World War 2 Review 4/30

Treaty of Versailles

(June 28, 1919) – Ended WWI; punished Germany with harsh terms, war guilt cause, billions in marks, demilitarize the Rhineland

Issues with Weimar Republic

Blamed for WWI / Treaty of Versailles (1919), Many Germans believed the government “betrayed” them by signing the Treaty of Versailles, Weak Constitution, too many small political parties, Hyperinflation (1923) → money became nearly worthless, Great Depression (starts 1929) → massive unemployment (over 6 million by 1932), Political Extremism (1919–1933), Uprisings from both sides

Beer Hall Putsch

(November 8-9 1923) Hitler’s failed attempt to overthrow the German government.

Mein Kampf

Hitler’s book he wrote in jail after Beer Hall Putsch that outlined Nazi beliefs and plans.

NAZI Party ideologies

Beliefs included Aryan racial superiority, anti-Jewish racism, total control by a dictator, and expansion of Germany (Lebensraum).

Hitler becomes Chancellor

(Jan 30, 1933) – Gains legal power in Germany (chancellor controls parliament)

Reichstag Fire (Feb 27, 1933)

The German parliament building burned down. Nazis blamed communists and used it to gain emergency powers.

Enabling Act (March 23, 1933)

Law that allowed Hitler to pass laws without the Reichstag (parliament), effectively making him dictator.

Night of the Long Knives (June 30–July 2, 1934)

Hitler ordered the killing of rivals inside the Nazi Party and other opponents to secure total control.

Hitler Youth (Book/Edpuzzles)

A Nazi organization that trained German boys and girls to be loyal to Hitler and prepared boys for military service through physical training and propaganda.

Rhineland

Region of Germany that Hitler remilitarized in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, showing other countries were unwilling to stop him (location: borders France to the west, Belgium to the northwest, and Luxembourg to the north, located along the Rhine River and shares a border with Germany)

Appeasement

Policy of giving in to Hitler’s demands to avoid war, used mainly by Britain and France. (Like when Neville Chamberlin decided it would be a good idea to give Hitler the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia on return for a promise from Hitler that he would stop going out for more land and be happy with what he has)

Winston Churchill

British leader during WWII who strongly opposed appeasement and led Britain during the war. (Pretty much predicted the rise of Hitler and the things he would do)

Franklin D. Roosevelt

U.S. president during most of WWII who helped lead the Allied effort to defeat the axis powers

Neville Chamberlain

British leader who supported appeasement and signed the Munich Pact.

Munich Pact

September 30, 1938, An agreement allowing Hitler to take the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia in exchange for peace (appeasement).

Mussolini

Fascist dictator of Italy who allied with Hitler in WWII.

Anschluss (“Joining with Austria”)

March 12, 1938, Germany’s annexation (joining) of Austria into Nazi Germany.

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

August 23, 1939, Agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union to not attack each other and secretly take over and divide Poland.

Invasion of Poland

September 1, 1939, Germany’s attack on Poland that started WWII in Europe (Germany used blitzkrieg and invaded from east while the Soviet Union invaded from the west) 2 days after they invaded France and Britain declared war on Germany

Japan’s Invasion of Manchuria

September 18, 1931,  Japan invaded and took over Manchuria in China, showing early aggression before WWII. (What happened: Japanese military leaders staged the Mukden Incident (a fake explosion on a railway near Mukden, China), they used this as a pretext (excuse) to invade Manchuria, Japanese troops quickly took over the region in northeastern China) (Why Japan wanted Manchuria: Rich in natural resources (coal, iron, farmland), Japan wanted economic self-sufficiency and industrial power, part of Japan’s expansionist policy called imperialism)

Causes of WWII (MANIATTI)

Militarism: Belief that a country should build up and use strong military power to achieve goals. Example: Germany rebuilt its army in the 1930s, breaking the Treaty of Versailles by rearming tanks, planes, and troops

Alliances: Agreements between countries to support and defend each other if attacked. Example: The Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) formed alliances, while the Allies (Britain, France, USSR, later U.S.) formed another group

Nationalism: Strong pride in one’s country, often leading to aggression or desire for expansion. Example: Hitler promoted extreme German nationalism and wanted to unite all German-speaking people

Imperialism: When a country expands its power by taking over other lands for resources or control. Example: Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 to gain resources and land

Appeasement: Giving in to an aggressive country’s demands to avoid war. Example: Britain and France allowed Hitler to take the Sudetenland in the Munich Pact

