Causes and Course of WWII

Invasion of Ethiopia (1935–1936)

Italy, under Benito Mussolini, invaded Ethiopia to expand its empire, showing the weakness of the League of Nations.

Rome–Berlin Axis (1936)

An alliance between Italy and Germany that formed the foundation of the Axis Powers in World War II.

Concentration camps

Detention centers used by Nazi Germany to imprison and exploit Jews, political opponents, and other groups; many later became death camps.

Kristallnacht (1938)

A violent anti-Jewish pogrom in Nazi Germany where synagogues were burned, Jewish businesses destroyed, and thousands arrested.

Anschluss (1938)

The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany.

Appeasement

A policy used by Britain and France of giving in to Hitler’s demands to avoid war, especially before WWII.

Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact (1939)

A non-aggression treaty between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that secretly divided Eastern Europe.

Blitzkrieg (“lightning war”)

A fast, powerful military strategy using tanks, aircraft, and infantry to quickly overwhelm enemies.

Battle of Britain (1940)

An air war where the United Kingdom successfully defended itself against German air attacks.

Operation Barbarossa (1941)

The invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany, opening the Eastern Front.

Pearl Harbor (1941)

A surprise attack by Japan on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into WWII.

Holocaust

The systematic genocide of about six million Jews and millions of others by Nazi Germany.

Potsdam Conference (1945)

A meeting between Allied leaders to decide how to manage defeated Germany after WWII.