unit 8 mega list

French Policy of Coercion Strict enforcement of Treaty of Versailles; occupation of Ruhr by Allies

Ruhr Occupation France and Belgium occupied German industrial region to force reparations

Reparations Commission Allied body enforcing Germany’s payments

Impact of Coercion Policy Increased German anger and economic collapse

Hopeful Years Time period 1924–1929 of recovery and stability

Passive Resistance Ended during recovery period in Germany

Dawes Plan US loans helped stabilize German economy

Germany joins League Germany admitted to League of Nations (1926)

Kellogg-Briand Pact Agreement by 60+ nations to renounce war

Great Depression Cause: Overproduction Too many goods, not enough buyers

Buying on Margin Borrowing money to invest in stocks

Stock Market Crash Occurred in 1929, triggered global depression

Keynesian Economics Government spending to stimulate economy

John Maynard Keynes Advocated deficit spending during downturns

Popular Front (France) Coalition of left-wing groups, “French New Deal”

Scandinavian Model High taxes + social services

Retreat from Democracy Countries turning to authoritarian rule

Cause of Dictatorships Economic instability + postwar resentment

Use of Propaganda Mass media to control population

Charismatic Leaders Leaders portrayed as heroic and infallible

Fascism Authoritarian, nationalist, anti-democratic ideology

Spanish Civil War Conflict where fascism was tested before WWII

Francisco Franco Fascist leader of Spain

League of Nations Failure Did not intervene in major conflicts

Hitler Ideology Race-based, Aryan supremacy

Volksgemeinschaft “People’s community” unified by race

Mussolini Ideology State above everything

Stalin Economy Command economy; no private property

Hitler Economy Private property allowed but controlled

Mussolini Economy Corporatism (workers + employers organized by state)

State Atheism (Stalin) Suppression of religion

Mussolini & Church Coexisted with Catholic Church

Hitler Religion “Positive Christianity” aligned with Nazi ideas

Totalitarianism Total state control over public and private life

Propaganda Goal Create image of “infallible leader”

Youth Indoctrination Hitler Youth, Balilla, Komsomol

Economic Control State-directed economies

Mass Culture Use of media like radio and film

Triumph of the Will Nazi propaganda film

Joseph Goebbels Nazi propaganda minister

Big Lie Theory Repeating lies makes people believe them

Lost Generation Disillusioned post-WWI writers

Ernest Hemingway Famous Lost Generation author

Dadaism Art movement rejecting logic; life has no meaning

Surrealism Focus on dreams and unconscious

Salvador Dalí Surrealist artist

Stream of Consciousness Writing style showing thoughts

James Joyce Wrote Ulysses

Virginia Woolf Used inner monologues

Carl Jung Psychologist; archetypes theory

Archetypes Universal symbolic patterns

Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle Cannot measure position and momentum simultaneously

Appeasement Giving in to demands to avoid war

Lebensraum “Living space” for German expansion

Enabling Act (1933) Gave Hitler dictatorial powers

Rearmament (1935) Germany rebuilt military

Rhineland (1936) Germany remilitarized region

Rome-Berlin Axis Alliance between Germany and Italy

Anschluss Annexation of Austria (1938)

Sudetenland Demanded German-speaking region of Czechoslovakia

Munich Conference Appeasement agreement (1938)

Nazi-Soviet Pact Nonaggression pact between Hitler and Stalin

Invasion of Poland Start of WWII (1939)

Blitzkrieg Fast, “lightning war” strategy

Soft Underbelly Strategy Allies attacked weaker southern Europe

Island Hopping Allied Pacific strategy

Phony War Period of little fighting early in WWII

Battle of Britain Air battle; Britain defended with RAF and radar

Erwin Rommel German general “Desert Fox”

Allied Advantage Industry, technology, USSR manpower

Turning Point Europe Stalingrad

Pearl Harbor Japanese attack, US enters war

D-Day June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy

Battle of the Bulge Last German offensive

VE Day Victory in Europe

Midway Turning point in Pacific

Iwo Jima Strategic island battle

Okinawa Major Pacific battle

Hiroshima Atomic bomb dropped Aug 6, 1945

Nagasaki Atomic bomb dropped Aug 9, 1945

Civilian Impact Mass deaths, displacement, destruction

Rationing Limiting consumer goods

Scrap Drives Collecting materials for war

Women in Workforce Worked in factories

Tehran Conference Planned D-Day

Yalta Conference Discussed postwar Europe

Potsdam Conference Tensions between US and USSR

Cold War Beginning Tension between Truman and Stalin

Holocaust Systematic genocide of Jews and others

Antisemitism Long-standing prejudice against Jews

Mein Kampf Hitler’s book blaming Jews

Master Race Aryan racial superiority belief

Nuremberg Laws Removed Jewish citizenship

Kristallnacht Night of Broken Glass; anti-Jewish violence

SS St. Louis Ship of Jewish refugees turned away

Ghettos Segregated Jewish areas

Wannsee Conference Planned Final Solution

Final Solution Nazi plan to exterminate Jews

🌍 Treaty + Early Tensions

Treaty of Versailles Main peace treaty after WWI that punished Germany

War Guilt Clause Blamed Germany for WWI (Article 231)

Reparations Payments Huge financial penalties on Germany

Hyperinflation (Germany) Rapid inflation that made money nearly worthless (1923)

