Untitled Flashcards Set

Flashcard 1
Q: What is Cambodia most known for?
A: Cambodia is best known for the ruins of Angkor Wat, originally built as a Hindu temple in the 1100s, later transformed into a Buddhist temple.

Flashcard 2
Q: What event in 1862 affected Cambodia?
A: In 1862, France colonized Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, with the French favoring the Vietnamese over Cambodians, deepening historical divides.

Flashcard 3
Q: What happened in 1953 in Cambodia?
A: Cambodia gained independence from France and was re-established as a constitutional monarchy under King Sihanouk.

Flashcard 4
Q: What did Lon Nol do in 1970?
A: In 1970, Prime Minister Lon Nol overthrew King Sihanouk in a military coup and aligned with the U.S. in the Vietnam War.

Flashcard 5
Q: What led to the rise of the Khmer Rouge?
A: U.S. carpet bombing in Cambodia and the unpopular US-aligned government of Lon Nol led many Cambodians to join the Khmer Rouge.

Flashcard 6
Q: What happened in April 1975?
A: In April 1975, the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, captured Phnom Penh and began their regime.

Flashcard 7
Q: Who was Pol Pot?
A: Pol Pot was the leader of the Khmer Rouge, a former student in Paris, and a dictator who ruled Cambodia from 1975 until his death in 1998.

Flashcard 8
Q: What was the goal of the Khmer Rouge?
A: The Khmer Rouge aimed to create a communist, agrarian society, transforming all aspects of Cambodian life and institutions.

Flashcard 9
Q: What was "Year Zero"?
A: In 1975, the Khmer Rouge declared 1975 to be "Year Zero" and forced people out of cities into rural farming communes to learn about communism.

Flashcard 10
Q: How did the Khmer Rouge treat professionals and intellectuals?
A: The Khmer Rouge targeted professionals like doctors, teachers, and scientists, killing them and their families to eliminate perceived threats.

Flashcard 11
Q: How did the Khmer Rouge create class divisions?
A: The Khmer Rouge created three classes: the "base" (elite members), "old people" (peasants), and "new people" (urban dwellers or those from the former regime).

Flashcard 12
Q: How did the Khmer Rouge change education?
A: The Khmer Rouge destroyed old education systems, teaching socialist ideology, farming skills, and promoting uncritical thinking.

Flashcard 13
Q: What happened to religion under the Khmer Rouge?
A: The Khmer Rouge systematically destroyed Buddhist temples and persecuted religious groups, especially the 95% Buddhist population.

Flashcard 14
Q: What was the Khmer Rouge’s approach to violence?
A: The Khmer Rouge tortured and executed thousands, targeting anyone seen as a threat to their regime, including ethnic minorities, professionals, and intellectuals.

Flashcard 15
Q: Who were the Khmer Rouge’s primary ethnic targets?
A: The Khmer Rouge particularly targeted the Vietnamese, Cham Muslims, and Chinese ethnic minorities.

Flashcard 16
Q: What are the Killing Fields?
A: The Killing Fields are mass graves where the Khmer Rouge executed and buried thousands of people, with 23,000 mass graves across 348 sites.

Flashcard 17
Q: How did the Khmer Rouge’s agricultural policies affect Cambodia?
A: The Khmer Rouge’s policies led to widespread starvation, with food shortages exacerbated by the regime’s focus on exporting food to raise capital.

Flashcard 18
Q: Was the Khmer Rouge regime considered a genocide?
A: Scholars debate whether the Khmer Rouge regime was a genocide. While it targeted ethnic minorities, most of the casualties were politically motivated killings, termed "democide."

Flashcard 19
Q: When was the Khmer Rouge regime overthrown?
A: The Khmer Rouge regime was overthrown in 1979 when Vietnam invaded Cambodia and took control of Phnom Penh.

Flashcard 20
Q: What happened to Pol Pot after the Khmer Rouge was overthrown?
A: Pol Pot fled to the southwestern border, continued guerrilla warfare with support from the U.S. and China, and died in 1998 before facing trial.

Flashcard 21
Q: What did Hun Sen’s government do after 1984?
A: Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge member, led Cambodia from 1984 to 2023, attracting foreign investment, driving deforestation, and gaining wealth through government corruption.

