Gen. Paul Hindenburg
president of germany. allowed rule by decree. appointed hitler chancellor of germany.
Heinrich Himmler
methodical, inhumane leader of the SS appointed by hitler
Leon Trotsky
tried to take power after lenin died. planned the bolshevik takeover of power. idea: "permanent revolution." lost to Stalin
Benito Mussolini
started as socialist party leader. fought the war. then started fascist group. later, he and his black shirts started to be violent, attacking people, buildings, etc. mussolini stepped forward as a savior leader. October 1922: fascists marched on rome and
Neville Chamberlain
ignorant leader of britain. gave into hitler's demands of czechoslovakia and the sudetenland. thought hitler would stop just because he had signed an agreement (stupid.). said britain would fight germany if hitler tried to take poland
Henri Petain
leader of vichy france. loyal to hitler.
Winston Churchill
british prime minister. leader of the grand alliance who suggested a policy of "europe first" with the US. his determination and energy kept britain going through the war
Heinrich Bruning
chancellor of germany. convinced the president to authorize rule by decree, in hopes of overcoming the economic crisis (cutting back on government spending and cutting wages and prices). his policies ended up making germanys economy worse and convincing p
Adolf Hitler
Austrian-born founder of the German Nazi Party and chancellor of the Third Reich (1933-1945). His fascist philosophy, embodied in Mein Kampf (1925-1927), attracted widespread support, and after 1934 he ruled as an absolute dictator. Hitler's pursuit of ag
Joseph Stalin
beat trotsky as successor to lenin (better organizer, good at gaining party support, better able to relate marxian teaching to soviet society. gained power by allying with enemies of trotsky and moderates to crush trotsky's radicals, and then killed his a
Vladimir Lenin
started the NEP to fix russia after the bolshevik revolution, which kinda destroyed the whole country. when he died in 1924 with no successor, russia went into a bit of a panic.
Elie Halevy
french thinker. "The Era of Tyrannies" 1936. said the 3 types of modern tyranny were feuding brothers, which originated with war.
Daniel Goldhagen
american historian. argued that the extreme anti-semitism of ordinary germans led the nazis to respond to hitler and become his willing executioners in WWII
SA
Also known as "Brown Shirts," they were the Nazi party's main instrument for undermining democracy and facilitating Adolf Hitler's rise to power. The SA was the predominant terrorizing arm of the Nazi party from 1923 until "The Night of the Long Knives" i
SS
led by himmler. An elite Nazi military unit-they ran the concentration camps and fought on the front lines. Abbrevation for Protectice Echelon. This black-uniformed elite corps of the Nazi party was founded by Hitler in 1925 as his personal bodyguards.
Russian kulaks
better off peasants in russia. lost all property, etc when stalin ordered party workers to take it. not permitted to join collective farms--starved or sent to forced-labor camps to be re-educated. term soon meant any peasant that opposed the new system
National Socialist German Worker's Party
Abbreviated NAZI, it called for the repudiation of the Treaty of Vienna, the unification of Austria and Germany, and the exclusion of Jews from German citizenship
Fascism
totalitarianism of the right. similar characteristics across europe: extreme nationalism, antisocialism aimed at destroying working class movements, alliances with powerful capitalists and landowners, dynamic and powerful leader, glorify war and the milit
Nazism
There was rise of this in Germany and this stimulated nationalism that were based on beliefs of ethnic and cultural superiority; The doctrines of nationalism, racial purity, anti-Communism, and the all-powerful role of the State. The National Socialist Ge
Totalitarianism
one leader held control of all aspects of society (economic, private, social, etc.) ussr and germany
Conservative Authoritarianism
traditional anti-democratic government. leaders would try to prevent major changes that would disrupt the social order. relied on obedient bureaucracies, police, trustworthy armies. population participation limited to allies. forbid liberals-democrats and
Socialism
A political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.
Spanish Civil War
In 1936 a rebellion erupted in Spain after a coalition of Republicans, Socialists, and Communists was elected. General Francisco Franco led the rebellion. The revolt quickly became a civil war. The Soviet Union provided arms and advisers to the government
Theaters of War
-Europe
-Africa
-Pacific
1932 Reichstag Elections
The elections in Germany in 1932. The Nazi party had captured 30% of the popular vote, causing Pres. Hindenburg to make Hitler Chancellor. Allows Hitler to take power by legal means.
1936 Reoccupation of the Rhineland
germany marched into the rhineland and began occupying it. violated the treaties of versailles and locarno. managed to keep it because of british and french appeasement.
1938 Munich Conference
Meeting between, Chamberlain (Britian), Mussolini (Italy), Daladier (France) and Hitler (Germany). An agreement was reached that Hitler could annex the Sudetenland provided he promised not to invade anywhere else. big sign of appeasement of Germany.
Night of the Long Knives
Purge of Adolf Hitler's potential political rivals in the Sturmabteilung (SA). targeted SA leaders and members who were associated more with socialism than with nationalism, and were viewed as a threat to the continued support for Hitler within the Army.
Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Hiroshima: August 6, 191945
Nagasaki: August 9, 1945
Enabling Act
transferred legislative power to Hitler and his cabinet and allowed him to suspend parts of the Weimar constitution; enabled Hitler to get rid of the Reichstag parliament and pass laws without reference to parliament
Hitler's New Order
based on racial imperialism. positioned to create in his new empire. nords okay, but slavs considered subhuman, along with jews
Lateran Accords
Agreement between Mussolini and Catholic Church. 1929. Recognized independence of Vatican City. Church support of fascist rule. Ended conflict between church and state in Italy.
Lenin's New Economic Policy of 1921
re-established some economic freedom in an attempt to rebuild industry and agriculture. peasants could sell surpluses in markets, private traders allowed.
Nuremburg Laws
Passed by the Third Reich in 1935. These deprived Jews of citizenship rights in Germany, excluded them from white collar professions and forbade intermarriage. It included not only the 600,000 Jews in Germany but also anyone with at least one Jewish grand
Czechoslovakian policy--the Sudetenland
sudetenland--western czechoslavakia. germany wanted it because there were german speaking people there. britain and france gave it to him due to appeasement by means of the Munich Conference
Russo-German Nonaggression Pact
said there would be peace between germany and russia. also agreed to split poland between them when it was taken over.
Five Years Plans
Stalin wanted to rapidly modernize and industrialize the USSR
-building factories, cities, and improving transportation
-terrible for workers: no rise in wages, high quotas led to corruption, failure to reach led to beating and deportation
Appeasement
giving in to an aggressor to keep peace. policy of britain and france toward germany before WWII
Hitler's "Final Solution
the cover name for the plan to destroy the Jews of Europe, began December 1941, Jews rounded up and sent to extermination camps in the East; disguised as "resettlement
Rome-Berlin Axis
alliance between italy and germany after hitler showed his support for mussolini and mussolini overcame his doubts about hitler
Blitzkrieg
Hitler's "lightning war." military strategy of using air, man, and tank power to strike and enemy quickly and mercilessly.
Socialism in one country
Policy adopted by Stalin in the autumn of 1924, in which the notion of a worldwide socialist revolution was abandoned in
favor of making the Soviet Union a successful socialist state.
Turning point battles of the three theaters
-Europe: Stalingrad
-Africa: El Alamein
-Pacific: Midway