Totalitarianism: A government where one leader or party has complete control over politics, society, and people’s lives. Example: Hitler’s Nazi Germany controlled media, education, police, and speech

Treaty of Versailles: Peace treaty that ended WWI and punished Germany with harsh terms. Example: Germany had to pay reparations and accept blame for WWI, leading to anger that helped Hitler rise

Invasion of Poland: September 1, 1939 (Germany) – October 6, 1939. The invasion was a rapid, coordinated offensive intended to conquer and divide Poland, using "Blitzkrieg" (lightning war) tactics—combining armored Panzer divisions, infantry, and intense aerial bombardment (the Luftwaffe) to overwhelm defenders swiftly. Nazi Germany (led by Adolf Hitler) and the Soviet Union (led by Joseph Stalin) acted as allies, following the secret protocols of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Nazi Germany invaded the west and the Soviet Union from the East

Blitzkrieg

“Lightning war” strategy using fast tanks, planes, and troops to quickly defeat enemies, also includes living off the land

Maginot Line

French defensive fortifications that Germany bypassed by invading through Belgium.

German Occupation of France/Vichy

After France was defeated by Germany in June 1940, the country was split into two parts: the north was placed under direct German military occupation, while the south was governed by the Vichy government led by Marshal Pétain. Vichy France was officially independent but actually collaborated with Nazi Germany by enforcing its policies, including helping arrest and deport Jews. Together, both regions showed how Germany controlled France through direct rule and cooperation until the Allies liberated it in 1944.

Dunkirk

May 26 – June 4, 1940, when Allied soldiers (mainly British and French troops) were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, France after Germany rapidly advanced using blitzkrieg. In response, Britain launched a massive rescue mission called “Operation Dynamo,” using military ships and hundreds of civilian boats to evacuate over 300,000 soldiers across the English Channel.

Isolationism (U.S. Policy)

Isolationism was the U.S. policy of avoiding involvement in foreign wars and focusing on domestic issues instead. The goal was to prevent another costly conflict like WWI.

Hitler’s Invasion of Soviet Union

June 22, 1941, Germany launched a massive surprise attack on the Soviet Union, breaking their non-aggression pact and opening the Eastern Front of WWII.

Operation Barbarossa

Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union, the largest military invasion in history, Germany expected a quick victory but was stopped by Soviet resistance, supply issues, and the winter. It turned into a long, costly war on the Eastern Front.

Stalingrad

(August 23, 1942 to February 2, 1943) one of the deadliest and most important battles of World War II, Germany attacked Stalingrad because it was an industrial city and had symbolic value to Joseph Stalin, both sides fought in harsh winter conditions with heavy casualties.

Pearl Harbor

December 7, 1941, when Japan launched a surprise military strike against the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Japan’s goal was to destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet so the United States could not interfere with Japanese expansion in Asia and the Pacific, the attack caused massive damage, sinking or damaging many U.S. ships and killing over 2,400 Americans. However, it did not destroy key U.S. aircraft carriers, which were not in port at the time, This event was extremely important because it led the United States to declare war on Japan the next day, officially bringing the U.S. into World War II.

Executive Order 9066

(February 19, 1942) an order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II that authorized the U.S. military to remove and relocate people from “military zones,” which mainly targeted Japanese Americans on the West Coast and placed them in internment camps under strict security

The Grand Alliance

Alliance of U.S., Britain, and Soviet Union against the Axis powers.

General MacArthur

Douglas MacArthur, important U.S. military leaders in the Pacific in World War II, commanded Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific, led major campaigns against Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor, known for his “island-hopping” strategy (Allied forces captured key islands one by one to get closer to Japan while avoiding heavily defended areas helped weaken Japan)

General Patton

A leading American general in the European theater during World War II, known for his aggressive tactics and fast-moving armored (tank) warfare. He believed in attacking quickly and decisively, often pushing his troops to advance faster than other commanders.

Battle of Midway

(June 4–7, 1942) was a major naval battle in the Pacific during World War II between the United States and Japan, battle happened after the U.S. broke Japanese communication codes and discovered Japan planned to attack Midway Island, U.S. set up an ambush, American aircraft carriers and planes sank four Japanese aircraft carriers while only losing one U.S. carrier.

Mobilization

When a country shifts its economy, industry, and population to fully support war by producing weapons, supplies, and military forces.

Soviet Union Mobilization

After Germany invaded in 1941, the USSR moved entire factories east of the Ural Mountains to protect them. The government placed strict control over workers, and almost the entire economy focused on producing weapons and defending against Germany. Women were heavily involved in both industry and the military.