Flashcard 22
Q: What was the Khmer Rouge Tribunal?
A: The Khmer Rouge Tribunal, established in 1997, convicted and sentenced three Khmer Rouge members to life imprisonment for crimes including genocide and war crimes.

Flashcard 23
Q: Why did the Khmer Rouge Tribunal end in 2022?
A: The tribunal was wound up in December 2022, with many key perpetrators, including Pol Pot, never facing justice. Hun Sen reportedly blocked further prosecutions.

Flashcard 24
Q: What is the significance of the Khmer Rouge’s actions?
A: The Khmer Rouge’s regime resulted in the deaths of 1.7-2.5 million Cambodians, making it one of the most murderous regimes per capita in the 20th century.

Flashcard 1
Q: What is the state of policing in Brazil?
A: In Brazil, police kill more civilians than civilians kill police. They claim self-defense, but there is evidence showing many of these killings are intentional.

Flashcard 2
Q: How do police in Brazil cover up their killings?
A: Tactics used to cover up police killings include planting guns on victims, destroying crime scenes by taking bodies to hospitals, disposing of corpses, and intimidating witnesses.

Flashcard 3
Q: What happens to police officers who kill civilians in Brazil?
A: Charges are rarely brought against police officers; between 2010-2015, only 15 out of 3,400 police killings were charged.

Flashcard 4
Q: What was an exception to the lack of accountability in Brazil’s police killings?
A: In São Gonçalo, between 2008-2011, police officers were investigated and prosecuted for killings.

Flashcard 5
Q: What are Pacifying Police Units (UPP)?
A: UPPs were introduced in Rio de Janeiro in 2008 as a form of community policing, focusing on reducing violence and engaging with communities through youth programs, conflict resolution, and meetings.

Flashcard 6
Q: What were the results of the UPP program in Brazil?
A: Homicides by civilians and police declined by 50% from 2003-2012, but rates increased after 2013 due to corruption and violence within some UPPs.

Flashcard 7
Q: What lessons can be learned from state violence in Brazil?
A: High state violence can occur even without political violence, and poorly trained or corrupt police who are not held accountable are dangerous. Community policing is important but challenging.

Flashcard 8
Q: What lessons from Mexico’s experience could apply to Brazil?
A: In Mexico, some communities resisting cartel and police violence use indigenous customary law, which has helped reduce violence. This approach could inform Brazil’s strategies against state violence and corruption.

Flashcard 9
Q: What is Oaxaca’s approach to governance and self-defense?
A: Oaxaca’s indigenous communities use customary law to govern themselves, electing leaders based on service to the community. These communities resist cartel and police violence by relying on strong local control.

Flashcard 10
Q: How do communities in Oaxaca resist the cartels and police?
A: They develop strong community control through mandatory participation in communal works, participatory decision-making, and self-policing, making it difficult for cartels to infiltrate.

Flashcard 11
Q: How do indigenous communities in Oaxaca self-police?
A: Indigenous communities have their own police forces, called topiles, who enforce curfews, patrol, and even fight off outsiders if the community is attacked.

Flashcard 12
Q: How did a community in Oaxaca resist cartel threats?
A: In one instance, a town threatened by a cartel organized a convoy of 100 trucks to confront the cartel and set up roadblocks, successfully preventing the cartel from entering.

Flashcard 13
Q: How do communities in Oaxaca handle serious offenses like drug trafficking?
A: For serious offenses, communities may expel offenders or use physical punishment, including public executions in extreme cases.

Flashcard 14
Q: How do indigenous communities using customary law compare to other communities?
A: Communities using customary law tend to be more cohesive and better at resisting cartels and violence, unlike those relying more on state police, which are often corrupt.

Flashcard 15
Q: What is the potential danger of indigenous governance?
A: While indigenous governance has been effective in controlling violence, it could potentially descend into violent vigilantism if not carefully managed.

Flashcard 16
Q: What is the key takeaway from Mexico’s indigenous governance in relation to Brazil?
A: Indigenous communities that self-govern and self-police can have greater success in controlling violence compared to those relying on state institutions that may be corrupt or ineffective.

Flashcard 1
Q: When did the Ba'ath Party take control of Syria?
A: The Ba'ath Party took control in 1963, but internal political disagreements between the progressives and the nationalists led to factionalism.

