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Anschluss
The political union of Austria and Germany, forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler achieved the Anschluss in March 1938 when German troops marched into Austria unopposed, absorbing it into the Third Reich.
Anti-Comintern Pact
An agreement signed in November 1936 between Germany and Japan (Italy joined in 1937) opposing the Communist International (Comintern). It signalled the formation of the future Axis alliance and the alignment of revisionist powers against the Soviet Union.
Appeasement
A diplomatic policy of making political or material concessions to an aggressive power in order to avoid conflict, most associated with British policy towards Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
Collective security
Collective security is the idea that nations work together to maintain peace by deterring or punishing aggression.
Great Depression (1929)
A worldwide economic collapse that began with the U.S. stock market crash, leading to mass unemployment, bank failures, and a severe decline in global trade throughout the 1930s.
Nazi-Soviet Pact
A non-aggression pact signed on 23 August 1939 between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. It included secret protocols dividing Poland and eastern Europe into spheres of influence, and freed Hitler to invade Poland without fear of a two-front war.
Rome-Berlin Axis
A diplomatic agreement signed in October 1936 between Mussolini and Hitler, establishing closer cooperation between fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. It was not a binding military alliance but marked the end of Italy's alignment with Britain and France.
Spheres of Influence
Areas of the world where a great power claims exclusive or dominant influence over the political and economic affairs of other states.