Regents Prep: Global History & Geography: Vocabulary

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Nationalism & Nation-States Vocabulary List

absolute monarchy : A political system in which a country is ruled by a monarch, who has absolute control. Afrikaners : Dutch descended colonist living in South Africa. Also called Boers. Age of Reason : Term given to describe the Enlightenment. Allied Powers : Alliance of Great Britain, Soviet Union, United States, and France during World War II. al-Sadat, Anwar : (1918-1981) President of Egypt between 1970 and 1981. He was assassinated by Islamic fundamentalists for making peace with Israel. American Revolution : Political revolution in the British North American Colonies starting in 1776 that removed the colonies from Great Britain’s control, and established an independent nation know as the United States of America. Amritsar Massacre : April 3rd of 1919. British soldiers killed close to 400 unarmed Indian men, women, and children, and wounded 1,100 more. People had gathered in the center of town to protest British occupation of their country, and to demand equality. This was a turning point in British domination of India. Independence movements became very popular and eventually forced India's independence. apartheid : A political policy in South Africa where black South Africans could only live in certain areas, were required to use separate trains, beaches, restaurants, and schools, and could not enter into an interracial marriage. Arabic : A language that is the official language of several countries of North Africa and the Middle East, as well as the religion of Islam. Arafat , Yasir : (1929- ) President of the Palestine National Authority and Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Considered by many to be a terrorist, he has in recent years been accepted as the legitimate authority to speak for the Palestinians. His goals is to create a homeland for the displaced Palestinians. Ataturk, Mustafa Kemal : (1881-1938) Nationalist leader of Turkey who is responsible for modernizing and westernizing his country after World War I. This enabled Turkey to resist imperialist attempts at takeover by various European powers. Austro-Hungarian Empire : Also known as Austria-Hungary, or the Hapsburg Empire, as it was ruled by the Habsburg monarchy from 1867 to 1918. Austria-Hungary extended over most of central Europe. It was composed the modern day countries of Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, as well as parts of present-day Poland, Romania, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Ayatollah Khomeini : (1900?-1989) Islamic religious leader who led a fundamentalist revolution in Iran in 1979. Ruled until 1989. balance of power : A political policy in which countries attempt to preserve peace by keeping an equal military and economic status. bank : A business that exchanges currencies, makes loans, and keeps the money of individual depositors. Ben-Gurion, David : (1886-1973) First Prime Minister of Israel. Bolívar, Simón : (1783-1830) Latin American revolutionary responsible for the ousting of Spain from much of South America during the 19th century. He is considered to be the most important figure in the fight for Latin American independence. Bonaparte, Napoleon : (1769-1821) Emperor of the French. Responsible for many French Revolution reforms as well as conquering most of Europe. He was defeated at Waterloo, and died several years later on the island of Saint Helena. capitalism : An economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and distribution of goods. Also promotes a free market regulated by supply and demand. Caste System : A rigid social class system in Hinduism. Castro, Fidel : (1926?- ) Leader of the Cuban Revolution and communist dictator of Cuba. He is responsible for making Cuba a socialist country which has often been at odds with the United States. Notably, the bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Chinese Communist Revolution : A political revolution in China led by Mao Zedong. After several years of fighting the Kuomintang, the communists won control of the country in 1949. civil disobedience : The purposeful breaking of laws to protest actions by the government. civil war : A war between groups of people in the same country, culture, or political system. Cold War : Non shooting conflict between the Soviet Union and their allies and the United States and their allies. Numerous secondary conflicts arise due to the Cold War. Communist Revolution : A political revolution in Russia beginning in 1917. The Bolsheviks, now known as Communists, overthrew Czar Nicholas II and created a socialist government based upon the writings of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. Also know as the Bolshevik Revolution. Congress of Vienna : Meeting of European political leaders to reestablish former territorial borders after the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the fall of Napoleon. The Congress was held in Vienna from September 1814 to June 1815, and was dominated by Prince Metternich of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. constitution : A document detailing the fundamental laws of a country or organization. constitutional monarchy : A political system