability and conflicts with India.
• Congo: Gained independence from Belgium in 1960, leading to political instability, civil wars, and decades of authoritarian rule.
• Guatemala: Experienced a CIA-backed coup in 1954 overthrowing Jacobo Árbenz, leading to decades of military rule and civil conflict.
• Cuba: Became a socialist state under Fidel Castro after the 1959 revolution, aligning closely with the Soviet Union and facing ongoing economic and political challenges.
• Cambodia: Suffered under the Khmer Rouge regime led by Pol Pot (1975-1979), resulting in genocide and mass suffering before Vietnamese intervention.

Leaders, their advocacy, and countries:

• Jawaharlal Nehru: Advocated for Indian independence and became the first Prime Minister of India, promoting democracy and secularism.
• Mohammad Ali Jinnah: Advocated for the creation of Pakistan as a separate Muslim state and became its first Governor-General.
• Patrice Lumumba: Advocated for Congo’s independence from Belgium and became its first Prime Minister, but was overthrown and assassinated.
• Jacobo Árbenz: Advocated for land reforms in Guatemala, was overthrown in a CIA-backed coup in 1954.
• Fidel Castro: Led the Cuban Revolution, established a communist state in Cuba, and governed as Prime Minister and President.
• Pol Pot: Led the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, implementing radical communist policies that resulted in genocide and widespread destruction.