All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What was the main purpose of the Soviet gulags?
Answer: To detain and exploit forced labor of prisoners. Forced labor camps held political prisoners and suspected dissidents.
Flashcard 2: Which ideology opposes both communism and liberal democracy?
Answer: Fascism. Rejects both socialist economics and democratic political systems.
Flashcard 3: Identify a method used by Stalin to control the Soviet Union.
Answer: State censorship. Controlled information flow and eliminated independent media and expression.
Flashcard 4: Who became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933?
Answer: Adolf Hitler. Appointed by President Hindenburg, then consolidated dictatorial power.
Flashcard 5: Which country did Hitler annex in 1938?
Answer: Austria. Anschluss unified Austria with Germany, violating post-WWI treaties.
Flashcard 6: What was the primary aim of the Sturmabteilung (SA)?
Answer: To protect Nazi rallies and disrupt opponents. Brownshirts used street violence to intimidate political enemies.
Flashcard 7: Which event is considered the start of World War II?
Answer: Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939. Hitler's aggression triggered Britain and France to declare war on Germany.
Flashcard 8: Who was the propaganda minister of Nazi Germany?
Answer: Joseph Goebbels. Controlled media, organized rallies, and spread Nazi antisemitic messages.
Flashcard 9: What policy did Stalin implement to rapidly industrialize the USSR?
Answer: The Five-Year Plans. Centralized economic planning aimed at rapid industrial development and modernization.
Flashcard 10: What was the secret non-aggression pact signed in 1939?
Answer: Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the USSR. Temporarily allied Germany and Soviet Union, dividing Poland between them.
Flashcard 11: Identify a primary feature of Nazi ideology.
Answer: Antisemitism. Central to Nazi racial theory and justification for persecution of Jews.
Flashcard 12: Which law granted Hitler dictatorial powers in 1933?
Answer: The Enabling Act. Allowed Hitler to pass laws without parliamentary approval or constitutional constraints.
Flashcard 13: What was the main goal of Stalin's Great Purge?
Answer: To eliminate political opponents and consolidate power. Eliminated millions of perceived enemies through executions and imprisonments.
Flashcard 14: Which Italian city did Mussolini's march target?
Answer: Rome. Capital city became symbol of fascist seizure of power in 1922.
Flashcard 15: What is the term for a cult of personality?
Answer: Excessive adulation of a single leader. Creates devotion to leader through propaganda, symbols, and mass rallies.
Flashcard 16: Identify the main purpose of Nazi concentration camps.
Answer: To imprison, exploit, and exterminate perceived enemies. Systematic persecution escalated to genocide during the Holocaust.
Flashcard 17: Who was the leader of the Spanish Fascist Party?
Answer: Francisco Franco. Ruled Spain as dictator from 1939-1975 after winning civil war.
Flashcard 18: What tactic did Nazi Germany use to justify expansion?
Answer: Lebensraum or 'living space'. Claimed Germans needed territory for population growth and resources.
Flashcard 19: What was the purpose of the Lateran Treaty of 1929?
Answer: To recognize the Vatican City as an independent state. Improved relations between Mussolini's regime and Catholic Church leadership.
Flashcard 20: What was the main focus of the Nazi ideology?
Answer: Racial purity and Aryan supremacy. Promoted belief in German racial superiority and antisemitic persecution.
Flashcard 21: What was the primary goal of the Axis Powers during WWII?
Answer: To establish dominance over Europe and Asia. Germany, Italy, and Japan sought territorial expansion and global influence.
Flashcard 22: Which concept was central to fascist economic policy?
Answer: Corporatism. State-directed collaboration between government, employers, and workers.
Flashcard 23: What was the result of Mussolini's foreign policy?
Answer: Expansion of Italian territories in Africa. Invaded Ethiopia and Albania to build new Roman Empire in Africa.
Flashcard 24: What is the definition of fascism?
Answer: Fascism is a far-right authoritarian ultranationalist political ideology. Emphasizes extreme nationalism, authoritarian control, and rejection of democratic values.
Flashcard 25: Who was the leader of Fascist Italy?
Answer: Benito Mussolini. Founded the Fascist Party and ruled Italy from 1922-1943.
Flashcard 26: What was the primary goal of totalitarian regimes?
Answer: To maintain total control over public and private life. Eliminates all opposition and controls every aspect of citizens' lives.
Flashcard 27: Identify a key characteristic of totalitarian states.
Answer: Centralized control by an autocratic authority. Single leader or party controls all political, economic, and social institutions.
Flashcard 28: Which event marked the rise of Mussolini to power?
Answer: The March on Rome in 1922. Demonstrated fascist power and led to Mussolini becoming Prime Minister.
Flashcard 29: What was the name of Hitler's political party?
Answer: National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP). Also known as the Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler from 1921-1945.
Flashcard 30: What was a key economic policy under fascism?
Answer: State control of industries with private ownership. Government directs economy while maintaining capitalist ownership structures.