U.S. Mobilization

The U.S. rapidly converted factories from consumer goods to war production (tanks, planes, ships) and created millions of jobs in war industries. Women and minorities entered the workforce in large numbers (“Rosie the Riveter”), and rationing helped conserve resources for soldiers.

Germany Mobilization

Germany controlled its economy tightly for war production and used forced labor from occupied countries. As the war continued, German women were increasingly used in factories and agriculture to replace men fighting in the army, though Nazi ideology initially discouraged women from working in heavy industry.

Japan Mobilization

Japan focused its economy on military expansion and used resources from conquered territories. Women were mobilized for factory work, agriculture, and support roles, especially as the war continued and more men were sent into the military.

Propaganda/Political Cartoons

Media used to influence public opinion and support the war effort.

Dr. Suess

He created propaganda political cartoons to support the Allied war effort, drew cartoons criticizing Hitler, Mussolini, and Japan, supported war bonds (encouraging Americans to financially support the war), promoted rationing and unity on the home front, warned against racism, but also produced some controversial wartime stereotypes of Japanese leaders (reflecting the attitudes of that time)

Kamikaze

Japanese pilots who carried out suicide attacks on Allied ships.

Blitz

German bombing campaign against Britain

Weaponry

Advanced war technology like tanks, planes, machine guns, and atomic bombs.

Aryan Race

Nazi idea of a “master race” ( a race above all other people) (blonde, blue-eyed Europeans).

Lebensraum

“Nazi living space” policy to expand German territory eastward.

Heinrich Himmler

One of the most powerful and feared leaders in Nazi Germany. He was the head of the SS (Schutzstaffel), an elite Nazi organization that controlled police forces, security, and many parts of the Nazi system of terror, major organizer of the Holocaust

“Final Solution”

Nazi plan to systematically kill all Jews in Europe, Jews were forced into ghettos in crowded, controlled city areas, they were deported by train to concentration and extermination camps, at death camps like Auschwitz, many were killed in gas chambers using poison gas, others died from starvation, forced labor, disease, or executions by shooting squads

Nuremberg Laws

September 15, 1935, Stripped Jews of German citizenship and banned marriage with Germans.

Kristallnacht

November 9–10, 1938, was a violent, state-sponsored attack against Jewish people across Nazi Germany and Austria. “Night of Broken Glass,” referring to the shattered windows of Jewish homes, synagogues, and businesses, violence was triggered after the assassination of a German diplomat in Paris by a Jewish teenager, which the Nazis used as an excuse to launch organized attacks. Nazi stormtroopers (SA) and civilians destroyed over 7,000 Jewish businesses, burned more than 1,000 synagogues, and attacked Jewish homes and individuals, thousands of Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps.

Einsatzgruppen

Special Nazi mobile killing units that followed the German army into Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during WWII. Their main job was to identify, round up, and mass-murder Jews, political opponents, Roma people, and other targeted groups.

Reinhard Heydrich

One of the highest-ranking Nazi officials and a key organizer of the Holocaust. He was second-in-command of the SS and helped design the system used to identify, deport, and murder Jews across Europe.

Auschwitz

The largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp during World War II, located in occupied Poland, it was a complex of camps where Nazi Germany imprisoned and murdered millions of people, mainly Jews, as part of the Final Solution, Auschwitz combined forced labor, starvation, medical experiments, and mass murder in gas chambers.

Dachau

(Opened March 22, 1933) was the first permanent Nazi concentration camp, located near Munich, Germany. It was established shortly after Hitler came to power and became a model for later Nazi camps.

Collaborators

People in countries occupied by Nazi Germany who worked with or supported the Nazis during World War II, they helped enforce Nazi rules in occupied territories, worked in local governments set up under German control (like Vichy France), assisted with arrests, deportations, or identifying resistance members, some supported Nazi policies for survival, political belief, or personal gain

Josef Mengele

A Nazi SS doctor who worked at the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp during World War II, mainly between 1943 and 1945, most known for his role in selecting prisoners who arrived at Auschwitz (those considered able to work were sent to forced labor, while many others were sent directly to gas chambers), conducted cruel and unethical medical experiments on prisoners, including twins, children, and people with physical differences, experiments were done without consent and often caused severe suffering or death.

