US II Honors Final Exam

Totalitarianism

A system of government where the state holds total authority over society and controls all aspects of public and private life.

Fascism

A far-right, authoritarian political ideology that emphasizes nationalism, militarism, and often racism, led by a dictatorial leader.

Communism

A political and economic system where all property is publicly owned, and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

Nationalism

Strong patriotic feelings, often to the point of believing in national superiority and promoting national interests over others.

Nazism

A form of fascism associated with Adolf Hitler, characterized by totalitarianism, intense nationalism, racism (especially anti-Semitism), and the desire for territorial expansion.

Expansionism

A policy aimed at extending a nation's territory or influence through diplomacy or military force.

Rise of Dictatorships

After WWI, economic hardship and political instability led to the emergence of authoritarian leaders like Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin.

Adolf Hitler

Nazi dictator of Germany; initiated WWII with the invasion of Poland and orchestrated the Holocaust.

Benito Mussolini

Fascist leader of Italy; allied with Hitler and sought to build a new Roman Empire.

Joseph Stalin

Communist dictator of the Soviet Union; initially signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler, later joined the Allies.

Hideki Tojo

Prime Minister of Japan; militarist leader responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor and Japan's wartime strategy.

Francisco Franco

Fascist dictator of Spain; stayed neutral during WWII but supported Axis ideology.

Causes of World War II (Failures of Versailles)

Harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles created resentment, economic troubles, and paved the way for extremist ideologies and leaders.

Neville Chamberlain

British Prime Minister known for his policy of appeasement towards Hitler.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister during WWII; opposed appeasement and led Britain to victory.

FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

U.S. President during most of WWII; led the U.S. through the Great Depression and most of the war.

Harry Truman

U.S. President after FDR; authorized the use of atomic bombs on Japan.

Édouard Daladier

French Premier involved in the Munich Agreement, tried to avoid war through appeasement.

Isolation

U.S. policy of staying out of European conflicts in the 1930s.

Neutrality Acts

U.S. laws aimed at keeping the country out of foreign wars by banning arms sales and loans to nations at war.

Austria

Annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938 during the Anschluss.

Anschluss

The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany.

Sudetenland

A region of Czechoslovakia with many ethnic Germans; taken by Germany after the Munich Pact.

Munich Pact

Agreement allowing Hitler to take Sudetenland in exchange for a promise of no further demands.

Appeasement

Giving in to an aggressor's demands to avoid conflict; associated with Chamberlain's policy toward Hitler.

Non-aggression Pact

1939 agreement between Germany and the USSR to not attack each other and secretly divide Eastern Europe.

Rome-Berlin Axis Pact

Alliance between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany.

"Cash and Carry"

U.S. policy allowing countries to purchase war goods if they paid in cash and transported them themselves.

Tripartite Pact/Axis Powers

Military alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan during WWII.

Selective Service and Training Act

First peacetime draft in U.S. history (1940).

Lend-Lease Program

Allowed the U.S. to supply Allied nations with military aid before formally entering the war.

German wolf packs

Groups of German submarines (U-boats) that targeted Allied shipping in the Atlantic.

Atlantic Charter

1941 agreement between FDR and Churchill outlining Allied goals for the post-war world.

Braceros

Mexican laborers brought to the U.S. to work during labor shortages in WWII.

Japanese Americans

Over 100,000 were forcibly relocated to internment camps due to wartime fears.

Women

Took on roles in factories, military support, and other jobs traditionally held by men during the war.

Blitzkrieg of Poland

"Lightning war" strategy used by Germany to quickly invade and conquer Poland in 1939.

Battle of France

German invasion of France in 1940, leading to French surrender.

Battle of Dunkirk

Massive evacuation of Allied troops from France to Britain under fire in 1940.

Vichy France

Puppet government in unoccupied France that collaborated with Nazi Germany.

Battle of Britain

Air battle between the RAF and German Luftwaffe in 1940; Britain's first major victory.

RAF (Royal Air Force)

Britain's air force; key in defending Britain during the Battle of Britain.

Radar

New technology that helped the British detect and defend against German air attacks.

Luftwaffe

German air force.

Battle of the Atlantic

Prolonged naval battle to control Atlantic shipping routes.

Enigma Machine

German code machine; its decryption by the Allies was key to many victories.

Operation Barbarossa

Germany's failed invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.

Operation Torch

Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942.

Bloody Anzio

Costly Allied amphibious battle in Italy, 1944.

D-Day

Allied invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.

Battle of the Bulge

Germany's last major offensive in the West, December 1944.

Liberation of concentration camps

Allied forces freed survivors from Nazi death camps in 1945.

Battle of Berlin

Final major battle in Europe; resulted in Hitler's suicide and Germany's surrender.

