Talking About History: Useful Vocabulary

战争 – zhàn zhēng – war 
战争开始 – zhàn zhēng kāi shǐ – outbreak of war 
宣战 – xuān zhàn – to declare war
世界大战 – shì jiè dà zhàn – World War 

内战 – nèi zhàn – civil war 
内战时严重的冲突。
nèi zhàn shí yán zhòng de chōng tú 
Civil war is a serious conflict. 

革命 – gé mìng – revolution 
辛亥革命– xīn hài gé mìng – Xinhai Revolution (1911) 
革命家 – gé mìng jiā – a revolutionary 

改革 – gǎi gé – to reform 
经济改革 – jīng jì gǎi gé – economic reforms 
国家需要改革。– guó jiā xū yào gǎi gé – The country needs reforms. 

选举 – xuǎn jǔ – election 
选举是一种正式的 决策过程。 – xuǎn jǔ shì yī zhǒng zhèng shì de jué cè guò chéng – An election is a formal decision-making process. 
直接选举 – zhí jiē xuǎn jǔ – direct election 
间接选举 – jiàn jiē xuǎn jǔ – indirect election 

政变 – zhèng biàn – overthrow, coup 
成功的政变 – chéng gōng de zhèng biàn – successful coup 

占领 – zhàn lǐng – to occupy, to capture 
占领这个国家的一部分 – zhàn lǐng zhè ge guó jiā de yī bù fèn – to occupy a part of a country 

袭击 – xí jī – to attack 
袭击敌人 – xí jí dí rén – to attack the enemy 
袭击国家 – xí jí guó jiā – to attack the country 

胜利 – shèng lì – victory 
战争的胜利 – zhàn zhēng de shèng lì – victory in war 
秦国胜利了。– qín guó shèng lì le – The Qin state won. 

同盟国 – tóng méng guó – ally (allied country) 
他们是同盟国。– tā men shì tóng méng guó – They are allies.