AP World 7.5-7.6 Vocab

Self-determination: The principle that peoples or nations have the right to freely choose their political status and determine their own form of government without outside interference.

Decolonization: The process by which colonies gained independence from their colonizing powers, typically after World War II, as former colonial empires dismantled.

Big Three: The three principal Allied leaders during World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), Winston Churchill (UK), and Joseph Stalin (USSR). They were key in shaping post-war peace and international relations.

Mandate System: A system established by the League of Nations after World War I, where former German and Ottoman territories were governed by European powers as mandates, meant to guide the regions to eventual independence.

Ho Chi Minh: A Vietnamese revolutionary and communist leader who was the founder of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and led the struggle for Vietnamese independence from French colonial rule.

Pan Arabism: A political and cultural ideology advocating for the unity of Arab countries, based on shared language, culture, and history. It aims for greater cooperation and solidarity among Arab states.

Balfour Declaration: A 1917 statement by the British government that expressed support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, which was then under British control.

Palestine: A historical region in the Middle East, significant for religious reasons, and the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was under British mandate after World War I and became the focal point for Jewish and Arab national movements.

Zionists: Members of the Jewish nationalist movement, Zionism, which advocated for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The movement led to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

INC (Indian National Congress): A major political party in India, founded in 1885, which played a crucial role in the independence movement against British rule. It was led by figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Gandhi: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known as Mahatma Gandhi, was the leader of the Indian independence movement. He advocated for non-violent civil disobedience as a means of achieving independence from British rule.

Amritsar Massacre: A 1919 incident in which British troops, under General Dyer, opened fire on a large crowd of unarmed Indian civilians who had gathered in Amritsar to protest British colonial policies, killing hundreds.

Satyagraha Movement: A non-violent resistance movement initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in India, based on the principles of truth (satya) and non-violence (ahimsa), to fight for Indian independence and social reforms.

Civil Disobedience: A form of non-violent protest where individuals refuse to obey certain laws or commands of the government, often used as a strategy for social or political change.

Mahatma: A title meaning "great soul," commonly associated with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the leader of India’s independence movement.

Salt March: A key event in India’s independence movement in 1930, led by Mahatma Gandhi. It was a non-violent protest against British salt taxes, where Gandhi and followers marched to the sea to make their own salt.

Ali Jinnah: Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the leader of the All-India Muslim League and the founder of Pakistan. He advocated for a separate state for Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, leading to the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

Two-State Solution: A proposed solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, advocating for the creation of two independent states, Israel and Palestine, coexisting side by side in peace.

Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere: A concept promoted by Japan during World War II, which aimed to create a self-sufficient bloc of Asian nations under Japanese leadership, often seen as a justification for Japan’s imperial expansion.

Manchukuo: A puppet state established by Japan in northeastern China in 1932, after Japan invaded Manchuria. It was nominally ruled by the last Qing emperor, Puyi, but was controlled by the Japanese military.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP): The ruling communist party in China, founded in 1921, and led by figures like Mao Zedong. It played a major role in the Chinese Civil War, eventually establishing the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Long March: A military retreat undertaken by the Chinese Communist Party in 1934-1935 to escape the pursuit of the Nationalist forces. It became a symbol of Communist perseverance and was a turning point in the rise of the CCP under Mao Zedong.

Pakistan: A country created in 1947 as a separate homeland for Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, following the partition of British India. It was founded by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and has since been a key player in South Asian politics.

Nehru: Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India. A leader of the Indian National Congress, Nehru was a key figure in the Indian independence movement and the shaping of modern India.

March 1st Movement: A major protest movement in 1919 by Koreans against Japanese colonial rule. It began with a declaration of independence and was met with violent repression but became a symbol of Korean resistance.

May 4th Movement: A 1919 intellectual and political movement in China that was a response to the Treaty of Versailles and Japan's gains in China. It led to a surge in nationalism and the push for modernization and reforms in China.

