Nazi Germany - Key Terms and Definitions

All the key terms you will be required to know for your History OCR GCSE on Germany. Test yourself to see if you are ready for the exam! Note: definitions are my own, altered from dictionary definitions and my own knowledge.

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Allies
Countries that have signed an agreement to support each other if threatened.
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Kaiser
Another word for Emperor
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Democracy
A government that is chosen by the people of a country, and even opposing views are accepted
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The Weimar Republic
The new democratic government formed in germany after the First World War.
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Constitution
The set of rules that depict how a country will be governed.
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Soviet
A revolutionary council made up of workers.
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Dictatorship
A one-party state, where no other parties are permitted. It has one ruler, and is the opposite of democracy.
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Colonies
Countries, or regions, ruled and occupied by people from another country.
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Reparations
Compensation for any damage created by the war. Germany was forced to pay reparations to Belgium and France.
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Treaty of Versailles
A peace treaty signed by the Germans after their defeat. Includes claims on land, money, the army, and overall blame.
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Reichstag
The German parliament
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Proportional Representation (PR)
Where the amount of seats a party gains is determined by the amount of votes it receives.
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Chancellor
An equivalent of a prime minister. Do not confuse with "Kaiser".
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Putsch
An armed uprising. Often called a political revolt
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The Spartacist League
A communist group that believed the Weimar Republic did not want the best for Germany's workers.
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The Spartacist Revolt
Where the Spartacist League revolted but didn't have enough support, and 100 workers were killed. Occurred in 1919.
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The Freikorps
Anti-communist group consisting of nationalist ex-soldiers. Assisted the army against revolts by communist parties.
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The Kapp Putsch
The Freikorps tried to overthrow the government but were unable to get workers to work, and so left after 4 days. The government then regained power. Occurred in 1920.
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The Communist Party
Party made up of German workers who wanted more rights.
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The Red Rising In The Ruhr
50,000 workers took control of raw materials in the Ruhr. The German army and Freikorps stopped the revolt, killing 1000 workers. Occurred in 1920.
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The Nazi Party
Led by Adolf Hitler and wanted one ruler and one political party. Believed the democratic government was weak.
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The Munich Putsch
The Nazis interupted a meeting and forced the leader of Bavaria to support their plan. Next day, Bavarian leader withdraw support. Nazi party was easily defeated by German Army, and Hitler was jailed.
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The Ruhr
Important industrial region of Germany containing raw materials such as coal
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Hyper-inflation
Where prices increased by incredible amounts in a very short amount of time. Money was left worthless.
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Stresemann
Chancellor of Germany in 1923
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Aryan
Nazi term for a white European with blue eyes, blonde hair, and a physically fit body.
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Josef Goebbels
The man in charge of propaganda for the Nazi Party.
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Gestapo
The state secret police, led by Heydrich. Gestapo tapped into telephones, opened mail, etc. to find out if people were anti-Nazi.
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**
Short for Schutzstaffel, which means "protection squad". Bodyguards of Nazi leaders.
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Volk
German for "people" and refers to the people of Germany.
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Volksgemeinschaft
"The People's Community", in which people put the state's needs before their own.
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Totalitarian state
A state in which all aspects of people's lives are controlled and monitored by the government. Very similar Nazi control.
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Hitler Youth
Every child was signed up to this. It incuded swearing an oath of loyalty to Hitler, being trained physically (boys) and being taught how to cook and sew (girls).
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Indoctrination
The act of teaching people to accept ideas without questioning them.
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Kinder
"Children"
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Anti-Semitic
Prejudice against Jews and the Jewish community.
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Kristallnacht
"The Night of the Broken Glass". Research into this as part of your revision.
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Goering
The Economics Minister
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Himmler
The Head of the **.
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The Einsatzgruppen
Part of the ** that would round up Jews, force them to dig a huge pit,, and then shoot them into it.
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Ghettos
Any Jews in a city were rounded up and put into ghettos, where they were surrounded by walls and not given water, food or electricity.
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The Final Solution
What Hitler saw as "the final solution to the Jewish question in Europe". special death camps were created to gas Jewish prisoners to death.
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The Holocaust
By the end of the war, over 6 million Jews had been killed in the death camps. Also killed were P.O.W., homosexuals, gypsies, communists, and anyone considered anti-Nazi.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Another word for Emperor

Back

Kaiser

Card 3

Front

A government that is chosen by the people of a country, and even opposing views are accepted

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

The new democratic government formed in germany after the First World War.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

The set of rules that depict how a country will be governed.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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