xenophobia An intense fear of foreigners.
Yahweh Jehovah, the god of the Jews.
Yalta Conference A meeting of the leaders of the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and the United States
in 1945; the Soviet Union agreed to enter the war against Japan in exchange for influence in the
Eastern European states. The Yalta Conference also made plans for the establishment of a new
international organization.
yin and yang In ancient Chinese belief, the opposing forces that bring balance to nature and life.
Young Turks Society founded in 1889 in the Ottoman Empire; its goal was to restore the constitution
of 1876 and to reform the empire.
zaibatsu A large industrial organization created in Japan during the industrialization of the late
nineteenth century.
ziggurat A multitiered pyramid constructed by Mesopotamians.
Zoroastrianism An ancient Persian religion that emphasized a struggle between good and evil and
rewards in the afterlife for those who chose to follow a good life.