Hass WW2 SA Flashcards
Armistice
Definition: An agreement to stop fighting, typically in a war, without formal peace terms.
Significance: The 1918 armistice ended fighting in World War I, leading to the peace negotiations that resulted in the Treaty of Versailles.
Treaty of Versailles
Definition: The peace treaty signed in 1919 that formally ended World War I.
Key Terms: Germany’s territorial losses, military restrictions, reparations, and Article 231 (War Guilt Clause).
Significance: It shaped the post-war European landscape and contributed to the conditions that led to WWII.
November Criminals
Definition: A derogatory term used by right-wing Germans to describe the politicians who signed the 1918 armistice and the Treaty of Versailles.
Significance: Blamed for Germany’s defeat in WWI and the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Weimar Republic
Definition: The democratic government of Germany from 1919 to 1933.
Significance: It faced political instability and economic challenges, leading to the rise of Hitler and the Nazis.
Ideology
Definition: A system of beliefs or ideals, often political or economic.
Significance: Nazi ideology centered on Aryan racial superiority, anti-Semitism, and nationalism.
Communist
Definition: A person who believes in the principles of communism, advocating for a classless society and collective ownership.
Significance: The Nazis targeted communists as enemies, blaming them for political instability in Germany.
Putsch
Definition: A violent attempt to overthrow a government.
Significance: The Beer Hall Putsch (1923) was Hitler’s failed attempt to seize power, leading to his imprisonment and a shift in Nazi strategy.
Chancellor
Definition: The head of government in Germany.
Significance: Adolf Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, marking the beginning of Nazi dictatorship.
The Enabling Act
Definition: A 1933 law that gave Hitler the power to enact laws without the Reichstag’s approval.
Significance: It allowed Hitler to establish a totalitarian regime.
Lebensraum
Definition: “Living space”; the Nazi policy of territorial expansion for the Aryan race.
Significance: It justified Nazi aggression and the invasion of Eastern Europe.
Propaganda
Definition: Information, often biased or misleading, used to promote a political cause.
Significance: The Nazis used propaganda to manipulate public opinion and promote their ideology.
Gestapo
Definition: The Nazi secret police, responsible for enforcing loyalty to the regime and suppressing opposition.
Significance: They were instrumental in maintaining control and intimidating the population.
SS
Definition: The Schutzstaffel, originally Hitler’s personal bodyguard, later responsible for enforcing Nazi policies and overseeing concentration camps.
Significance: Played a key role in the Holocaust.
Appeasement
Definition: The policy of making concessions to an aggressive power in order to avoid conflict.
Significance: Allied nations, especially Britain and France, followed a policy of appeasement toward Nazi Germany before WWII.
Reich
Definition: The German empire or state.
Significance: The Third Reich (Nazi regime) lasted from 1933 to 1945.
Reichstag
Definition: The German parliament.
Significance: The Reichstag Fire of 1933 was used by Hitler to justify emergency powers and eliminate political opposition.
Concentration Camp
Definition: A prison camp where political enemies, minorities, and Jews were detained, often under inhumane conditions.
Significance: The Nazis used concentration camps as part of their systemic persecution during the Holocaust.
President
Definition: The head of state in Germany (before Hitler’s rise).
Significance: The president had significant powers, but after Hindenburg’s death, Hitler became both president and chancellor, consolidating his control.
Aryan
Definition: A term used by the Nazis to describe people of Northern European descent, considered the “master race.”
Significance: Central to Nazi racial ideology, which justified discrimination, persecution, and genocide.
Perspective
- Author’s background (who created it?) * Position in society (their status/role) * Personal beliefs and values * Potential bias or limitations * Cultural or national influences
Context
Time and place of creation * Key events happening at the time * Major figures or groups involved * Social conditions of the period * Political climate * Economic situation
Message
Main argument or point being made * Key themes and ideas * Evidence used to support claims * Tone and language choices * Symbols and imagery used
