Key Historical & Political Concepts Explained

Key Historical & Political Concepts

Blitzkrieg

Blitzkrieg was a revolutionary war tactic consisting of a concentration of tanks and air power. Its success lay in an overwhelming force at high speed that broke through and flanked enemy lines.

The Wehrmacht

The Wehrmacht was the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer (Army), the Kriegsmarine (Navy), and the Luftwaffe (Air Force).

The Royal Air Force (RAF)

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air Force of the United Kingdom.

The Phony War

The Phony War was a phase early in World War II—in the months following Britain's declaration of war on Germany (shortly after the German invasion of Poland) in September 1939 and preceding the Battle of France in May 1940—that was marked by a lack of major military operations in Continental Europe.

The Maginot Line

The Maginot Line was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defenses, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, given its experience in World War I and in the run-up to World War II.

Crimes Against Humanity

Crimes Against Humanity are attacks on human dignity, consisting of: murder, extermination, torture, rape, political, racial, or religious persecution, and other inhuman acts as part of a government policy or tolerated atrocities.

The League of Nations (LON)

The League of Nations (LON) was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended World War I, and it was the precursor to the United Nations. Its seat was established in Geneva, Switzerland. It was abolished in 1946 following the creation of the UN.

The Veto Power

The Veto Power enables the five permanent members of the Security Council to prevent the adoption of any 'substantive' draft Council resolution, regardless of the level of international support for the draft.

Liberal Democracy

A Liberal Democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. Political pluralism is usually defined as the presence of multiple and distinct political parties. A liberal democracy may take various constitutional forms:

• It may be a constitutional republic (e.g., United States, India, Germany, or Brazil).
• It may be a constitutional monarchy (e.g., the UK, Japan, Canada, or Spain).

It may also have different governmental systems:

• A presidential system (e.g., USA, Brazil).
• A parliamentary system (e.g., the UK, Spain).
• A semi-presidential system (e.g., France).

Welfare State

A Welfare State is a concept of government where the state plays the primary role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life. The general term may cover state funding of services (e.g., healthcare, education) as well as direct payments to individuals ('benefits').

Kominform

Kominform was a Soviet-dominated organization of Communist parties founded in September 1947. Stalin called the conference in response to divergences among Eastern European governments regarding whether or not to attend the Paris Conference on the Marshall Plan.

The Wall Street Crash of 1929

The Wall Street Crash was a significant event in the financial world that had a global impact. The sudden and dramatic crash of the New York stock market affected the world economy.

Causes of the Crash

Two theories have been proposed to explain the causes of the crash:

1. Keynes's Theory of Overproduction: According to this theory, the U.S. economy had become a supplier of goods and raw materials for countries involved in World War I. When these countries began to recover their industries, American trade lost part of its foreign markets, leading to an accumulation of stocks. Businesses used consumer credit to finance the purchase of goods like appliances and cars, exacerbating overproduction and causing falling prices that affected the entire economy.

2. Hayek's Theory of Speculation: According to this theory, the price of shares on the stock market continued to grow despite a lack of underlying demand. Banks lent cheap money, certain it would bring them significant profits. This led to an artificial expansion of the stock market economy that bore little resemblance to the real economy, ultimately leading to a crash.

Consequences of the Crash

The consequences of the Wall Street Crash were severe and spread to Europe.