in which a country is ruled by a monarch who has limited power due to a constitution Cuban Revolution : (1958) A political revolution that removed the United States supported Fugencio Batista from power. The revolution was led by Fidel Castro who became the new leader of Cuba as a communist dictator. de Klerk, F. W. : (1936 - ) The white South African president who ended Apartheid in the early 1990s. de San Martín, José : (1778-1850) Latin American revolutionary. He is one of the main leaders of the Latin American independence movement. democracy : A system of government in which the citizens hold the legislative, judicial, and executive power, based on majority rule. democratic republic : A political system in which a country is ruled by law, has representative government, and is democratic in nature. emperor : Political ruler of a country of nation. Similar to a king. empire : 1. A collection of nations or peoples ruled by a single authority, usually a monarch, but can be other systems of government as well. 2. A very large and powerful industrial organization Enlightenment : A movement in the 18th century that stressed the importance of reason and science in philosophy and the study of human society. Occurred in Western Europe. Estates : Class system in France before the French Revolution. There were three Estates, First Estate was Clergy, Second was Nobility, and Third was peasants, merchants, and townspeople. ethnic cleansing : The removal of people of a specific ethnic group by means of genocide, terror, or forced expulsion. ethnic group : A group of people that shares distinctive cultural traits. factory : A central location where goods are manufactured on a large scale. Feudalism : A social, political, and economic system that dominated all aspects of medieval European life. French Revolution : Political revolution in France starting in 1789 that brought about many changes in France. The revolution ultimately ended with a dictatorship under Napoleon Bonaparte before his defeat by the combined powers of Europe. Gandhi, Mohandas : (1869-1948) Nationalist leader in India, who called for a non violent revolution to gain his country’s freedom from the British Empire. Garibaldi, Guiseppe : (1807-1882?) Military leader whose Red Shirt army liberated most of southern Italy, before conquering the northern section. He was instrumental in the unification of Italy. genocide : The killing of all the people from a ethnic group, religious group, or people from a specific nation. Ghana : One of the west African Trading Kingdoms. They were rich in gold and established a vast trading network across the Sahara desert. Gold Coast : Name given to the parts of the west coast of Africa by European imperialist due to the amount of gold found in the region. Henry VIII : (1491-1547) King of England who transformed his country into a Protestant nation during the Reformation. Herzl, Theodor : (1860-1904) Leader of Zionist movement to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Ho Chi Minh : (1890-1969) Vietnamese leader who is responsible for ousting first the French, then the United States from his country. Supported by both communist China and the Soviet Union, he guided Vietnam through decades long warfare to emerge as a communist nation. Holy Land : Term given to lands in present day Israel that is significant to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. human rights : The rights that are considered by most societies to belong automatically to all people, including the rights to justice, freedom, and equality. Hutus and Tutsis : Tribes in Rwanda responsible for decades of warfare. Imperialism : The complete control of a weaker nation’s social, economic, and political life by a stronger nation. Indian National Congress : Nationalistic organization in India with the purpose of ending British control. Prominent members include Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Indian Nationalist Movement : Nationalist movement to end British control of India. industrialization : The change to industrial methods of production such as the use of factories. invasion : The entry of forces into a territory through hostile means. Islamic fundamentalists : Muslims who believe the Quran to be a literal guide to political, social, and religious life. Israeli - Palestinian Conflict : Conflict over landownership in Israel/Palestine. This conflict has at times involved most of the nations of the Middle East as well as the United States and the Soviet Union. Widespread terrorism against Israel and its allies occurs because of this conflict. Israeli War for Independence : (1948-49) War between Israel and the Arab world over the formation of the nation of Israel. Jiang Jieshi : (1887-1975) Leader of the Guomindang, or Nationalist Party in China. Fought to keep China from becoming communist, and to resist the Japanese during World War II. He lost control of China in 1949, and fled to Taiwan where he setup a rival government. Also known as Chang Kai Shek. Kaiser Wilhelm : (1859-1941) King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany whose political policies led his country into World War I. He was forced from power when Germany lost the war. Kenyatta, Jomo : (1894?