Between the Wars Terms

Between the Wars Terms

• Democratic governments were failing
• Revolutions transitioned into authoritarianism
• Authoritarian governments were gaining power
• Nationalism led to self-determination

Self-Determination vs. Mandate System

• Self-determination allows a country to determine its own laws
• The mandate system requires countries to have specific governments

Pan-Africanism/Pan-Arabism

• Movements in the Middle East and Africa sought to promote their cultures
• Movements in the Middle East and Africa sought to reduce Western influence

League of Nations

• It aimed to prevent wars
• 58 countries joined together to address issues diplomatically
• The US did not join
• Countries disregarded its rules by conducting invasions
• The League of Nations did not take action against conquests

France Democracy Weakening

• France experienced economic turmoil in the 1930s (the Great Depression)
• This led to political problems
• The Populist Front was created by Leon Blum as people turned to communism
• The middle class created the Secret Committee of Revolutionary Action (a fascist party) to counter the Populist Front
• The Populist Front eventually crumbled

British Democracy Weakening

• Britain lost "White Dominions" like New Zealand, Australia, and Canada
• Many British colonies started to rebel against the Mandate System

Mexico Revolution

• Diaz, a dictator, seized land from the poor
• Modero called for revolution, but his reforms were unsatisfactory after gaining power
• Huerta signed the Pact of the Embassy with the U.S. and conspired to overthrow Modero
• Carranza was a leader of the Constitutionalists
• Obregon, another leader of the Constitutionalists, restored Mexico post-revolution
• Convectionalists (Villa, Zapata) aimed to redistribute land to the poor
• Constitutionalists (Obergon, Carranza) opposed extensive social reform
• Established a constitution

Chinese Revolution

• The primary parties were the KMT (Kuoming Tang/Guoming Dang) versus the CCP (Chinese Communist Party)
• The Wu Chun Rebellion led to the May 4th Movement and the "White Terror"
• Japan invaded Manchuria
• The Second United Front of CCP + KMT aimed to remove Japan
• Japan surrendered, weakening the KMT
• The KMT was defeated and fled to Taiwan
• The Wu Chun Rebellion divided China into North (Puyi and Shikai) and South (Sun Yat-sen)
• The May 4th Movement was an intellectual protest against the Treaty of Versailles, which awarded land to Japan instead of China
• Chiang Kai-shek initiated the "White Terror" to promote democracy and suppress communism
• The Communist Party was established in China, with Mao Zedong as the leader

Totalitarianism

• The government controls almost every aspect of its citizens' lives
• Enforces social control through censorship, propaganda, secret police spies, and nationalistic speeches
• Exercises political control using military force, violence, and purges
• Maintains economic control through a command system with some socialism

Totalitarianism in Russia

• Lenin and the Bolsheviks rose to power and established a communist state
• Cheka (secret police), labor camps, and commissars were established, causing a "RED TERROR"
• Stalin gained power after Lenin's death and silenced political opposition
• Propaganda was used to glorify Stalin and Soviet life
• Those who complained or opposed were sent to gulags (heavy labor camps)

New Economic Policy

• Implemented by Lenin, it allowed small industries and businesses freedom
• Large industries were state-controlled
• It ended armed resistance
• Peasants could own small plots of land, restoring food production to pre-WWI levels

Collectivization

• Peasant land was collected and run by the state
• It was an integration of individually-owned land

5-Year Plan

• This was a plan initiated by Stalin
• It focused on industrial and agricultural development
• Targeted expanded heavy industry + collectivized agriculture

Cheka

• Russian secret police used by Lenin to instill fear

Great Purge

• Stalin arrested and executed anyone suspected of disloyalty
• Many were sent to gulags (concentration camps)

Fascism

• Social: Exhibits a rigid social structure and destroys civil rights and individual liberties
• Economic: Maintains private property and establishes a free market economy
• Political: Shows extreme nationalism, achieved through conquest and war
• Wealthy business owners held political power
• People were expected to worship the fascist leader and "believe, obey, fight"

Italy Post-WW1

• Experienced economic turmoil characterized by high war debt, rising inflation, high unemployment, increased taxes, and decreased trade
• Italy was dissatisfied with the Treaty of Versailles because they did not receive land despite their contribution to the Allies
• Black Shirts were violent, anti-socialist combat squads serving Mussolini
• In 1922, Mussolini led the fascist party in the March on Rome to pressure the government for reform
• The government gave in to Mussolini's demands to avoid conflict
• Il Duce, meaning "The Leader," was a title held by Mussolini
• "Believe, Obey, Fight" were Italian ideals

Weimar Republic

• It was the democratic government that ruled over Germany post-WWI
• The Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression caused people to blame the republic

Problems from Treaty of Versailles

• Many countries' claims to land were ignored
• Self-determination was not allowed in newly liberated countries due to fears of communism
• The US did not sign the Treaty
• Germany fell into debt due to reparation payments
• Germany's military was limited, making it difficult to contain rebellions
• Germany lost resources due to the loss of Alsace-Lorraine

Brown Shirts

• Fascist Germany's version of the Blackshirts
• It was a violent militia that served Hitler

Holocaust

• The Nazi's systematically eliminated all people not of the Aryan Race.

