Between the Wars (World History) Flashcards
Coalition Government
A govt. controlled by a temporary alliance of several political parties.
Weimar Republic
The republic that was established in Germany in 1919 (following WW1) and ended in 1933.
New Deal
US President FDR’s economic reform program designed to solve problems created by the Great Depression.
Fascism
A political movement that promotes an extreme form of nationalism, a denial of individual rights, and a dictatorial one-party rule.
Nazism
The fascist policies of the National Socials German Workers’ party, based on totalitarianism, a belief in racial superiority and state control of industry.
Mein Kampf
“My Struggle” - a book written by Hitler during his imprisonment in 1923-1924, in which he set forth his beliefs and his goals for Germany.
Lebensraum
“Living space” - The additional territory that, according to Hitler, Germany needed because it was overcrowded.
Appeasement
The making of concessions to an aggressor in order to avoid war.
Axis Powers
In WW2, the nations of Germany, Italy, and Japan, which had formed an alliance in 1936.
Isolationism
A policy of avoiding political or military involvement with other countries.
Third Reich
The Third German Empire, established by Adolf Hitler in the 1930s.
Munich Conference
A 1938 meeting of representatives from Britain, France, Italy, and Germany, at which Britain and France agreed to allow Nazi Germany to annex part of Czechoslovakia in return for Adolf Hitler’s pledge to respect Czechoslovakia’s new borders.
US After Treaty of Versailles
US fails to ratify the treaty, and cannot join the League of Nations as a result.
Due to the US not joining it, the League of Nations was ineffective at maintaining the peace.
Reparations and the fall of the German Economy
Weimar Republic set up as Germany’s govt. in 1919.
People blamed the Weimar Republic for signing the Treaty of Versailles and all the problems Germany faced.
The Allied Reparations Commission set reparations that Germany was to pay 33 Billion US dollars.
To pay salaries, and WW1, the German govt. didn’t raise taxes.
They printed more money, which added to inflation.
(The German Mark became worthless).
The Dawes Plan
The plan reduced reparations and then planned Germany’s annual payments with its ability to pay.
Spirit of Cooperation
Late 1920s, Germany made promises to multiple countries to never again engage in war and was admitted to the League of Nations.
The Kellogg-Briand pact, 1928
Signed by 63 nations that pledged to, “renounce war as an instrument of national policy.”
Worldwide Economic Depression
Depression - a period of low-economic activity and rising unemployment.
Economies in Europe were destroyed due to WW1
Following the war, Europe had to rebuild from the ground up but they needed help.
Wealth was unevenly distributed
5% of population earned 33% of money.
Businesses overproduced goods.
Most people could not afford to buy them, so businesses lost money.
People stopped buying goods, stores stopped ordering goods from factories, factories had to lay off workers.
Agriculture production increased worldwide
Farmers had to sell more food so prices lowered
Farmers could not make a profit.
US Stock Market Collapse
Too many investors tried to sell stocks at the same time.
Sudden sell-off forced prices down - stock became worthless
Citizens swarmed the banks and demanded money
Banks didn’t have enough money on hand to pay all of the people.
Banks tried to force borrowers to pay off their loans to replenish the banks’ funds, but they were broke and could not pay
The entire economy nearly collapsed.
The Great Depression
25% of US population was unemployed by 1933 - 30 million unemployed worldwide.
Pandemic Flu
(Writing Question)
Highest death toll in the 20th century
WW1 was happening at the time of the flu with lots of troops and people moving. The flu attacked the lungs and people had no immunity because it was bird flu.