-1978) Independence leader who help lead Kenya out of European imperialism after World War II. Latin American Revolutions : Political revolutions in various Latin American countries beginning in the late 18th century. These revolutions were aimed at overthrowing the European powers that controlled these nations. Many were successful, but few achieved the success of the American Revolution. League of Nations : A multinational peace keeping organization which began as an idea of United States President Woodrow Wilson following the first World War. The Treaty of Versailles created a League with over 40 different countries joining. The United States was not one of them. The League of Nations was to be an international body that would settle future problems through negotiations instead of warfare. The member nations were to work cooperatively through economic and military means to enforce its decisions. However, since the United States did not join, the League never achieved its intentions. While the League did attempt to halt the aggressiveness of Hitler's Germany, their inherent weakness prevented them from stopping World War II. Long March : March the Mao Zedong and his Communist Party underwent to avoid being captured and killed by China’s Nationalist Party. Louis XIV : (1638-1715) Known as the Sun King, he was an absolute monarch that completely controlled France. One of his greatest accomplishments was the building of the palace at Versailles. L'Ouverture, Toussaint : (1743?-1803) Revolutionary leader who is responsible for ousting France from Haiti during the Latin American Revolutions in the early 19th century. Mandela, Nelson : (1918 - )A black South African leader who protested the policy of Apartheid and spent over thirty years in prison before becoming the first black president of South Africa. Mao Zedong : (1893-1976) Leader of the Communist Party in China that overthrew Jiang Jieshi and the Nationalists. Established China as the People’s Republic of China and ruled from 1949 until 1976. massacre : The killing of large numbers of people Mau Mau : Revolutionary group in Kenya who used violent means to force out European settlers. Mazzini, Guiseppe : (1805-1872), Nationalistic leader in Italy, who started a group called Young Italy in 1831. Young Italy was a nationalistic movement that wanted to end foreign control of Italy. Mexican Revolution : (1910 – 1920) A political revolution that removed dictator Porfirio Diaz, and hoped to institute democratic reforms. While a constitution was written in 1917, it was many more years until true change occurred. Middle East : Geo-Political designation of the area stretching from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the western side of the Indian subcontinent. Consists of countries such as Israel, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. militarism : Political policy that is dominated by the military and the competitive buildup of arms. modernization : To change something to make it conform to modern standards monarchy : A political system in which a country is ruled by a monarch. Muslim League : Nationalist movement in India by the Islamic population who did not feel represented by the Indian National Congress. They initially formed to protexct Muslim rights, but later called for an independent state. Nasser, Gamal Abdel : (1918-1970) President of Egypt from 1956 to 1970. He was responsible for nationalizing the Suez Canal, and was an important leader to the Arab world. He was often at odds with the West and Israel. Nasser, Gamal Abdel : (1918-1970) President of Egypt from 1956 to 1970. He was the most influential leader of the Arab world during his lifetime. He supported the idea of Pan Arabism, where all Arab nations should unite. Also supported the Soviet Union during the Cold War. nationalism : Pride in one’s country or culture, often excessive in nature. nation-state : An independent state or country. Nkrumah, Kwame : (1909-1972) Independence leader who help lead Ghana out of European imperialism after World War II. Ottoman Empire : Hereditary nation state centered in Turkey. It was founded in the late 13th century after the collapse of the Byzantine Empire and extended across most of Asia Minor and the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire collapsed shortly after World War II. Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) : One time terrorist organization, now considered to be a legitimate political body whose goals have been to create a nation-state for the displaced Palestinians. The PLO is lead by Yasir Arafat. Pan Africanism : Nationalistic movement which emphasized the unity of all Africans, and sought to end foreign control. Pan Arabism : Nationalistic movement which emphasized the unity of all Arabs, and sought to end foreign control in the Middle East. peninsula : An area of land surrounded on three sides by water. Italy, Greece, and the southern part of India are all peninsulas. political autonomy : A nation governing itself independently from a centralized point. political rights : Rights such as voting, and the ability to hold public office. Protestant : Member of Christian relgious sect which formed during the Protestant Reformation. Protestants reject the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Prussia : Former independent kingdom and state