Flashcard 2
Q: Who was Hafez al-Assad and what role did he play in Syria?
A: Hafez al-Assad took full control of Syria in 1971, established a police state, and used violence to suppress opposition, including through military and paramilitary forces.

Flashcard 3
Q: What was the Hama Massacre and when did it occur?
A: The Hama Massacre occurred in 1982 when Hafez al-Assad's regime launched a military assault to crush an Islamist uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood, resulting in the deaths of mostly civilians.

Flashcard 4
Q: Who succeeded Hafez al-Assad, and what challenges did his regime face?
A: Hafez's son, Bashar al-Assad, succeeded him. His regime faced pro-democracy protests, which were met with violence, and the country was destabilized by long-standing political and economic issues.

Flashcard 5
Q: What sparked the protests in Daraa in 2011?
A: The arrest and torture of a group of children for writing anti-regime graffiti sparked protests in Daraa, leading to mass arrests and violent repression by security forces.

Flashcard 6
Q: How did the Syrian government respond to the protests in 2011?
A: The Assad regime responded to the protests with mass arrests, shootings of protesters, and the use of tanks, airstrikes, and military forces to crush opposition.

Flashcard 7
Q: How did the Syrian government manage religious and ethnic tensions during the protests?
A: The regime used propaganda to stoke divisions between the Sunni Muslim majority (leading the protests) and the ruling Alawite minority (the Assad family).

Flashcard 8
Q: What was the international reaction to the Syrian government's actions?
A: The US and EU criticized Assad and imposed sanctions, while Russia and China supported Syria as an ally and blocked a UN resolution to end Assad's regime in 2011.

Flashcard 9
Q: What was the role of the Free Syrian Army during the uprising?
A: The Free Syrian Army, made up of defected soldiers, claimed to lead the protests, although many groups acted independently during the uprising.

Flashcard 10
Q: What efforts were made to end the violence in Syria?
A: The Arab League attempted to stop the violence in November 2011, but the Assad government did not cooperate. In June 2012, the UN proposed the Geneva Communique for negotiations, but disagreements between the US and Russia stalled progress.

Flashcard 11
Q: What has been the humanitarian impact of the Syrian conflict?
A: The conflict has displaced over 14 million people, killed around 500,000, and left 85% of Syrians living in poverty.

Flashcard 12
Q: Where have Syrian refugees fled to?
A: Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries like Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan, as well as to Europe.

Flashcard 1
Q: What was Hitler's main work written while in prison?
A: Hitler wrote Mein Kampf, a vitriolic anti-Semitic autobiography.

Flashcard 2
Q: How did Hitler initially agree to seek power after his release from prison?
A: He agreed to seek power democratically, rather than through violence.

Flashcard 3
Q: How did the Nazi Party fare in the 1928 German elections?
A: The Nazis won just 12 seats in the 1928 election.

Flashcard 4
Q: What major event in 1929 helped Hitler gain support?
A: The Depression hit in 1929, and Hitler promised to provide jobs and revitalize the economy.

Flashcard 5
Q: How did the Nazis perform in the 1930 elections?
A: The Nazis won 107 seats in the 1930 elections.

Flashcard 6
Q: When did Hitler become Chancellor of Germany?
A: Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933 as part of a coalition government.

Flashcard 7
Q: What major event in February 1933 helped Hitler expand his powers?
A: The Reichstag Fire occurred, leading to Hitler signing laws suspending basic rights and allowing him to rule by decree.

Flashcard 8
Q: Who was blamed for the Reichstag Fire?
A: A young Dutch communist was blamed, leading to attacks on communists by Nazi militias (SA and SS).

Flashcard 9
Q: What was the "Night of the Long Knives"?
A: In 1934, Hitler ordered the SS to kill the SA leaders, solidifying the SS as the dominant force in Germany.

Flashcard 10
Q: What racial ideology did the Nazis promote?
A: Nazis viewed Germans as Aryans, racially superior to Jews and Slavs, and copied American racism.

Flashcard 11
Q: What laws were passed against Jews in Nazi Germany?
A: The Nuremberg Laws prohibited intermarriage, revoked citizenship, and led to widespread persecution, including businesses being seized without compensation.

