20th Century Historical Glossary: Key Terms & Concepts
20th Century Historical Glossary
World War II Era
Key Events & Battles
– Assault on Stalingrad
The German attack on the Russian city of Stalingrad (1942-43)
– Battle of Britain
The 1940 campaign in which Germany bombed British cities and ports.
– Battle of the Atlantic
The campaign in which the German navy tried to stop ships taking supplies to Britain.
Political & Economic Concepts
– American Way of Life
A lifestyle promoting personal effort, initiative, and success as a way of achieving wealth and well-being.
– Autarkic economic policy
A policy directed at achieving economic self-sufficiency.
– Blitzkrieg
An intense military campaign aimed at achieving a swift victory.
– Collaborator
A person from an invaded country who cooperates with the occupying forces.
– Concentration camp
A place where political prisoners or persecuted minorities are held prisoner, forced to work, or exterminated.
– Danzig Corridor
A piece of Polish territory which separated German East Prussia from the rest of Germany.
– Expansionist policy
A policy of extending a country’s territory by taking land from others.
– Gas chamber
An airtight room into which poison gas can be pumped to kill people.
– Holocaust
The systematic, state-sponsored extermination of millions of Jews during the Second World War.
– Irredentism
The belief that territory which had once belonged to a country should be returned to it.
– Left-wing revolutionaries
Radical socialist groups who support revolution.
– Munich Conference
A meeting organized by France and Britain in 1938 to stop the expansion of Germany.
– National Syndicalist Workers’ Front
The only trade union allowed in Nazi Germany.
– New Deal
President Roosevelt’s program to boost the US economy.
– Nuremberg Laws
Laws passed in 1935 banning marriage between Jews and Germans and restricting German citizenship to racially pure Germans.
– Potsdam Conference
The meeting in August 1945 between the USA, USSR, and UK to decide on Germany’s punishment.
– Resistance
Active non-cooperation with occupying forces.
– Roaring Twenties
The decade of the 1920s; it was a time of dynamism and prosperity.
– Satellite state
A small country which is dependent on another larger one.
– Stock market crash
A sudden dramatic fall in share prices in which people lose a lot of money.
– Stock market speculation
Investment in shares involving high potential profit, but also high risk.
– The Allies
The countries which fought against the Axis powers in World War Two.
– Yalta Conference
The meeting in February 1945 between the USA, USSR, and UK to decide how to divide up Germany.
Post-War & Cold War Era
Political & Economic Organizations
– COMECON
An economic association of Eastern European countries which existed from 1949 to 1991.
– Common Market
Another name for the European Economic Community.
– Council of Europe
An association of European countries founded in 1949 to promote political, social, and cultural cooperation.
– European Economic Community
An organization for economic integration created by the Treaty of Rome in 1957.
– OECD
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development; set up in 1961, aims to promote world trade and economic cooperation.
Key Events & Concepts
– Cuban Missile Crisis
A confrontation in 1962 between the USA and the Soviet Union caused by the installation of Soviet missiles in Cuba to protect it from possible US aggression.
– Decolonization
The granting of independence to countries which had previously been colonies.
– Great Leap Forward
A campaign to transform China into a communist society through industrialization and agricultural collectivization.
– Immobilism
Strong resistance to political change.
– Intervention
Intentionally becoming involved in a situation in order to change what happens.
– Islamic Revolution
The revolution which in 1979 removed the Shah from power in Iran and made the country an Islamic republic.
– Neo-colonialism
Control of or influence an independent country by a foreign power through economic means.
– Non-Aligned Movement
A group of countries which are neutral and do not belong to any major power bloc.
– Political bloc
An alliance of countries with similar ideologies or interests.
– Reconstructions
The rebuilding of Europe and its economy after the damage and destruction caused by World War II.
– Reunification
The joining together again of a country which had been divided.
– SALT
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks; negotiations between the USA and USSR which put an end to the arms race.
– The Long March
The 10,000 km journey made in 1934-35 by Chinese communists under Mao Zedong to escape from Kuomintang forces.
– Third World
The poorer, less economically developed countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
– Treaty of Rome
The international agreement which in 1957 created the European Economic Community.
– Welfare state
A system where the state provides healthcare, unemployment benefits, pensions, etc.