of Germany. In the late 19th century, it formed the central state of the German Empire, which was one of the largest in Europe. Red Shirts : Nationalistic group/army created and led by Guiseppe Garibaldi to end foreign control of Italy during the 19th century. Reformation : The protest against perceived wrong doings by the Catholic Church during the early 16th century. Main leaders were Martin Luther and John Calvin. Renaissance : A rebirth of cultural and intellectual pursuits after the stagnation of the Middle Ages. This period in European history, from about the 14th through 16th centuries, features major cultural and artistic change. reparations : Monetary compensation to correct something that was done wrong. republic : A political system in which a country is ruled by law, has representative government, and is democratic in nature. revolution : a dramatic change in ideas, practice, or government. rigid social class system : A social class system where there is no mobility. A person remains in the same class their entire life. Roman Catholic : A branch of Christianity based in Rome. The original Christian church. Salt March : (1930) Passive resistance campaign of Mohandas Gandhi where many Indians protested the British tax on salt by marching to the sea to make their own salt. Six-Day War : (1967)War between Israel and Egypt, Syria, and Jordon where Israel defeated the three in six days, capturing territory from each. Slavic : Ethnic group of indo-European descent which includes Russians, Bulgarians, and Poles. sovereignty : The right of a country to govern itself without interference. Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) : Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Formed in 1922 from most of the former Russian Empire. The Soviet Union was controlled by the Communist Party headquarter in Moscow, Russia. The Soviet Union was a world superpower along with the United States, and was one of the two major antagonist during the Cold War. Suez Canal : A canal linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It was a vital trade route in the British Empire during imperialism, and continues to link North Africa and Europe to Asia today. Suez War of 1956 : War between Israel and Egypt which resulted in Egypt losing control of the Sinai Peninsula. Sun Yixian : (1866-1925) Chinese nationalist leader who fought to end foreign domination. He formed the Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party, which overthrew the Manchu Dynasty and established a republican form of government in its place. Also known as Sun Yat-sen. terrorism : The use of violence for political purpose. Treaty of Versailles : Treaty ending World War I. It was extremely unfair to Germany, forcing them to accept all of the blame for the war. It is a major cause of World War II. tribalism : Feelings of loyalty to individual tribes, and the cause of much war and strife in modern Africa. Victor Emmanuel : (1820-78) He was king of Sardinia from 1849 to 1861, when he became king of a united Italy until his death in 1878. His support of the unification movement was vital to its success. Vietnam Conflict/War : A war in the country of Vietnam, first between the French and Vietnamese, as France was attempting to hold onto its colony. The second war was between the United States and the communist forces of North Vietnam, as the U.S. was attempting to keep South Vietnam free from communism. The North Vietnamese eventually won, forcing the United States to withdraw. volence : The use of force to injure someone or to damage something. Voltaire : (1694-1778) French philosopher. He believed that freedom of speech was the best weapon against bad government. He also spoke out against the corruption of the French government, and the intolerance of the Catholic Church. von Bismarck, Otto : (1815-1898) Appointed Prussian chancellor in 1862. he began a program of war to unify all the German states under the control of Prussia. His policy was known as Blüt und Eisen or Blood and Iron. He was the most powerful statesman in Europe as chancellor of the new German Empire from 1871 to 1890. He was known as the Iron Chancellor. voting : The act of choosing something or someone. westernization : To adopt western ideas and culture. World War I : (1914 – 1918) European war in which an alliance including Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and the United States defeated the alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria. World War II : (1939 – 1945) A war fought in Europe, Africa and Asia between the Allied Powers of Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States against the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan. Yom Kippur War : (1973) War between Israel and Egypt and Syria in which Israel defeated the two capturing land from each. Young Italy : Nationalistic movement that wanted to end foreign control of Italy. Started in 1831 by Guiseppe Mazzini. Zionism : Jewish nationalist movement to establish a homeland in Palestine. This movement began in the late 1800s, as anti-Semitic feelings intensified in Europe. The main leader of this movement was a journalist by the name of Theodor Herzl. Herzl's dream of a homeland for Jewish peoples was realized in 1948 with the creation of Israel.