German & Axis Foreign Policy and Air War (1930s–WWII)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, concepts, alliances, strategies, and campaigns related to German foreign policy, Axis aims, and the role of air warfare in WWII.

Treaty of Versailles

1919 peace agreement that imposed disarmament, reparations, and territorial losses on Germany; its constraints were systematically violated by Hitler.

Revisionism (German)

Hitler’s policy of overturning the Treaty of Versailles, restoring German military strength, and reclaiming lost territories.

Re-armament

Hitler’s large-scale rebuilding of the German military in open defiance of Versailles restrictions, enabling later aggression.

Remilitarisation of the Rhineland (1936)

German troop deployment into the demilitarised Rhineland, removing a buffer zone and emboldening further expansion.

Grossdeutschland

Hitler’s goal of a ‘Greater Germany’ uniting all ethnic Germans, notably through Anschluss and later conquests.

Anschluss (1938)

Annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, a key step toward Grossdeutschland and a breach of Versailles.

Lebensraum

Nazi ideology calling for ‘living space’ in Eastern Europe for the Aryan race, driving invasions of Poland and the USSR.

Autarky

Economic self-sufficiency pursued by Nazi Germany to sustain long wars through territorial conquest of resource-rich regions.

Rome–Berlin Axis (1936)

Informal alliance between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany signalling authoritarian cooperation in Europe.

Anti-Comintern Pact (1936)

Agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan pledging opposition to international communism and the USSR.

Nazi–Soviet Pact / Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (1939)

Non-aggression treaty dividing Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres, clearing Germany’s path to invade Poland.

Danzig (Free City)

Semi-autonomous city demanded by Hitler; its seizure with the Polish Corridor triggered Britain and France’s war declaration.

Polish Corridor

Strip of Polish territory separating East Prussia from Germany; Hitler’s claim on it was the pretext for invading Poland.

Appeasement

British-French policy of conceding to Hitler’s demands (e.g., Rhineland, Sudetenland) in hope of averting war.

Munich Agreement (1938)

Settlement granting Hitler the Sudetenland; hailed as ‘peace for our time’ but seen as the apex of appeasement.

Blitzkrieg

German ‘lightning war’ strategy of rapid, coordinated tank, infantry, and air assaults to overwhelm opponents.

Luftwaffe

German air force whose initial strength enabled Blitzkrieg but later struggled in prolonged air campaigns.

Battle of Britain (1940)

Air battle in which the RAF repelled the Luftwaffe, forcing Hitler to abandon Operation Sea Lion.

Operation Sea Lion

German plan to invade Britain, shelved after Luftwaffe failure in the Battle of Britain.

The Blitz (1940–41)

Sustained German bombing of British cities aimed at breaking morale; failed to force surrender.

RAF (Royal Air Force)

British air force that defended the UK during the Battle of Britain and conducted strategic bombing of Germany.

Strategic Bombing (Allied)

Aerial campaign targeting German industry, oil, and transport networks to cripple war capacity and support ground offensives.

Ruhr Campaign

Allied bombing offensive against Germany’s industrial heartland, disrupting steel and coal output.

Operation Pointblank (1943-44)

Allied air strategy to destroy German aircraft production and achieve air superiority before D-Day.

Fall Gelb / Case Yellow (1940)

German invasion plan of France and the Low Countries employing the Sichelschnitt through the Ardennes.

Sichelschnitt (‘Sickle Cut’)

Manstein’s plan to thrust armored divisions through the Ardennes, encircling Allied forces in 1940.

Maginot Line

French fortified border that was bypassed by German forces through Belgium and the Ardennes.

Operation Dynamo (Dunkirk Evacuation)

Rescue of ~340,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk, preserving manpower despite the fall of France.

Wehrmacht

Unified armed forces of Nazi Germany (Heer, Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe) active 1935-45.

Battle of the Ruhr (1943)

Major RAF bombing offensive crippling German industrial production and prompting dispersal of factories.

Firebombing of Hamburg (Operation Gomorrah, 1943)

Allied raid causing vast civilian casualties and industrial destruction, exemplifying strategic bombing intensity.

Firebombing of Dresden (1945)

Controversial Allied attack causing heavy civilian deaths and urban devastation late in the war.

Albert Speer

German Armaments Minister who increased production even under bombing, peaking output in 1944.

Blitzkrieg Myth

Post-war term describing Germany’s early victories as solely due to lightning tactics, overlooking enemy failures.

Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43)

Soviet victory marking a turning point on the Eastern Front; highlighted limits of German power despite air support.

Allied Combined Bomber Offensive

USAAF daylight precision raids and RAF night area bombing coordinated to wear down German war economy.

Operation Overlord (D-Day, 1944)

Allied invasion of Normandy facilitated by air supremacy and pre-invasion bombing of transport hubs.

Hitler’s Four-Year Plan (1936)

Economic program to prepare Germany for war through rearmament, autarky, and resource acquisition.

‘Phoney War’ (1939-40)

Period of limited fighting after Poland’s fall and before the German attack on Western Europe.