End of War in Western Europe

Came with Germany's unconditional surrender in May 1945.

V-E Day

Victory in Europe Day; May 8, 1945.

Pearl Harbor

Japanese surprise attack on U.S. naval base in Hawaii on December 7, 1941.

Battle of the Coral Sea

Naval battle that stopped Japanese advance on Australia.

Battle of Bataan

U.S. and Filipino forces' failed defense against Japanese; led to Bataan Death March.

Battle of Midway

Turning point in the Pacific; U.S. victory that weakened the Japanese navy.

Battle of Guadalcanal

First major Allied offensive in the Pacific.

Battle of Leyte Gulf

One of the largest naval battles in history; destroyed much of Japan's fleet.

Battle of Iwo Jima

Brutal battle; famous for photo of U.S. Marines raising the flag.

Battle of Okinawa

Last major battle before invasion of Japan; very high casualties.

Manhattan Project

Secret U.S. project to develop the atomic bomb.

Atomic bomb droppings - Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Cities bombed in August 1945, leading to Japan's surrender.

V-J Day

Victory over Japan Day; celebrated on August 15, 1945.

Harry S. Truman

U.S. President after FDR; led the U.S. at the end of WWII and through the beginning of the Cold War, including the decision to use atomic bombs and the development of the Truman Doctrine.

U.S. Goals Post-WWII

Promote democracy, free trade, and rebuild Europe to prevent the spread of communism.

Soviet Goals Post-WWII

Spread communism, create a buffer zone of friendly governments in Eastern Europe, and rebuild the Soviet Union's economy and influence.

Cold War

A period of political, military, and ideological tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from about 1947 to 1991; marked by competition, arms race, and proxy wars, but no direct war between the superpowers.

Satellite Nations

Eastern European countries controlled politically and economically by the Soviet Union (e.g., Poland, Hungary, East Germany).

Containment

U.S. policy to stop the spread of communism by supporting allies and resisting Soviet influence.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. promise to provide military and economic aid to countries threatened by communism, first applied in Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan

U.S. economic aid program to rebuild Western Europe after WWII and prevent the spread of communism.

Division of Germany

After WWII, Germany was divided into four zones controlled by the U.S., Britain, France, and the USSR; eventually became West Germany (democratic) and East Germany (communist).

Berlin Blockade

1948 Soviet attempt to block access to West Berlin to force the Allies out.

Berlin Airlift

U.S. and British operation that flew food and supplies into West Berlin during the Soviet blockade.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Military alliance formed in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations to defend against Soviet aggression.

Mao Zedong

Communist leader who won the Chinese Civil War and established the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Chiang Kai-shek

Nationalist leader of China who lost the civil war and fled to Taiwan.

Causes of Chinese Civil War

Struggle between communists and nationalists over control of China, worsened by corruption and foreign occupation during WWII.

U.S. Aid in Chinese Civil War

The U.S. supported Chiang Kai-shek with money and supplies but did not send troops.

Effects of Chinese Civil War

China became a communist country under Mao; the U.S. did not recognize Communist China for decades.

Taiwan (Formosa)

Island where Chiang and the nationalists set up a government in exile; still claimed as part of China by the communist government.

38th Parallel

Line dividing North Korea (communist) and South Korea (non-communist) before and after the war.

Causes of Korean War

North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 to unify the country under communism.

U.S. Aid in Korean War

U.S. led United Nations forces to defend South Korea; General Douglas MacArthur was the main commander.

Effects of Korean War

Stalemate; Korea remained divided at the 38th parallel; over 36,000 Americans died; increased Cold War tensions.

Soviet Union & the Atomic Bomb

USSR successfully tested its first atomic bomb in 1949, ending U.S. nuclear monopoly.

Hydrogen Bomb

More powerful than atomic bombs; developed by the U.S. in 1952.

Ivy Mike

First successful U.S. test of a hydrogen bomb (1952).

Castle Bravo

Largest U.S. nuclear test, conducted in 1954; caused unexpected radioactive fallout.

Duck and Cover

Civil defense drills taught to schoolchildren in case of a nuclear attack.

Fallout Shelters

Bunkers built to protect against radioactive debris from nuclear explosions.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

U.S. President (1953-1961); emphasized strong defense and containment through nuclear deterrence.

John Foster Dulles

Eisenhower's Secretary of State; promoted aggressive stance against communism.

Brinkmanship

U.S. policy of pushing dangerous situations to the edge of war to intimidate opponents.

Massive Retaliation

Policy of threatening to use nuclear weapons in response to any Soviet aggression.

Eisenhower Doctrine

U.S. promise to aid Middle Eastern countries resisting communism.

U-2 Incident

1960 event where a U.S. spy plane was shot down over the USSR; worsened U.S.-Soviet relations and embarrassed the Eisenhower administration.