Ignore VOCABULARY absolutist a form of government where one person controls the entire nation
appeasement the process of granting concessions to aggressive nations in an effort to avoid war
armament war equipment and supplies
armistice an agreement to temporarily cease fighting
blitzkrieg the German military plan to conquer Europe quickly; the German phrase for "lightning war"
Bolshevik a member of the left-wing majority group of the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party that seized power in that country in November 1917, later to become the Russian Communist Party
bourgeoisie affluent middle-class people; according to Marxist theory, the social class that owns most of the wealth and exploits the working class
coalition an alliance of nations
communism a system of government in which a party holds power and the state controls the economy
conservatism political philosophy supporting gradual rather than abrupt change that views the existing form of society as worth preserving
coup seizure of political power of a government
czar a male monarch or emperor of Russia before 1917, especially one who ruled Russia until the revolution of 1917; Russian for Caesar. Also spelled tsar.
depression a severe economic slump lasting a long time
ethnic a group within a society that shares distinct cultural traits
fascism a dictatorship that controls private business and represses opposition
genocide the systematic killing of an ethnic or religious group by another
Holocaust the systematic killing of Jews by the German government during World War II
ideology a closely organized system of beliefs, values, and ideas
liberalism a political belief in tolerance and gradual reform in moral, religious, and political matters
materialism devotion to material wealth and possessions at the expense of spiritual or intellectual values
nationalism excessive or fanatical devotion to a nation
Nazi the political party of Adolf Hitler, which believed in the superiority of their own race
Nobel Prize an annual prize willed by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel to those who work for the good of humankind
proletariat the poorest class of working people in society; according to Marxist theory, the social class of industrial workers who must earn their living by selling their labor
recession an economic setback in commercial and industrial activity
reformism a philosophy that advocates the reform of an existing institution
reparations indemnities paid by defeated countries for acts of war
secular not religious or spiritual in nature
socialism political philosophy where the state owns business and all people are economically equal
sovereign self-governing; independent
tariff a tax on imported goods
totalitarian a type of government that controls every aspect of its citizens' lives, including all private and public matters
totalitarianism a system of government where one party rules without opposition
welfare state political system in which the government assumes responsibility for the basic health and financial well-being of its citizens through various programs