20th Century European History Overview

Germany

Weimar Republic

Economy

As the chart shows, parliamentary representation of certain groups declined as the Nazis took control of Germany and the country's economy began to deteriorate. However, from 1930, their representation began to increase, and with the establishment of capitalism, the economy improved until it collapsed (we can see a small dip in November 1932) and then recovered.

Key Events

Reichstag Fire

An arson attack on the Reichstag building on February 27, 1933, which resulted in the German parliament building burning down.

Night of the Long Knives

The night between June 30 and July 1, 1934, when Adolf Hitler, Gregor Strasser, Ernst Röhm, and Herman Göring were victims of a purge.

Night of Broken Glass

The night between November 9 and 10, when Nazi leaders ordered members of the Nazi Party's paramilitaries to attack Jewish communities.

Presidencies

Ebert Presidency (1919-1925)

Friedrich Ebert served as the first president of the Weimar Republic. He advocated for parliamentary democracy.

Stresemann Presidency (1923-1929)

Refers to the time when the government of Gustav Stresemann, founder of the German People's Party, was in power. During his administration, he gained enormous economic and diplomatic importance for Germany after World War I, helping the country recover.

Beer Hall Putsch (1923)

A violent, failed attempt by Hitler and the Nazi Party to take over the Bavarian local government.

World War II

Blitzkrieg

A Nazi strategy used across Europe and beyond, involving unexpected attacks with a combined force of airplanes. It was used to conquer Poland, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

Normandy Landing

The time during World War II when soldiers from Britain, America, and other Allied countries arrived in Normandy to try to liberate France from German occupation.

Russia

Tsarist Era

Okhrana

A secret police force created to protect the Tsar (an emperor of Russia), his family, and the Russian autocracy.

Kulaks

Wealthy peasants who owned relatively large farms and several head of cattle and horses.

Socialist Revolutionaries

Agrarian socialists who supported a democratic socialist Russian republic.

Bloody Sunday (1905)

A massacre that took place in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Pyotr Stolypin (1906-1911)

A Russian politician and statesman who served as the third Prime Minister and was responsible for the Stolypin agrarian reform. He was a significant reformer of Russian society and economy.

Grigori Rasputin

A Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who gained influence in the Russian court.

Revolution and Civil War

Provisional Government (1917)

A temporary government designed to set up elections for the Assembly while maintaining essential power. It often manages political transitions in newly formed countries.

April Theses (1917)

A program developed by Lenin during the Russian Revolution, advocating for Soviet control of state power (land, bread, and power to the Soviets).

Timeline

Stolypin's assassination - Abdication of Nicholas II - Russian Civil War - New Economic Policy (NEP) - Collectivization /// Ebert Presidency - Founding of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) - Stresemann Presidency - Beer Hall Putsch - Reichstag Fire - Night of the Long Knives - Night of Broken Glass - Blitzkrieg - Endlösung - Normandy Landing