Glossary of Terms

Wafd party   [wäft] Egyptian nationalist party that emerged after an Egyptian delegation was refused a hearing at the Versailles Treaty negotiations following World War I; led by Sa'd Zaghl[[auumlaut]]l; negotiations eventually led to limited Egyptian independence beginning in 1922. (p. 974)

Wang Anshi   Confucian scholar and chief minister of a Song emperor in 1070s; introduced sweeping reforms based on Legalists; advocated greater state intervention in society. (p. 436)

Wang Mang   Member of one of the powerful families related to the Han emperors through marriage; temporarily overthrew the Han between 9 and 23 c.e. (p. 121)

War of Spanish Succession   Resulted from Bourbon family's succession to Spanish throne in 1701; ended by Treaty of Utrecht in 1713; resulted in recognition of Bourbons, loss of some lands, grants of commercial rights to English and French. (p. 603)

Warring States period   Period of warfare between regional lords following the decline of the Zhou in the 8th century b.c.e.; ended with rise of Qin. (p. 102)

Water Margin, The; Monkey; and The Golden Lotus   Novels written during the Ming period in China; recognized as classics in their own time; established standards for Chinese prose literature. (p. 679)

Watt, James   Devised a steam engine in 1770s during the Industrial Revolution that could be used for production; steam engine was utilized in textile industries, mining, and railroads. (p. 704)

wazir   Chief administrative official under the Abbasid caliphate; initially recruited from Persian provinces of empire. (p. 295)

Wendi   Member of prominent northern Chinese family during period of Six Dynasties; proclaimed himself emperor; supported by nomadic peoples of northern China; established Sui dynasty. (p. 425)

welfare state   New activism of the West European state in economic policy and welfare issues after World War II; introduced programs to reduce the impact of economic inequality; typically included medical programs and economic planning. (p. 870)

western front   Front established in World War I; generally along line from Belgium to Switzerland; featured trench warfare and horrendous casualties for all sides in the conflict. (p. 841)

Whampoa Military Academy   Founded in 1924; military wing of the Guomindang; first head of the academy was Chiang Kai-shek. (p. 1025)

White Dominions   Colonies in which European settlers made up the overwhelming majority of the population; small numbers of native inhabitants were typically reduced by disease and wars of conquest; typical of British holdings in North America and Australia with growing independence in the 19th century. (p. 743)

White Lotus Society   Secret religious society dedicated to overthrow of Yuan dynasty in China; typical of peasant resistance to Mongol rule. (p. 494)

white racial supremacy   Belief in the inherent mental, moral, and cultural superiority of whites; peaked in acceptance in decades before World War I; supported by social science doctrines of social Darwinists such as Herbert Spencer. (p. 746)

Wilberforce, William   British statesman and reformer; leader of abolitionist movement in English parliament; led abolition of English slave trade in 1807. (p. 650)

William the Conqueror   Invaded England from Normandy in 1066; extended tight feudal system to England; established administrative system based on sheriffs; established centralized monarchy. (p. 381)

witchcraft persecution   Reflected resentment against the poor, uncertainties about religious truth; resulted in death of over 100,000 Europeans between 1590 and 1650; particularly common in Protestant areas. (p. 530)

Witte, Count   [vit uh] Russian minister of finance from 1892 to 1903; economic modernizer responsible for high tariffs, improved banking system; encouraged Western investors to build factories in Russia. (p. 813)

Wollstonecraft, Mary   Enlightenment feminist thinker in England; argued that new political rights should extend to women. (p. 537)

World Court   Developed during period of internationalization; permanent court of arbitration established at The Hague in 1899; intended to remove causes of war; failed to resolve problems of international conflict in 20th century. (p. 839)

world economy   Established by Europeans by the late 16th century; based on control of seas including the Atlantic and Pacific; created an international exchange of foods, diseases, and manufactured products. (p. 550)

World War I   Fought from 1914 to 1918; involved almost all European nations and their respective colonies; arose over conflict in the Balkans; resulted in victory of allied countries of Britain, France, Italy, and the United States; ended with Treaty of Versailles. (p. 839)

World War II   Fought from 1939 to 1945 on fronts including western Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, Eurasia, southwestern Asia, China, and the Pacific; ended with defeat of Germany and Japan in 1945. (p. 849)

Wu   First of the Zhou to be recognized as king, 1122 b.c.e. (p. 66)

Wuzong   Chinese emperor of Tang dynasty who openly persecuted Buddhism by destroying monasteries in 840s; reduced influence of Chinese Buddhism in favor of Confucian ideology. (p. 432)

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