Imperialism
This term describes the late 19th-century surge in European territorial expansion, driven by industrialization and nationalism. Especially in nations such as Japan or the United States.
New Imperialism
What event occurred in Havana harbor in 1898 that ignited a war between Spain and the United States?
The bombing of the USS Maine
This 1939 event officially began the Second World War in Europe.
This 1921–22 conference sought to prevent a naval arms race by limiting battleship construction among the USA, Britain, and Japan.
Washington Naval Conferences
In 1939, Britain pledged to defend this country if it were attacked by Germany.
Poland
European nations sought colonies partly to secure these for their factories and to sell manufactured goods abroad.
Raw Resources
The USA entered World War I in 1917 largely due to German unrestricted submarine warfare and this....
The Zimmerman Telegram to Mexico
In 1923, France and Belgium occupied this German industrial region after Germany defaulted on reparations payments.
The Ruhr
The 1902 agreement marked Japan’s growing international recognition and aimed to counter Russian expansion in East Asia.
The Anglo-Japanese Alliance
This policy, associated with Neville Chamberlain, aimed to avoid war by granting concessions to Hitler’s demands.
Appeasement
The 1884–85 meeting in which European powers divided Africa without African representation.
What is the Berlin Conference?
This 1923 economic crisis in Germany saw the value of currency collapse, contributing to political instability and extremism.
Hyperinflation
During the Spanish Civil War, Britain and France adopted this policy, refusing to officially support either side despite clear German and Italian intervention.
Non-Intervention
What were the Locarno Treaties?
This 1925 series of agreements guaranteed Germany’s western borders (FRANCE) and was seen as a sign of improving relations between Germany, France, and Britain during the “Locarno Spirit.”
Why did Britain begin rearmament in the mid-1930s?
Britain increased air and naval spending in the mid-1930s because economic recovery and fear of German air power made this a strategic priority.
This violent 1899–1901 uprising in China aimed to remove foreign influence and Christian missionaries.
What is the Boxer Rebellion?
In 1931, the Japanese invasion of this Chinese province showed the League of Nations was not willing to assist member nations.
Manchuria
The Rhineland
This 1922 agreement between Germany and the USSR restored diplomatic relations and allowed secret military cooperation, alarming Western powers.
The Rapallo pact
How did economic considerations influence foreign policy in the 1930s?
Economic weakness during the Great Depression limited Britain and France’s willingness to take strong action against aggressor states, shaping foreign policy decisions in the 1930s.
This rivalry between Britain and Germany in these two African countries nearly sparked a war between the two.
South Africa / Transvaal and Orange Free State
This 1938 agreement, intended to preserve peace by allowing Germany to annex the Sudetenland, ultimately strengthened Hitler strategically and weakened Czechoslovakia militarily and diplomatically.
The Munich Agreement
This war in 1904 led to Japan being seen as a world-power.
The Russo-Japanese War
What were the post–World War I peace treaties and which countries did they deal with?
Treaty of Versailles - Germany
Treaty of Neuilly - Bulgaria
Treaty of Sevres - Ottomans
Treaty of Saint-Germain - Austria
Treaty of Trianon - Hungary
Why did disarmament fail in the 1930s, and how did this contribute to the road to war?
The failure of the World Disarmament Conference (1932–34), combined with the withdrawal of Germany and Japan from the League of Nations, reflected the collapse of interwar cooperation and the shift toward rearmament.