key figures
Benito Mussolini
Italian leader who established the fascist regime in Italy.
Known for his aggression in foreign policy, particularly towards Ethiopia and involvement in WWII.
Merchants of Death
A term used to describe the arms industry and its role in promoting war profits.
Criticized in the context of World War I and leading into World War II.
The Manchuria Incident
A 1931 invasion by Japan of Manchuria, which led to the establishment of a puppet state and escalated tensions in East Asia.
Significant as a precursor to WWII in the Pacific.
The Neutrality Acts
Laws passed in the 1930s aimed at preventing U.S. involvement in foreign wars.
Included prohibitions on arms sales to belligerents and limits on travel and trade with warring nations.
Adolf Hitler
Leader of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945.
Central figure in instigating World War II and the Holocaust.
Smoot-Hawley Tariffs
1930 U.S. tariffs that raised duties on imports, leading to retaliation and worsening the Great Depression.
Criticized for its negative impact on international trade.
Nazi Party
The political party in Germany led by Adolf Hitler, promoting fascist ideologies.
Enforced policies of anti-Semitism, leading to World War II and the Holocaust.
The New Deal
A series of programs and policies enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression.
Aimed at economic recovery, financial reform, and relief for the unemployed.
Destroyers for Bases Deal
An agreement between the U.S. and the UK in 1940 where the U.S. transferred naval destroyers to Britain in exchange for land rights to establish military bases.
Racial Equality Principle
A concept advocated by President Woodrow Wilson for global equality post-WWI, though often contradicted by domestic policies.
Lend-Lease
A program during WWII where the U.S. provided military supplies to allies, primarily the UK and Soviet Union.
Significant in aiding the Allied war effort without direct involvement initially.
Pearl Harbor
The U.S. naval base attacked by Japan on December 7, 1941, leading to the U.S. entry into World War II.
The Atlantic Charter
A 1941 policy statement signed by the U.S. and UK outlining their goals for the post-war world, including self-determination and collective security.
Cash-Carry
A provision from the Neutrality Acts allowing nations at war to purchase U.S. goods if they paid cash and transported them.
Tuskegee Airmen
The first African American military aviators in the U.S. armed forces, who served during WWII.
The Double ‘V’ Campaign
A movement during WWII advocating for dual victory: victory over fascism abroad and racial inequality at home.
Josef Stalin
Leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953.
Played a key role in WWII and the establishment of a communist regime in Eastern Europe.
Thurgood Marshall
The first African American Supreme Court Justice, known for his advocacy for civil rights and the landmark case Brown v. Board.
Brown v. Board (1954)
A landmark Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Prominent leader in the American civil rights movement, known for advocating nonviolent protest and his role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington.
Rosa Parks
Civil rights activist known for her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott after refusing to give up her seat to a white person.
Civil Rights Act (1964)
A significant piece of legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Independent Internationalism
A foreign policy stance that emphasizes independence and international cooperation without direct military involvement.
Kellogg-Briande Treaty
An agreement in 1928 between multiple countries to renounce war as a national policy, though it lacked enforcement mechanisms.
All Quiet on the Western Front
A novel by Erich Maria Remarque that presents a powerful portrayal of the horrors of World War I from the perspective of German soldiers.