WWII Study Guide: The Western Front and European Theater

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

An agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to not attack each other.

Czehoslovakia

In WWII, Czechoslovakia faced Nazi occupation after the Munich Agreement ceded the Sudetenland to Germany in 1938, followed by the invasion and occupation of the remaining territories in 1939, culminating in the Prague Uprising in 1945

Blitzkrieg

A military tactic that involves rapid and surprise attacks to quickly overwhelm the enemy.

Poland

In World War II, Poland's fate was sealed by the German invasion of September 1939, which triggered the war in Europe and led to the country's partition and occupation by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union

Axis Powers

Alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II.

Allied Powers

Alliance of Great Britain, Soviet Union, United States, and France during World War II.

Winter War

USSR attacks finland- takes USSR 6 months to win- shows hitler how weak they are

Simo Hayha

(aka "White Death") 505 confirmed kills - best sniper of all time

Hitler's attacks April/May 1940

In April and May 1940, Nazi Germany launched a series of attacks, including the invasion of Denmark and Norway in April and the invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), and France in May

Jan Baalsrud

Jan Baalsrud (1917-1988) was a Norwegian commando and resistance fighter during World War II, known for his extraordinary escape and survival story in the face of Nazi pursuit.

Invasion of France

June, 1940. The Germans came through with the Blitzkrieg and defeated them in 9 days.

Maginot Line

A fortification built before World War II to protect France's eastern border

Ardennes

A heavily wooded region of Northeast France that Hitler invaded through in order to bypass the Maginot Line (was believed to be impassable)

Dunkirk

A city in northern France on the North Sea where in World War II (1940) 330,000 Allied troops had to be evacuated from the beaches at Dunkirk in a desperate retreat under enemy fire.

Occupied France

Term used to describe the large part of northern France that was occupied by German Army and ruled directly by Germany.

Vichy France

Southern Pro-Nazi French; govern themselves as loyal to nazis; traitors to the Free French in N. France

Phony War

period of time after the German invasion of Poland that included little military operation in Europe

Battle of Britain

An aerial battle fought in World War II in 1940 between the German Luftwaffe (air force), which carried out extensive bombing in Britain, and the British Royal Air Force, which offered successful resistance.

Luftwaffe

The Luftwaffe was the aerial warfare branch of the combined German Wehrmacht military forces during World War II.

British R.A.F.

British Royal Air Force

Operation Sea Lion

Germany's plan to invade Great Britain in 1940. It consisted first of taking air superiority and then launching an amphibious invasion. However, it failed because German air superiority could never be established.

Operation Barbarossa (June 1941)

Codename for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II.

Why did Hitler invade the Soviet Union?

He wanted it's natural resources and to crush communism/defeat Stalin.

Mistakes Hitler made when invading the Soviet Union?

Underestimating the Soviet military's size and strength, failing to secure a swift victory, and mismanaging resources.

Scorched earth policy

the practice of burning crops and killing livestock during wartime so that the enemy cannot live off the land

Stalingrad (1942/43)

Nazis forced to retreat out of Soviet Union after not being able to take Moscow and Stalingrad; humiliating loss for Hitler

Why was Stalingrad a turning point in the European theater of WWII?

it marked the first major defeat of the German army on the Eastern Front, forcing them to shift their focus and resources, and ultimately halting their advance into the Soviet Union.

North African Campaign

allied plan to take certain places in north africa to get closer to the axis powers

Erwin Rommel (desert fox)

leader of the Axis forces in North African front

Bernard Montgomery (Monty)

Top British general during WWII; stopped Rommel at El Alamein, Egypt in 1941

Dwight Eisenhower (Ike)

succeeded truman as president after his death, easily won 1952 presidential election due to his reassuring personality and record of service and loyalty

George Patton ("blood and guts")

Allied Commander of the Third Army. Was instrumental in winning the Battle of the Bulge. Considered one of the best military commanders in American history.

Casablanca Meeting (1943)

meeting between Churchill and FDR in which they agreed to step up the Pacific war, invade Sicily, increase pressure on Italy, and insist upon an "unconditional surrender" of the enemy

Italian Campaign

The allied campaign to take Italy. It took 18 months, from 1943-1944. Italy surrendered after many beach landings and other dangerous tactics.

Operation Mincemeat

Operation Mincemeat - the plan to fool Hitler on the landing point of the Allied armies as they came into Italy to work their way up to Germany. They took a dead body form a funeral home and dressed him up like a British Major. They gave him the name of William Martin. They put a coded message on him that said, "He might bring Sardines with him." Hitler was sure this meant the Allies were coming from N. Africa through Sardinia. He moved troops to that location, but the Allied troops came in by way of the island of Sicily. The plan worked to perfection. Later a movie was made about this "man who never was."

