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Annexation
The formal addition of a territory into an empire.
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.
Autarky
Economic self-sufficiency, where a state aims to produce all goods and resources domestically rather than relying on international trade. Pursued by fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and the USSR.
Battle of Nomonhan (Khalkhin Gol, 1939)
A major border conflict between Japanese and Soviet forces at the Mongolian-Manchurian border in the summer of 1939. Soviet forces under General Zhukov decisively defeated the Japanese, inflicting approximately 18,000 casualties. The defeat discouraged Japan's 'Strike North' strategy and pushed it toward expansion into Southeast Asia instead.
Bushido
The moral code of the samurai stressing honor, loyalty, and bravery.
Collective security
Collective security is the idea that nations work together to maintain peace by deterring or punishing aggression.
Collective security
System in which states cooperate to respond to threats.
Collective Security
A system in which a group of nations commits to respond collectively to threats or acts of aggression against any member state.
Conscription
A government policy that requires eligible citizens to serve in the military, often called a draft.
Corporate State
An economic system in fascist Italy where government-appointed boards of employers and workers managed each industry, eliminating competition and independent trade unions. The state directed production, set prices, and controlled wages to achieve national economic goals.
Eighth Route Army
CCP military force operating in northern China under nominal GMD command during the United Front.
Embargo
A government order restricting trade, used by the United States to limit Japan’s access to oil and war materials.
Enabling Act (1933)
The law passed on 23 March 1933 that allowed Hitler's government to enact laws without Reichstag approval for four years. It effectively ended democratic governance in Germany and provided the legal foundation for Nazi dictatorship.
Fascism
A far-right, authoritarian political ideology characterised by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.
Gekokujo
A Japanese concept meaning "the lower overruling the higher." It describes how junior military officers took radical action (including assassination and insubordination) to force policy changes, undermining civilian government control.
Great Depression
A severe worldwide economic downturn that began in 1929 with the Wall Street Crash and lasted through the 1930s. It caused mass unemployment, collapsed international trade, and destabilised democratic governments, contributing to the rise of extremist movements in Europe.
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.
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.
Guerrilla tactics
Strategy using mobility, ambush and knowledge of terrain against stronger forces.
Guerrilla Warfare
Strategy of irregular combat and mobility, central to Mao’s revolutionary tactics.
Imperialism
the policy of expanding a nation’s power through colonization or military force.
Indemnity
a payment made by a defeated country to cover the costs of war.