Rise of Totalitarian Leaders and World War II

These vocabulary flashcards cover the rise of totalitarian leaders, the causes and major events of World War II, the Holocaust, and the formation of the United Nations.

Adolf Hitler

The totalitarian leader of Germany who promised to solve the economic crisis and make changes to help all people.

Benito Mussolini

The totalitarian leader of Italy who promised to solve the economic crisis and make the country strong again.

Tojo Hideki

A totalitarian leader of Japan during the era of military expansion and economic struggles.

Joseph Stalin

The totalitarian leader of the Soviet Union during the period following World War I.

The Great Depression

An economic crisis that began in the United States in $1929$ and impacted all countries due to international trade.

Fascism

A political ideology that became popular after World War I because leaders promised to solve economic problems and create jobs.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty that ended World War I and punished Germany by taking land, colonies, and military power.

Reparations

Payments for war damages that Germany was forced to pay, which hurt its economy and caused anger.

Alsace and Lorraine

The land that Germany was forced to give up as a condition of the Treaty of Versailles.

$$100,000$$

The specific limit placed on the size of the German military by the Treaty of Versailles.

Inflation

An economic condition caused by Germany printing more money to afford its reparation payments.

Weimar Republic

The German government that faced doubts from the public, leading to a wish for a return to a strong leader.

Propaganda

Information controlled by the government, including newspapers, radio, moves, and books, to spread Nazi ideas.

Lack of Civil Liberties

A condition in Nazi Germany where only the Nazi Party was allowed and the secret police arrested people without trial.

Gestapo

The secret police in Nazi Germany responsible for arresting and executing people without a trial.

Hitler Youth

An organization children joined where schools taught Nazi ideas and loyalty to the leader.

Anti-Semitism

The systematic discrimination against Jews, including the loss of property, citizenship, and forced relocation.

Star of David

The symbol Jews were forced to wear on their clothing as a form of identification and discrimination.

Ghettos

Restricted urban areas where Jews were forced to live before being moved to concentration camps.

Concentration Camps

Locations where Jews, disabled people, and gay people were sent by Hitler, often serving as death camps.

Nuremberg Laws

Laws enacted by the Nazi government that deprived Jews of German citizenship and basic civil rights.

Kristallnacht

Known as the 'Night of Broken Glass,' this was when Nazis destroyed Jewish businesses and synagogues.

Munich Conference

A meeting in $1968$ where Western democracies agreed Germany could seize the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia.

Sudetenland

The territory in Czechoslovakia that Germany was allowed to take control of following the Munich Conference.

Invasion of Poland

The military action taken by Germany that officially began World War II.

Appeasement

The historical policy followed when the League of Nations failed to stop Italy's aggression in Ethiopia.

Haile Selassie

The leader of Ethiopia who asked the League of Nations for help in $1935$ to stop Italy's invasion.

Allied Powers

The military alliance consisting of Great Britain, France, and the United States.

Axis Powers

The military alliance consisting of Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Pearl Harbor

The location in Hawaii bombed by Japan, leading to the United States' involvement in World War II.

December 8, 1941

The date the United States Congress declared war on Japan following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Scorched Earth

A military tactic used by Russian troops to bring German troops further into the Soviet Union during winter.

Napoleon

The historical figure whose actions in Russia were similar to Hitler's, as both were defeated by the harsh winter.

Invasion of Normandy

The Allied military operation on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, to take back France.

June 6, 1944

The specific date that Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy.

Vichy State

The name given to France after the Allies broke German defenses and took the territory back.

Yalta Conference

A $1945$ meeting where Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin decided to divide Germany into four zones.

Atomic Bombs

The weapons dropped by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force Japan to surrender.

September 2, 1945

The date Japan signed a peace treaty, marking the official end of World War II.

Holocaust

The systematic attempt to destroy an entire ethnic or religious group, also known as a genocide.

Nuremberg Trials

The legal proceedings held to hold those who carried out the Holocaust accountable for their actions.

United Nations

An organization created with the goal of promoting global peace, security, and economic well-being.

Conflict

An enduring issue theme exemplified by the Allied Powers vs. the Axis Powers.

Desire for Power

An enduring issue theme seen in Germany's desire to disobey the Treaty of Versailles and seize land.

Human Rights Violations

An enduring issue theme exemplified by the events of the Holocaust.

Innovation

An enduring issue theme exemplified by the first use of atomic bombs during World War II.

Economic Prosperity

The condition of the $1920s$ prior to the Great Depression and the rise of totalitarianism.

$$1929$$

The year the Great Depression occurred in the United States, impacting the global economy.

$$1935$$

The year Italy invaded Ethiopia, leading Haile Selassie to seek help from the League of Nations.

$$1941$$

The year Germany invaded the Soviet Union and the year Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.

$$1945$$

The year the Yalta Conference was held and the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan.

$$1968$$

The date identified in the notes as when the Munich Conference occurred.

Great Britain

One of the primary nations belonging to the Allied Powers.

France

A member of the Allied Powers whose territory was occupied and later retaken by Allied forces.

Germany

A primary member of the Axis Powers lead by the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler.

Italy

An Axis Power nation that invaded Ethiopia in $1935$ under the leadership of Benito Mussolini.

Japan

An Axis Power nation that wanted more resources and military power after the Great Depression.

Ethiopia

The nation invaded by Italy in $1935$, leading to a failed intervention by the League of Nations.

League of Nations

The international body that failed to stop the aggression of Italy in Ethiopia.

Genocide

The systematic attempt to destroy an entire ethnic or religious group, such as Hitler's actions against the Jews.