American Republic Chapter 23 BJU 5th ed

Fascism

A political system that puts the nation above individuals and is led by a dictator with total power.

Totalitarianism

A form of government where the leader controls every part of public and private life.

Nazi Party

The political party led by Adolf Hitler that ruled Germany during World War II.

Axis Powers

The alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II.

Good Neighbor Policy

A U.S. policy to improve relations with Latin American countries during the 1930s.

Appeasement

Giving in to the demands of a country to avoid conflict, used before WWII with Hitler.

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

A group of communist countries led by Russia, known as the Soviet Union.

Blitzkrieg

A fast and intense military attack used by Germany, also called “lightning war.”

Allies

The countries that fought against the Axis Powers, including the U.S., Britain, Soviet Union, and others.

Battle of Britain

A major air battle where Britain defended itself against German attacks in 1940.

Scorched Earth Policy

A tactic where retreating armies destroy their own land so the enemy can’t use it.

Lend-Lease Act

A U.S. law that allowed the U.S. to send weapons and supplies to Allied countries before joining the war.

Pearl Harbor

A surprise attack by Japan on a U.S. naval base in Hawaii on December 7, 1941.

Rations

Limits placed on food and goods during war to make sure everyone got a fair share.

D-Day

The Allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, to free Europe from Nazi control.

Battle of the Bulge

The last major German attack in WWII, fought in Belgium in winter 1944-45.

Holocaust

The mass murder of six million Jews and millions of others by the Nazis during WWII.

Yalta Conference

A 1945 meeting between Allied leaders to plan for the end of WWII and post-war Europe.

V-E Day

May 8, 1945, when Germany surrendered in WWII.

Doolittle Raid

A surprise U.S. bombing attack on Tokyo in 1942, boosting American morale.

Battle of Midway

A major naval battle in 1942 where the U.S. defeated Japan and changed the tide in the Pacific.

Island Hopping

The U.S. strategy in the Pacific to capture key islands on the way to Japan.

Iwo Jima

A fierce battle in 1945 where U.S. Marines captured a Japanese island.

Kamikaze

Japanese suicide pilots who crashed their planes into enemy ships during WWII.

Okinawa

One of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific; gave the U.S. a base close to Japan.

Manhattan Project

The secret U.S. project that developed the first atomic bombs.

Hiroshima

The first Japanese city hit with an atomic bomb on August 6, 1945.

Nagasaki

The second Japanese city hit with an atomic bomb on August 9, 1945.

V-J Day

Day when Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945.

Nuremberg Trials

Trials held after WWII to punish Nazi leaders for war crimes.

Benito Mussolini

The dictator of Italy and founder of fascism; allied with Hitler in WWII.

Winston Churchill

The Prime Minister of Britain during most of WWII; famous for inspiring speeches.

Joseph Stalin

The leader of the Soviet Union during WWII; part of the Allied powers.

Hideki Tojo

The military leader of Japan during WWII; supported aggressive expansion.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The American general who led Allied forces in Europe, including D-Day.

Douglas MacArthur

U.S. general in charge of the war in the Pacific; helped rebuild Japan after the war.

Chester W. Nimitz

The top U.S. Navy commander in the Pacific during WWII.

Harry Truman

U.S. President who made the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan.