Diplomacy & Politics Glossary

The political annexation of one state by another, historically referring to Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938. It exemplifies aggressive expansionism and challenges to sovereignty.

Hannah Arendt’s analysis of totalitarian regimes characterized by ideological domination and mass terror.

An international monetary system established after World War II to regulate currencies and promote economic stability through fixed exchange rates and institutions like the IMF and World Bank.

The use of small, mobile groups to fight larger traditional forces, enabling revolutionary success in Cuba.

A strategy of armed resistance by small groups using mobility and surprise against larger forces.

A metaphor describing the division between Western democracies and Eastern communist countries during the Cold War.

Winston Churchill’s style of resolute, inspiring leadership during crises, especially World War II.

The use of inspiring and resolute speeches by Winston Churchill to bolster British morale during World War II.

The French constitutional system established to strengthen executive power and stabilize governance.

The process by which colonies gained independence from European powers, reshaping global political order after World War II.

The process by which colonies gained independence from colonial powers, often involving political, social, and economic transformation.

A Marxist framework that views political and historical events as the result of conflicts between social forces driven by material needs.

A foundational human rights document promoting equality, freedom, and dignity worldwide.

Fukuyama's argument that liberal democracy may represent the final form of human government after ideological evolution.

A vision articulated by Franklin D. Roosevelt emphasizing freedom of speech, worship, want, and fear as universal rights.

A series of programs and reforms implemented to recover the U.S. economy during the Great Depression.

An informal arrangement among major powers to manage international order and prevent conflict through cooperation.

The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, causing massive destruction and prompting Japan's eventual surrender in World War II.

Marx's theory that material economic conditions and class relations are the primary drivers of historical development and social change.

A movement to achieve independence and unify Vietnam through resistance against colonial and foreign powers.

The political and ideological barrier dividing Eastern and Western Europe from 1945 until the end of the Cold War, symbolizing Soviet influence in Eastern Europe.

An informal arrangement where great powers cooperate to maintain international order and prevent conflict.

A process promoting forgiveness and unity to heal a divided society after apartheid in South Africa.

Karl Marx’s theory that economic structures and class relations drive historical change.

Centralized economic programs aimed at rapid industrialization and collectivization under Joseph Stalin's rule.

A political system characterized by centralized control, repression, and cult of personality under Stalin’s rule.

A revolutionary socialist organization advocating for African American rights and self-defense against racial oppression in the 1960s and 1970s.

A 1962 Cold War confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba, nearly leading to nuclear war.

Mao Zedong's campaign aimed at rapidly transforming China from an agrarian society to a socialist society through industrialization and collectivization.

A term popularized by Churchill to describe the ideological and physical boundary dividing Europe into Soviet and Western spheres during the Cold War.

A U.S. program providing economic aid to Western Europe after World War II to rebuild economies and prevent the spread of communism.

FDR's series of programs and reforms aimed at economic recovery and social welfare during the Great Depression.

A series of programs and reforms introduced by Franklin D. Roosevelt to combat the Great Depression and promote economic recovery.

A political and social movement aiming to unify African nations and people of African descent in the struggle against colonialism and racism.

A 1494 agreement dividing newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal, influencing colonial boundaries.

A former UN body established to oversee the administration of trust territories and guide them toward self-government or independence.

Vichy France was the regime governing the unoccupied part of France and its colonies from 1940 to 1944, collaborating with Nazi Germany during World War II.

The principle that states have exclusive authority over their territory and domestic affairs without external interference.