Key Military & Historical Terms: Strategic Bombing, International Brigades, Third Reich

Key Military and Historical Terms

Below are corrected definitions and concise explanations of important military and historical terms related to World War II and the Spanish Civil War.

Strategic bombing

Strategic bombing is the military tactic in which bombers are used to destroy the infrastructure and industrial assets of an enemy country. The aim is to weaken the enemy's war-making capacity, disrupt supply lines, and harm economic and logistical support for front-line forces.

Tactical bombing

Tactical bombing is the military tactic where aircraft are used to destroy enemy forces on the battlefield. It does not necessarily imply the destruction of front-line troops; tactical bombing is usually directed at defeating forces in rear areas and at command, supply, or communication centers (e.g., headquarters and logistics hubs).

Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was the name the Japanese Empire gave to its sphere of influence. Its objective was to establish a zone in East Asia where the Japanese could freely access raw materials and where the region would serve as a closed market for Japanese products.

Autocratic government

An autocratic government is a form of rule in which a single person holds all authority without submitting to effective limitations on their power.

Blue Division

The Blue Division was a unit of Spanish volunteers who, between 1941 and 1943, supported Germany in World War II, fighting alongside German forces on the Eastern Front.

Führer

Führer is the German word for "leader." It was the title chosen by Adolf Hitler to designate his leadership over the German state and the National Socialist (Nazi) Party.

International Brigades

International Brigades were volunteers from around the world who were recruited to fight in Spain against fascism during the Spanish Civil War. Their estimated total was about 70,000 fighters.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a permanent international court whose function is to try individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Reservists

Reservists are soldiers who are not on active duty but who can be mobilized if necessary.

Third Reich

The term Third Reich refers to the German state under Nazi rule, commonly used to designate the period of National Socialist rule in Germany between 1933 and 1945.

Contexto histórico (español)

Se incluyen a continuación dos apartados en español, corregidos y conservando el contenido original.

Golpe de Estado

Tras el triunfo del Frente Popular en febrero de 1936, un grupo de generales, apoyados por la derecha, preparó un golpe de Estado contra la República. El asesinato de José Calvo Sotelo el 13 de julio sirvió de pretexto para la sublevación. El 17 de julio se sublevaron las fuerzas en Marruecos bajo el mando de Francisco Franco, extendiéndose el 18 al resto de España. El golpe buscaba instaurar un régimen autoritario; fracasó inicialmente, dividió al ejército y dio inicio a un conflicto de casi tres años.

Segunda República

Tras la caída de la dictadura de Primo de Rivera y el desgaste del reinado de Alfonso XIII, la monarquía perdió apoyos sociales. Los republicanos se coordinaron en el Pacto de San Sebastián y el pronunciamiento de Jaca reforzó el clima de cambio. Las elecciones municipales del 12 de abril de 1931, consideradas como un plebiscito, dieron la victoria a los republicanos en la mayoría de las capitales. El rey Alfonso XIII abandonó España y, el 14 de abril, se proclamó la Segunda República, con gran entusiasmo popular.

Notas y observaciones

• Terminología: Se han corregido nombres propios y términos históricos (por ejemplo, "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" y "Führer").
• Idioma: El texto mantiene su seguimiento bilingüe: definiciones en inglés y contexto adicional en español, preservando todo el contenido original.
• Precisión: Algunas expresiones ambiguas se han clarificado sin eliminar información original (por ejemplo, referencias a "rear areas" y "headquarters" en la definición de tactical bombing).