World War II In-Depth Notes Review

These flashcards cover essential terms and concepts related to World War II as reviewed in lecture notes.

What is a Totalitarian State?

A government system that seeks to control every aspect of public and private life.

Who was Adolf Hitler?

Leader of Nazi Germany, known for instigating World War II and the Holocaust.

What characterized Nazi Germany?

A totalitarian regime led by Hitler characterized by fascism and extreme nationalism.

What is Fascism?

A political ideology that emphasizes authoritarian nationalism and the suppression of opposition.

What did the Neutrality Acts aim to do?

Limit U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts during the 1930s.

What was the Munich Conference?

A meeting where European leaders allowed Hitler to annex parts of Czechoslovakia in an effort to appease him.

Define Appeasement.

The policy of conceding to aggression by a warlike nation to maintain peace.

What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

A non-aggression treaty between Hitler and Stalin that allowed the division of East Europe.

What event marked the beginning of World War II?

The invasion of Poland in September 1939.

Who were the Allied Powers?

The main factions in WWII including the USA, UK, and USSR.

Who were the Axis Powers?

The main factions in WWII including Germany, Italy, and Japan.

What was the purpose of the Lend-Lease policy?

To provide military aid to foreign nations during WWII.

What was the Cash and Carry policy?

A policy allowing nations at war to buy U.S. goods if they paid cash and transported them on their own ships.

What was the Battle of Britain?

An aerial battle between the German Luftwaffe and the British Royal Air Force in 1940.

What happened during the Attack on Pearl Harbor?

A surprise military strike by the Japanese Navy on December 7, 1941, leading to U.S. entry into WWII.

What was the role of the War Production Board?

A U.S. government agency that oversaw war production during WWII.

Who was Rosie the Riveter?

A cultural icon representing women who worked in factories during WWII.

What did Executive Order #9066 mandate?

The internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

What was Japanese Internment?

The forced relocation and internment of around 120,000 Japanese Americans.

What was the significance of Korematsu v. United States?

A Supreme Court case that upheld internment as a wartime necessity.

What was Operation Overlord?

The code name for the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day.

What does VE Day stand for?

Victory in Europe Day, marking Allied victory over Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945.

What were Kamikaze pilots?

Japanese suicide pilots who flew missions against Allied ships.

What did the Potsdam Declaration call for?

The unconditional surrender of Japan.

What were Little Boy and Fat Man?

The codes for the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

What happened on VJ Day?

Victory over Japan Day, marking Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945.

What were the Nuremberg Trials?

Military tribunals held to prosecute prominent leaders of Nazi Germany.

What was the Holocaust?

The genocide of approximately six million Jews and millions of others by the Nazi regime.

Who was Oskar Schindler?

A German businessman who saved over 1,200 Jews by employing them in his factories.

What did Hitler outline in Mein Kampf?

His ideologies which included anti-Semitic views foundational for Nazi ideology.

What were the Anti-Jewish laws?

Laws implemented in 1933 to strip Jews of their rights across Germany and its territories.

What were WWII Concentration Camps?

Camps where over 6 million Jews were murdered, including Auschwitz.

What did Oskar Schindler achieve?

He saved more than 1,200 Jews, recognized post-war as a hero for his humanitarian actions.