Kenyatta: Jomo Kenyatta was the first Prime Minister and later President of Kenya. He led the struggle for independence from British colonial rule and played a significant role in the establishment of Kenya as a sovereign nation.

Senghor: Léopold Sédar Senghor was the first President of Senegal, serving from 1960 to 1980. He was a poet, philosopher, and one of the leading proponents of the Negritude movement, which celebrated African culture and identity.

Hitler: Adolf Hitler was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. He rose to power as Chancellor and later Führer of Germany, leading the country during World War II and implementing policies that led to the Holocaust and widespread destruction across Europe.

Nazis/Nazism: The Nazis were the members of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), led by Adolf Hitler. Nazism is the ideology and policies promoted by the Nazi Party, characterized by extreme nationalism, authoritarianism, anti-Semitism, and the pursuit of racial purity.

Weimar Republic: The Weimar Republic was the democratic government of Germany from 1919 to 1933, established after World War I. It faced political instability, economic hardship, and the rise of extremist movements, including the Nazis, ultimately collapsing when Hitler came to power.

Mein Kampf: Mein Kampf (My Struggle) is a book written by Adolf Hitler during his imprisonment in the 1920s. In it, he outlined his political ideology, including his belief in Aryan racial superiority, anti-Semitism, and his plans for Germany’s future, which included territorial expansion.

Reichstag: The Reichstag was the legislative body of the German Empire and later the Weimar Republic. It is most famously associated with the Reichstag Fire of 1933, which allowed Hitler to push through emergency powers, paving the way for his dictatorship.

Scientific Racism: A pseudoscientific belief that certain races are inherently superior to others. It was used by Nazis to justify racial segregation, discrimination, and the Holocaust, particularly the idea that the "Aryan" race was superior to other races.

Anti-Semitism: Hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews. Nazi ideology was deeply anti-Semitic, leading to the systemic persecution and genocide of Jews during the Holocaust.

Nuremberg Laws: A set of racial laws enacted by Nazi Germany in 1935. They institutionalized many of the racial theories espoused by the Nazis, including the prohibition of marriage and sexual relations between Jews and non-Jews, and the stripping of Jews' citizenship rights.

Axis Powers: The Axis Powers were the coalition of countries that fought against the Allies during World War II. The main Axis Powers were Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy, although other countries joined them as well.

Lebensraum: A Nazi policy meaning "living space." Hitler believed that Germany needed to expand its territory, particularly into Eastern Europe, to provide room for the growing German population. This ideology justified the invasion and conquest of surrounding countries during World War II.

Rome-Berlin Axis: A political and military alliance between Fascist Italy, led by Benito Mussolini, and Nazi Germany, formalized in 1939. The Axis sought to challenge the Allied powers and expand their territorial control.

Anti-Comintern Pact: A treaty signed in 1936 between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, later joined by Italy, aimed at opposing the spread of communism, particularly the Soviet Union's influence, and to cooperate against the Communist International (Comintern).

Kristallnacht: Also known as the "Night of Broken Glass," Kristallnacht was a state-sponsored pogrom against Jews in Nazi Germany on November 9-10, 1938. Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were attacked, and many Jews were arrested or killed. It marked a significant escalation in Nazi anti-Semitic policies.

Appeasement: A policy of making concessions to an aggressor (often used to describe the actions of Britain and France towards Nazi Germany in the 1930s) to avoid conflict. The policy is most associated with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his attempts to prevent war by conceding to Hitler’s demands, such as allowing Germany to annex Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland.

German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact: Also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed in August 1939 between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The pact stipulated that neither country would attack the other and included secret protocols dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. The pact was broken when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941.

Mukden Incident: A staged event by the Japanese military in 1931, where an explosion occurred near the Japanese-controlled railway in Manchuria (northeastern China). Japan used this as a pretext to invade Manchuria, establishing the puppet state of Manchukuo, despite China’s protests.