ww2

treaty of versailles

ended ww1. blamed germany for the war and had harsh reparations towards germany.

reparations

Payment for war damages

great depression

1929-1941 was a severe worldwide economic downturn, marked by widespread unemployment, financial hardship, and a sharp decline in industrial production and international trade. started in the US

totalitarianism

a type of dictatorship that attempts to assert total control over the lives of its citizens.

facism

political system based on a strong centralized government headed by a dictator

nazism

Adolf Hitler used fascism to create this type of government based on totalitarian ideas and was used to unite Germany during the 1930s.

communism

a form of socialism that abolishes private ownership

dictator

A ruler who has complete power over a country

appeasement

Accepting demands in order to avoid conflict

ideology

A consistent set of beliefs by groups/individuals

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.

genocide

Deliberate extermination of a racial or cultural group

anti-semitism

Hatred of Jews

nuremberg laws

1935 - laws defining the status of Jews and withdrawing citizenship.

scapegoat

a person or group that bears the blame for another

propaganda

information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

indoctrination

the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.

collaborator

a person who works with the enemy in order to achieve or do something

blitzkrieg

1939 - "Lighting war", type of fast-moving warfare used by German forces against Poland

pearl harbour

dec. 7th, 1941 - Naval base in Hawaii was attacked by Japanese aircraft. brought the United States into War

D-Day

June 6, 1944 - over a million troops stormed the beaches at Normandy and began the process of re-taking France. The turning point of WW2

island hopping

A military strategy that involved selectively attacking specific enemy-held islands and bypassing others

kamikaze

Japanese suicide pilots

hiroshima and nagasaki

Two Japanese cities on which the U.S. dropped the atomic bombs to end ww2

superpowers

Nations stronger than other powerful nations. USA and Russia

United Nations

An international organization formed after ww2 to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.

cold war

a state of political hostility between USA and Russia characterized by threats, propaganda, and other measures short of open warfare.

allies

Great Britain, France Russia, USA, and China.

axis

Germany, Italy, Japan

manhattan project

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