Flashcard 12
Q: What major anti-Semitic event occurred in November 1938?
A: Kristallnacht occurred, where Jewish businesses, homes, and individuals were attacked, and 30,000 Jews were arrested.

Flashcard 13
Q: How did the Nazis treat other groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities?
A: The Nazis incarcerated about 100,000 gays and enforced compulsory sterilization for those with intellectual disabilities or mental illness.

Flashcard 14
Q: What was the state of the German economy under Nazi rule by 1936?
A: By 1936, public works and an economic upswing helped the Nazi regime revitalize the economy.

Flashcard 15
Q: How did the Nazis centralize power in Germany?
A: Nazis took control of all institutions, including education, youth movements, and the judiciary, with ultimate power resting in Hitler’s hands.

Flashcard 16
Q: What was the role of the SD and Gestapo in Nazi Germany?
A: The SD recruited 100,000 people to spy on the population, while the Gestapo had authority above the law, and political "enemies" were sent to concentration camps.

Flashcard 17
Q: How did Hitler violate the Treaty of Versailles?
A: Hitler rebuilt Germany’s military and used it to annex Austria and invade the Sudetenland in 1938.

Flashcard 18
Q: What was Hitler's goal with the concept of Lebensraum?
A: Hitler aimed to expand into Eastern Europe for "living space" for Germans.

Flashcard 19
Q: What was the scale of Nazi state violence before the war?
A: Nazis harassed, beat, and killed Communists, Jews, gays, and other "enemies" and had about 20,000 people in concentration camps by late 1938.

Flashcard 20
Q: How did Nazi state violence escalate over time?
A: While it was relatively small before 1939, Nazi state violence would escalate significantly with the onset of World War II.

Flashcard 1
Q: What event is referred to as the "Great Terror" or "Great Purge" of 1937-38?
A: The Great Terror was a period of mass repression in the Soviet Union, where Stalin arrested, executed, and imprisoned millions of people, including Communist Party members, military leaders, and civilians.

Flashcard 2
Q: What triggered the Great Terror?
A: The murder of Kirov, a Party boss in Leningrad, in 1934, gave Stalin an excuse to target perceived enemies of his regime.

Flashcard 3
Q: What were "show trials," and what happened during them?
A: Show trials were public trials where senior members of the Soviet government confessed to anti-Soviet crimes under pressure. They were often sentenced to death and executed, such as Zinoviev and Kamenev.

Flashcard 4
Q: Who else did Stalin target during the Great Terror?
A: Stalin targeted not only Communist Party members but also members of the military, secret police, various professions, and national groups.

Flashcard 5
Q: Why was Stalin so paranoid, leading to the Great Terror?
A: Stalin’s paranoia was fueled by past betrayals, such as by Party member Malinowski in 1913, and the traumatic experiences of the Russian Civil War, foreign defeats, and the expansion of neighboring powers.

Flashcard 6
Q: How were people arrested during the Great Terror?
A: Quotas were set for arrests and executions, and people were often arrested in the middle of the night. They were tortured into confessing and naming conspirators, further spreading the terror.

Flashcard 7
Q: What happened to those who were arrested during the Great Terror?
A: The majority were innocent, but they were either executed or sent to the Gulag (forced labor camps), where they endured harsh conditions.

Flashcard 8
Q: How many people were executed or imprisoned during the Great Terror?
A: Nearly 700,000 people were shot, and over a million were sent to the Gulag during the Great Terror.

Flashcard 9
Q: What was the Gulag?
A: The Gulag was a system of forced labor camps in remote regions like Siberia and Kazakhstan, where millions of political prisoners and criminals were sent.

Flashcard 10
Q: How many people were affected by the Gulag system?
A: Over 18 million people were sent to the Gulag, and about 6 million more were deported or sent into exile.

Flashcard 11
Q: What was life like in the Gulag camps?
A: Life in the Gulag was harsh, with prisoners suffering from cold, hunger, exhaustion, and brutal working conditions. Between 1.5 and 3 million people died in the camps.

Flashcard 12
Q: How did the Soviet state violence affect the population between 1932 and 1939?
A: State violence during this period included the man-made famine of 1932-33 and the Great Terror of 1937-38, which together resulted in the deaths, imprisonment, and deportation of millions.