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- balance of power : A political policy in which countries attempt to preserve peace by keeping an equal military and economic status.
- bank : A business that exchanges currencies, makes loans, and keeps the money of individual depositors.
- Baron de Montesquieu : (1689-1755) Enlightenment thinker from France who wrote a book called, The Spirit of the Laws in 1748. In his book, Montesquieu describes what he considers to be the best government. He states that government should divide itself according to its powers, creating a Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branch. Montesquieu explained that under this system each branch would Check and Balance the others, which would help protect the people's liberty.
- barter : The exchange of goods or services for other goods or services.
- Bay of Pigs : An unsuccessful invasion of Cuba in 1961, which was sponsored by the United States. Its purpose was to overthrow Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
- BCE : Date designation meaning Before Common Era, or more than two thousand years ago.
- Bell, Alexander Graham : (1847-1922) American inventor of the telephone.
- Ben-Gurion, David : (1886-1973) First Prime Minister of Israel.
- Berlin Airlift : A re-supply operation to the city of Berlin that lasted 11 months during 1948-49 when the Soviet Union attempted to close off the city.
- Berlin Conference : (1884-1885) During European Imperialism, various European leaders met in Berlin, Germany to discuss plans for dividing Africa peacefully. These leaders had little regard for African independence, and had no representation for native Africans. This began the process of imperializing Africa.
- Berlin Wall : A wall built in 1961 dividing Soviet controlled East Berlin from the democratic West Berlin. It was destroyed when communism ended in 1990.
- Black Hand : Serbian nationalist/terrorist group responsible for the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand which resulted in the start of World War I.
- blitzkrieg : German word meaning lightning war. It was a German army tactic during World War II which called for quick moving, hard hitting drives into enemy territory.
- block printing : A system of printing where characters are carved onto a wooden block. The block is then inked and pressed onto a sheet of paper.
- Bolívar, Simón : (1783-1830) Latin American revolutionary responsible for the ousting of Spain from much of South America during the 19th century. He is considered to be the most important figure in the fight for Latin American independence.
- Bolshevik : Early name of communists during the Russian Revolution of 1917.
- Bonaparte, Napoleon : (1769-1821) Emperor of the French. Responsible for many French Revolution reforms as well as conquering most of Europe. He was defeated at Waterloo, and died several years later on the island of Saint Helena.
- bourgeoisie : Term given to the middle class people in society.
- Boxer Rebellion : (1900) A rebellion by the people of China to end foreign domination.
- Brahma : Hindu god called the Creator. Brahma is the first member of the triad that includes Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer.
- Brahman : In Hinduism, Brahman is the name given to the oneness of the universe.
- bubonic plague : An infectious disease transmitted by fleas. It is characterized by fever, chills, and the formation of swellings. Also known as the Black Plague or Black Death.
- Buddha : Hindu for “enlightened one." See also Siddhartha Gautama.
- Buddhism : Buddhism developed in India, and is based on many of the core concepts of Hinduism.. Buddhists believe in an endless cycle of reincarnation, or samsara, which is similar to beliefs of Hinduism. However, Buddhists do not believe that deities are responsible for the phenomenon. In addition, the Caste System is rejected by Buddhists who believe instead that one is reincarnated until they can achieve nirvana, best described as spiritual enlightenment.
- bureaucracy : The administration portion of the government.
- Bushido : Code of conduct for Samurai and nobles during Japanese feudalism.
- Byzantine Empire : (330-1453) The eastern half of the Roman Empire, which survived after the fall of the Western Empire at the end of the 5th century C.E. Its capital was Constantinople, named after the Emperor Constantine.
