Interwar and World War 2 Vocabulary Mr. Condry’s Social Studies Class

Treaty of Versailles A document signed in 1919 between Germany and the Allied Powers following World War 1 that officially ended the war.

League of Nations An international organization established after World War I under the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. Brought about much international cooperation on health, labor problems, refugee affairs, and the like.

Totalitarian Dictator An individual who imposes a form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is suppressed

Propaganda information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

World-Wide Economic Depression an economic slump in North America, Europe, and other industrialized areas of the world that began in 1929 and lasted until about 1939. It was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced by the industrialized Western world.

Allied Powers A group of countries that opposed the Axis powers in World War II, the Allies included Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States

Axis Powers A group of countries that opposed the Allied powers in World War II, including Germany, Italy, and Japan as well as Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia

Nuclear Weapons A bomb or missile that uses nuclear energy to cause an explosion by splitting an atom.

Superpowers Used to describe a country with a dominant position, which is characterized by its extensive ability to exert influence or project power on a global scale. This is done through the combined-means of economic, military, technological and cultural strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power influence.

Holocaust A genocide during World War II in which Nazi Germany, aided by its collaborators, systematically murdered approximately 6 million European Jews, around two-thirds of the Jewish population between 1941 and 1945.