Loading subject…
Armistice
A formal agreement between warring parties to stop fighting, often to create a temporary truce while a peace treaty is negotiated.
Artillery
large-calibre guns used in warfare on land
Bolsheviks
Radical Marxist faction led by Lenin that split from the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903, advocating a small, disciplined party of professional revolutionaries to seize power on behalf of the working class.
Cold War
Political rivalry between the USA and the Soviet Union after WWII
Conscription
A government policy that requires eligible citizens to serve in the military, often called a draft.
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
Japan's imperial vision of economic and political unity in Asia under its leadership, often used to justify conquest.
Legitimacy
Legitimacy is public acceptance of authority
Militarism
The belief that the military should dominate politics and national policy, often justified by claims of national destiny.
Militarism
The societal emphasis on military strength and values, either in the form of technical/military, or social/historical.
Pan-Asianism
An ideological movement that promotes the unity, solidarity, and cooperation of Asian peoples and nations. It emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, largely in response to Western imperialism in Asia. In Japan, Pan-Asianism was used to justify imperial expansion, especially in China, Korea, and later across Southeast Asia.
Pan-Slavism
19th and early 20th century nationalist movement that aimed to unite all Slavic peoples through shared cultural, political, and ethnic identity, often under the leadership of Russia.
Plebiscite
A direct vote by the entire electorate on a specific political question, often used to legitimise a ruler's authority. Napoleon III used plebiscites in 1851 and 1852 to confirm his coup and the establishment of the Second Empire.
Example
In December 1851, Napoleon III's plebiscite received over 7 million 'yes' votes against fewer than 650,000 'no' votes, lending a democratic veneer to his authoritarian seizure of power.
Plebiscite
A direct vote by the entire electorate on a specific political question, used by Napoleon III to claim democratic legitimacy for authoritarian decisions.
Provisional Government
Temporary government formed after the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in February 1917, intended to govern Russia until a democratically elected Constituent Assembly could be convened.
Russo-Japanese War
Fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire.
Suffrage
the right to vote in political elections.
Ultimatum
a final demand or statement of terms issued by one party to another, with the threat of serious consequences if the terms are not accepted.
Ultranationalism
An extreme form of nationalism that promotes the interests of one nation or ethnic group above all others, often to the point of hostility or aggression toward outsiders.
War Production Board
The War Production Board (WPB) was a U.S. government agency established during World War II to manage and coordinate industrial production for the war effort.