Tuskegee Airmen

332 Fighter Group famous for shooting down over 200 enemy planes. African American pilots who trained at the Tuskegee flying school.

D-Day (June 6, 1944)

Led by Eisenhower, over a million troops (the largest invasion force in history) stormed the beaches at Normandy and began the process of re-taking France. The turning point of World War II.

Calais

Small, coastal town in France that was captured by the English during the 100 years' war and remained in its possession for an additional century.

V-E Day (May 8, 1945)

Victory in Europe Day- marking the surrender of Hitler

Holocaust

A methodical plan orchestrated by Hitler to ensure German supremacy. It called for the elimination of Jews, non-conformists, homosexuals, non-Aryans, and mentally and physically disabled.

Nuremberg Trials

A series of court proceedings held in Nuremberg, Germany, after World War II, in which Nazi leaders were tried for aggression, violations of the rules of war, and crimes against humanity.

Potsdam Conference (July 1945)

A meeting of Allied leaders to discuss the postwar order in Europe and the administration of Germany.

What was the US position at the beginning of WWII?

neutral

How did FDR's view of the war differ from neutral?

FDR's view of the war differed from neutrality because he supported the Allies and believed the U.S. should help fight against dictatorships, even before officially entering the war.

Why does Japan attack Pearl Harbor.

Attack would give Japan time to secure control of East Asia before the U.S. military could respond

Pearl Harbor attack

The Pearl Harbor attack happened on December 7, 1941, when Japan bombed the U.S. naval base in Hawaii, killing over 2,400 Americans and damaging or destroying many ships and planes.

Results of Pearl Harbor

The U.S. declared war on Japan the next day, officially entering World War II.

Germany and Italy then declared war on the U.S., bringing America fully into the conflict.

The attack united Americans and ended isolationist views.

"Magic"

The codename for a secret U.S. project during World War II that involved breaking Japanese military and diplomatic codes. It allowed the U.S. to intercept and read secret Japanese messages, giving important intelligence about Japan's plans and strategies. This helped the U.S. in planning operations and avoiding surprise attacks (though it didn't prevent Pearl Harbor).

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Kamikaze pilots

Japanese suicide pilots who would crash their planes into ships and military bases in order to cause lots of damage.

Battle of Midway

1942 World War II battle between the United States and Japan, a turning point in the war in the Pacific

Island Hopping

A military strategy used during World War II that involved selectively attacking specific enemy-held islands and bypassing others

Iwo Jima

One of the Bloodiest battles in the war, a fight to the death for Japanese soldiers, as the Americans were coming closer to Japan

Okinawa

Site of important battle near Japanese mainland; last battle before atomic bombs; Allies won

Manhattan Project

A secret U.S. project for the construction of the atomic bomb.

Why does Pres. Truman decide to drop the bomb?

President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb to quickly end World War II and save American lives. He believed that invading Japan would cause a long, deadly war with many U.S. and Japanese casualties. Dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was seen as the fastest way to force Japan to surrender.

Hiroshima

City in Japan, the first to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, on August 6, 1945. The bombing hastened the end of World War II.

Nagasaki

Japanese city in which the second atomic bomb was dropped (August 9, 1945).

V-J Day

"Victory over Japan day" is the celebration of the Surrender of Japan, which was initially announced on August 15, 1945

Changes for women in the workforce WWII

- Women worked in roles traditionally held by men, like building planes and weapons (think Rosie the Riveter).

- It proved that women could do tough, skilled jobs, helping change views about gender roles.

- After the war, many women were pushed out of those jobs, but the experience inspired future movements for women's rights.

Executive Order 8802

In 1941 FDR passed it which prohibited discriminatory employment practices by fed agencies and all unions and companies engaged in war related work. It established the Fair Employment Practices Commission to enforce the new policy.

Bracero program

Plan that brought laborers from Mexico to work on American farms

Zoot Suit riots

A series of riots in L.A. California during WW2, soldiers stationed in the city and Mexican youths because of the zoot suits they wore.

Use of propaganda in the US

Encourage people to buy war bonds. Get men to join the military. Urge women to work in factories. Promote rationing and saving resources. Create unity and support for the troops

It also sometimes used fear and stereotypes, especially against the Axis powers, to build support for the war effort.

Internment

the state of being confined as a prisoner, especially for political or military reasons.

Korematsu v. US (1944)

Upheld as constitutional the internment of Americans with Japanese descent during WWII.