Aryan Race

• The Nazi's considered White, Christian, and Germans to be Aryan

Final Solution

• This was the plan to contain, expel, and annihilate Jews

Nuremberg Laws

• Prohibited social contact between Jews and Aryans
• Only racially pure Germans were allowed citizenship under the Reich Citizenship Law
• The Protection of German Blood and Honor Law prohibited marriages or sexual relationships between Jews and Aryans to prevent "race mixing"

Kristallnacht

• Also known as Night of the Broken Glass
• Nazi mobs attacked Jews

WW2 (1939-1945)

• Italy (led by Mussolini), Germany (led by Hitler), and Japan (led by Tojo Hirohito) were the Axis Powers

Allied Powers & Leaders

• France (later occupied by Nazi Germany), the US (led by FDR, then Harry Truman), the UK (led by Churchill), and the USSR (led by Stalin) were the Allied Powers

Appeasement

• Making concessions to an aggressor to avoid conflict

Munich Conference

• Germany took over the Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) and Austria
• The League of Nations allowed it based on the promise of no further expansion

League of Nations

• Failed to prevent future wars due to insufficient resources after WW1
• Meddled in international relations
• The Treaty of Versailles created bitterness because many demands were unmet, such as:
  • Middle Eastern countries not being granted self-determination
  • Italy + Japan not receiving enough land

Lebensraum

• Meaning "Living Space"
• Hitler's concept of creating more room for the Aryan Race (white & Christian)
• Included Poland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

• The USSR and Nazi Germany agreed not to attack each other for at least 10 years
• The breaking of this pact led to deadly battles in WW2

Official Start

• Hitler lied about not imperializing and invaded Poland in 1939
• This caused the UK and France to declare war on Germany

Lend-Lease Act

• FDR broke US neutrality by sending weapons and money to countries he deemed necessary

German Conquest

• Germany sought more land, including Britain's
• Germany took over Northern France
• This led to the Battle of Britain

European Theater

• It was the primary battleground in Europe during WW2
• Battles included:
  • Stalingrad
  • D-Day
  • Battle of Britain
  • Operation Sea Lion
  • Operation Barbarossa
  • Battle of the Bulge

Operation Sea Lion

• Hitler's plan was to take control of Great Britain
• It was followed by the London Blitz (bombing of London)

Battle of Britain

• Germany attempted to take over Britain by bombing London with their Luftwaffe for 40 days
• The US aided Britain, causing Hitler's first major defeat of WW2

Operation Barbarossa

• The German invasion of the USSR began on June 22, 1941
• Germany wanted oil, the destruction of communism, and the humiliation of Stalin
• It destroyed the Nazi-Soviet pact

Battle of Stalingrad

• It was one of the bloodiest battles in history
• This was a major Soviet success
• It was a turning point on the Eastern Front

Tehran Conference

• Stalin urged FDR and Churchill to open another front
• The Allies agreed to focus on Germany first, then Asia

Operation Overlord/D-Day

• The Allies launched Operation Fortitude (a fake attack) to distract German troops from Normandy to invade Western Europe
• On June 6, 1944, the Allies invaded Normandy and eventually gained access to Paris
• France was liberated by September

Significance of D-Day

• Weakened German occupation of Europe due to France's liberation
• Turning point of the war

Battle of the Bulge

• Germany desperately launched a surprise offensive against the Allies in the Ardennes Forest
• It resulted in the highest casualties in any event during the war

Yalta Conference

• The Soviet Union stated that they would enter the war in the Pacific three months after Germany surrendered
• Germany and Berlin were divided into four zones controlled by the USSR, GB, US, and France
• The Conference resulted in the self-determination for countries previously under German control was agreed upon

Battle of Berlin

• The battle marked the end of fighting in the European Theater
• The USSR achieved final victory over the Germans

VE Day (Victory in Europe)

• Germany surrendered and victory was announced on May 7, 1945

North African Theater

• This was a battleground in Northern Africa during WW2

Operation Torch

• After failing to capture GB, Hitler focused on North Africa, and Rommel tried to seize the Suez Canal
• The US intended to defend Northern Africa but suffered casualties due to lack of preparation and skill
• GB bailed the US out, leading to Germany's surrender

Pacific Theater

• This was the primary battleground in the Pacific during WW2
• It included:
  • Pearl Harbor
  • Midway
  • Iwo Jima & Okinawa

Pearl Harbor (Dec 7th, 1941)

• Japan bombed the US military base to limit the US's resources for the Allies
• They failed to destroy the US air force and oil depots
• This prompted the US to abandon neutrality and join the Allies

Midway

• Japan intended to capture Midway as a military base
• The US gained intelligence and sunk 3/4 of Japan's aircraft carriers through code breaking
• US air attacks being superior restricted Japan's advance
• This put Japan on the defensive for the remainder of the war

Iwo Jima/Okinawa

• Iwo Jima became a US airfield for aerial attacks on Japanese islands
• Okinawa was successfully seized through a US amphibious assault, firebombing, and opposition to kamikaze attacks by Japan
• The US accepted that the Japanese would rather die than surrender

Island Hopping

• The Allies took over the Pacific island by island, ultimately defeating Japan

Potsdam Conference

• Attended by Stalin, Harry Truman (after FDR's death), and Atlee (replacing Churchill)
• The Nuremberg Trials were discussed to prosecute Nazi leaders for war crimes during WW2
• The US gave Japan an ultimatum to surrender or face prompt and utter destruction (nuclear bomb)
• Stalin suggested the US and GB are not the friendliest of allies and the USSR planned to spread communism

Manhattan Project

• The US developed Uranium and Plutonium bombs by splitting the atom
• Truman threatened Japan with "weapons of mass destruction" if they did not surrender

V-J Day (Victory in Japan)

• August 15, 1945: Japan surrendered, ending WW2