Chapter 24 Flashcards
Why did the new democracies set up after Wold War 1 fall?
people turned to authoritative leaders to solve economic crises because they weren’t in a democratic tradition and the leaders easily took control
Joseph Stalin
communist leader of the Soviet Union and built it up for government industry
totalitarian
complete control is exerted over citizens
What are the characteristics of a totalitarian state?
individuals have no rights, and the government suppresses all opposition
Benito Mussolini
Italian totalitarian ruler who fought for fascism
fascism
nationalism and interest of state above individuals
“black shirts”
Mussolini’s soldiers
Adolf Hitler
leader of the Nazi Party (the National Socialist German Workers’ Party)
storm troopers/brown shirts
Hitler’s private army
Neutrality Acts
made to keep US out of war and stated that selling to warring countries was outlawed and no loans could be given to any civil wars
Third Reich
totalitarian government made by Hitler to last a thousand years
What country was Hitler’s first target? How did the annexation play out?
Austria; most of Austria was full of Germans that didn’t oppose uniting with Germany so it was an unopposed march
What country was Hitler’s second target? How did the annexation play out?
Czechoslovakia; the Munich agreement was signed to avoid war with France and Britain (allies to Czech.) after the the German press sent horrible false stories about Czech people being cruel to Germans in Sudetenland to make Germans feel hatred
What is Sudetenland?
the western regions of Czechoslovakia where many German speaking people lived
Neville Chamberlain
the British Prime Minister that met in Munich to negotiate with Hitler about Sudetenland and signed the Munich Agreement to avoid war (appeasement)
Winston Churchill
Chamberlain’s political rival in Great Britain that disapproved of Churchill’s appeasement with Hitler in the Munich Agreement and said that the country chose dishonor over war
What country was Hitler’s third target? How did the annexation play out?
Poland; Hitler began to say the Germans in Poland were being oppressed and needed his help but many people thought he was bluffing because he risked fighting a two front war if Russia stepped in and France and Britain (allies of Poland) interfered. Stalin signed a nonaggression pact even though they were once enemies so they divided Poland between each other. Germany invaded later with the military and used the blitzkrieg strategy (beginning of WW2)
appeasement
giving up principles to pacify an aggressor
nonaggression pact
a commitment not to attack
Lutwaffe
German air force
blitzkrieg
German strategy of lightning war with fast tanks, powerful aircraft, etc to quickly crush enemies with overwhelming force
sitzkrieg
“sitting war”– Phony War where it is just waiting and watching
What did Hitler’s surprise invasions after the Phony War do for him?
it gave him access to Great Britain’s coasts
Maginot Line
a system of fortifications built along France’s eastern border looking into Germany