Types of Resistance

The different ways people opposed Nazi rule during World War II, especially in occupied countries and inside Germany

Passive Resistance (when people resisted without using violence)

Examples:

• Refusing to obey Nazi rules when possible

• Secretly listening to banned radio stations

• Hiding Jews or helping them escape

Active Armed Resistance (involved direct fighting against the Nazis)

Examples:

• Guerrilla groups attacking German soldiers or supply lines

• Sabotaging railroads, factories, and communication systems

• Underground fighters in occupied countries (like France and Poland)

Political Resistance (involved spreading anti-Nazi ideas or organizing opposition)

Examples:

• Secret newspapers and pamphlets

• Underground political groups planning against Hitler

Youth & Student Resistance Example:

• White Rose (1942–1943) → distributed leaflets against Hitler

White Rose

(1942–1943) a non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany made up mainly of university students in Munich, including Hans and Sophie Scholl, the group secretly wrote and distributed leaflets that criticized Adolf Hitler, exposed Nazi crimes, and encouraged Germans to resist the dictatorship, they used peaceful methods, relying on written messages instead of violence.

General Eisenhower

Supreme Allied Commander of Allied forces in Europe during World War II, most famous for organizing D-Day, the massive invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, coordinated British, American, and Canadian forces and made the final decision to launch the invasion despite difficult weather conditions, oversaw the Allied push across France and into Germany, helping to defeat Nazi forces in Europe by 1945, also coordinated the liberation of concentration camps as Allied troops advanced.

D-Day

(June 6, 1944) was the massive Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France during World War II, largest amphibious (sea-to-land) military invasion in history, operation took place on the beaches of Normandy, France, American, British, and Canadian forces landed under heavy German fire while crossing the English Channel, goal was to break through Nazi defenses and begin liberating Western Europe from German control, invasion succeeded because of careful planning, strong naval and air support, and deception tactics like Operation Fortitude, which tricked Germany into expecting the invasion elsewhere, despite heavy casualties, the Allies established a strong foothold in France.

Battle of the Bulge

(Dec 16, 1944 – Jan 25, 1945), A major German offensive campaign launched through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium, aimed at splitting Allied forces and capturing the strategic port of Antwerp. It created a 'bulge' in the Allied front lines, making it Germany's last major offensive of World War II. This surprise attack caught the Allies off guard, leading to heavy casualties on both sides, but ultimately the Allies regrouped and were able to halt the German advance, forcing a retreat.

Liberation of Concentration and Death camps

As Allied forces advanced into Germany and occupied territories, they discovered and freed prisoners from Nazi camps like Auschwitz and Dachau. Survivors were extremely weak due to starvation, disease, and abuse, revealing the full scale of the Holocaust.

Manhattan Project

A secret U.S. government program to develop the first atomic bomb. It involved top scientists working in locations like Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Harry Truman

U.S. President who took office after FDR’s death in 1945 and made the decision to use atomic bombs on Japan to end WWII.

Hiroshima

(August 6, 1945) The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan by the U.S., killing tens of thousands instantly and destroying most of the city.

Nagasaki

(August 9, 1945) The second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, causing massive destruction and pushing Japan closer to surrender.

Potsdam Conference

(July 17 – Aug 2, 1945), A crucial meeting involving leaders from the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, held to discuss the post-war order in Europe, specifically the division and reconstruction of Germany after World War II. The conference aimed to establish protocols for managing post-war Germany, ensuring demilitarization, and addressing reparations while addressing tensions among the Allies.

Yalta Conference

February 1945, the Allied leaders (FDR, Churchill, and Stalin) discussed what would happen to Germany after WWII, said they did NOT want to repeat the Treaty of Versailles, planned to divide Germany into zones of occupation (not punish it like before), to demilitarize Germany (remove its ability to start another war), to promote rebuilding and stability, not just punishment, create the United Nations to keep peace

United Nations

(October 24, 1945) An international organization created after WWII to promote peace, cooperation, and prevent future wars.

Nuremberg Trials

(Nov 20, 1945 – Oct 1, 1946) Trials where top Nazi leaders were prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace (3 categories of crimes) and genocide.

Iron Curtain

A term used after World War II to describe the political and ideological division between Western Europe and Eastern Europe from about 1946 onward, popularized by Winston Churchill in 1946, when he described how an “iron curtain” had fallen across Europe, separating democratic, capitalist countries in the West from communist, Soviet-controlled countries in the East.

• Western Europe: Supported by the United States and Britain, had democratic governments and market economies

• Eastern Europe: Controlled by the Soviet Union, had communist governments and strict political control

Cold War

A long conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union (1947–1991) where they competed for power and influence without directly fighting each other.