Weimar Republic Germany’s democratic government after WWI

Weakness of Weimar Lack of support, economic crises, political extremism

💸 Economic Instability

Globalization Effect US crash spread worldwide due to economic connections

Bank Failures Banks collapsing worsened the Depression

Unemployment Crisis Mass joblessness across Europe

Middle Class Collapse Loss of savings led to extremism

Radicalization People turned to extreme political ideologies

⚠ Rise of Dictators (More Depth)

Adolf Hitler Leader of Nazi Germany

Benito Mussolini Leader of Fascist Italy

Joseph Stalin Leader of Soviet Union

Führer Title Hitler’s title meaning “leader”

Cult of Personality Propaganda that glorified dictators

Secret Police Gestapo (Germany), OVRA (Italy), NKVD (USSR)

Censorship Government control of information

One-Party State Only one political party allowed

🪖 Fascism vs Communism

Fascism Key traits: nationalism, dictatorship, anti-communism

Communism Classless society, state controls economy

Difference Fascism = nationalism; Communism = class struggle

Similarity Both are authoritarian

📣 Propaganda & Control

Propaganda Definition Biased information used to influence people

Nazi Rallies Mass events to build unity and loyalty

Symbols Swastika used to unify and control identity

Mass Media Radio used to spread ideology

🎨 Culture & Intellectual Shifts

Modernism Break from traditional values

Disillusionment Loss of faith after WWI

Existential Themes Life lacks inherent meaning

Psychological Exploration Focus on subconscious mind

⚛ Scientific Revolution

Quantum Mechanics New field studying particles

Scientific Uncertainty Reality not fixed or predictable

Impact on Society Challenged traditional beliefs

⚔ More Path to War Details

Failure of League Could not enforce rules

Appeasement Motivation Avoid another world war

Britain’s Role Prime Minister Chamberlain supported appeasement

“Peace for our time” Statement after Munich

Remilitarization of Rhineland Violated Treaty of Versailles

Axis Powers Germany, Italy, Japan alliance

Anti-Comintern Pact Agreement against communism

💣 War Strategy Deep Dive

Total War Entire society devoted to war effort

Blitzkrieg Tactics Tanks + planes + fast movement

Air Superiority Control of skies in battle

Strategic Bombing Destroy enemy infrastructure

🌍 European Theater Expanded

Fall of France (1940) Germany quickly defeats France

Vichy France Nazi-controlled puppet government

Operation Barbarossa German invasion of USSR (1941)

Eastern Front Bloodiest front of WWII

Soviet Resistance Key to defeating Germany

🔥 Turning Points Expanded

Stalingrad Destroyed German 6th Army

Importance End of German advance in USSR

Allied Momentum Shift toward Allied victory

🇺🇸 US Role

Lend-Lease Act US provided supplies to Allies

Arsenal of Democracy US industrial support

Mobilization Shift to wartime economy

Women Workers “Rosie the Riveter” symbol

🌊 Pacific Theater Expanded

Japanese Expansion Imperialism in Asia

Pearl Harbor Impact US fully enters WWII

Aircraft Carriers Key naval weapons

Kamikaze Missions Suicide attacks by Japanese pilots

☢ Atomic Bomb Context

Manhattan Project US program to build atomic bomb

J. Robert Oppenheimer Lead scientist

Atomic Warfare New level of destruction

Debate Over Bomb Ethical controversy

👥 Civilian Experience Expanded

Total War Society Everyone involved in war effort

Evacuation Civilians moved for safety

Bomb Shelters Protection during air raids

Firebombing Cities destroyed by fire

🕊 Holocaust Deep Dive

Genocide Deliberate destruction of a group

Einsatzgruppen Mobile killing squads

Gas Chambers Method of mass killing

Auschwitz Largest death camp

Dehumanization Treating people as less than human

Forced Labor Prisoners worked to death

Liberation Camps freed by Allied forces

⚖ Holocaust Context Questions

Why Jews Targeted Blamed for Germany’s problems

International Response Limited action taken

Refugee Crisis Countries refused Jewish refugees

🧳 Specific Events

SS St. Louis Ship of Jewish refugees denied entry

Kristallnacht Impact Escalation of violence

Ghetto Conditions Overcrowding, starvation

🏛 Conferences Deep Dive

Big Three Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin

Tehran Goal Plan second front

Yalta Agreements Divide Germany, elections

Potsdam Conflict Tensions between US & USSR

Iron Curtain Division between East and West

Sphere of Influence Area dominated by one country

🧨 End of War

VE Day End of war in Europe

VJ Day End of war with Japan

Germany Divided East and West Germany

Japan Occupation US reforms Japan

⚖ Postwar Consequences

Cold War Start of US vs USSR rivalry

United Nations Global peace organization

Human Rights Awareness Response to Holocaust

🎯 SUPER SPECIFIC AP-STYLE QUESTIONS

Appeasement Failure Encouraged Hitler’s aggression

Economic Instability Link Helped dictators rise

Propaganda Impact Controlled population thinking

Industrial Power Key to Allied victory

Soviet Contribution Massive troop losses but key wins

🧠 QUICK CHECK CARDS (FAST REVIEW)

Blitzkrieg Meaning Lightning war

Lebensraum Meaning Living space

Appeasement Meaning Avoid war by giving in

Totalitarian Meaning Total government control

Genocide Meaning Systematic killing of a group

Concentration Camps Forced labor camps

Extermination Camps Death camps with gas chambers

Selection Process separating workers from victims

Holocaust Death Toll ~11 million total victims

Nuremberg Trials Prosecuted Nazi leaders

War Crimes Crimes against humanity