Unit 4 - World War II Vocabulary

War Bond

government certificate that pays interest; selling bonds is a way for the government to raise money temporarily for some public purpose

Inflation

a rise in prices caused by an increase in the supply of money and a resulting decline in its value

Internment camps

a prison camp where people are forcibly confined

GIs

government issued supplies; the soldiers called themselves GI soldiers

Victory Gardens

gardens that Americans would plant in their backyards to provide produce to stop inflation

Shortages

decline in supply accessibility

Rationing

limiting of the amount of scarce goods people could buy

Facism

a political philosophy or system marked by strong central authority that places the nation above individual rights and freedoms

Neutral

not supporting either side of an argument, dispute, or war

Prohibited

to forbid by authority, such as a law or treaty

Reluctance

to have hesitation or an unwillingness to do something

Geneva Conventions

a series of international agreements that set rules for proper conduct toward sick and wounded enemy soldiers and the civilians who take care of them

Totalitarian

a governing system in which a ruling elite holds all power and controls all aspects of society, allowing no opposition and often maintaining power with the use of terror and secret police

Appeasement

yielding to an enemy’s demands in order to maintain peace

D-Day

June 6, 1944, the day that the Allied invasion of German occupied France began

Holocaust

the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of Jews and other peoples by the Nazis

War crime

a violation of internationally accepted practices related to waging war

War Production Board

Agency with the purpose to transform American factories into machines for war supplies and equipment.

War Labor Board

the agency that worked with unions and workers to settle labor issues without halting production.

Office of War Information

The office that provided upbeat stories and photographs to newspapers, magazines, and radio stations. to keep tragedies from reaching the public.

442nd Regiment

The Japanese Regiment that earned more medals than any other army brigade in U.S. History.

Tuskegee Airmen

a group of African American fighters in a unit. They were recognized for their aerial battle against Germany.

Bracero Program

the program that brought Mexicans into the US to provide more crops for the US to prevent inflation.

nuremberg trials

the trials led my the Allies to punish those who had committed war crimes.

total wipeout

completely eliminating opposing population