ww2 vocab

Nazi-Soviet Pact

A non-aggression treaty signed by Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union, allowing Hitler to attack Poland and starting World War II.

Non-aggression treaty

A diplomatic agreement that pledges to maintain peace.

Mechanized divisions

Military units that utilize motorized vehicles, such as tanks, trucks, and jeeps.

Atlantic Charter

A meeting between FDR and Churchill in 1941 to reaffirm their alliance and discuss post-war organization possibilities.

Lend Lease Act

A program where the US provided military aid to the Allies in return for access to British military bases.

Dunkirk

The location of the rescue of over 300,000 British soldiers from the beaches during WWII.

Blitzkrieg

A German tactic of rapid advancement to overwhelm an enemy, meaning 'lightning war'.

Maginot Line

A series of fortifications built by France along the border with Germany.

Phony War

The period between September 1939 and May 1940 characterized by little military action following the declaration of war on Germany.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill

The important British Prime Minister during WWII, known for his inspiring speeches.

Charles De Gaulle

Leader of the Free French forces during WWII, directing efforts from London.

Vichy France

Collaborationist regime established in France after its surrender to Germany.

Battle for the Atlantic

Germans used submarines to disrupt Allied shipping, leading to the Allies implementing sonar and convoy systems.

Marshall Henri Petain

Leader of the Vichy government, who believed collaboration with Nazi occupiers would benefit France.

Battle of Britain

The German campaign to force Britain’s surrender, primarily fought in the air.

Operation Sea Lion

Germany’s failed plan for the invasion of England due to the inability to gain air superiority.

Luftwaffe

The formal name of the German air force.

Royal Air Force

The formal name of the British air force.

Afrika Korps

A renowned German military unit sent to North Africa, ultimately surrendering to Allies.

Battle of El Alamein

A battle in North Africa where British forces repelled Axis forces and maintained control of the Suez Canal.

Eastern Front

The location of fighting in Eastern Europe, primarily in the Soviet Union, with the highest number of casualties.

Operation Barbarossa

The failed German plan to invade the Soviet Union.

Allies

The alliance of nations, including Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States, fighting against Nazi Germany.

Axis

The coalition of nations fighting against the Allies, including Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Japan.

Aryan

A racial term used by Nazis to denote the Germanic peoples, deemed as the master race.

Operation Torch

The Allied invasion of Italy, led by American forces, targeting the 'soft underbelly' of Europe.

Casablanca Conference

A January 1943 meeting where Churchill and Roosevelt pledged for the 'unconditional surrender' of Axis powers.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)

The longest-serving President of the US, in office during the Great Depression and WWII.

Stalingrad

Site of the largest battle on the Eastern Front, marking a crucial turning point against the Nazis.

Teheran Conference

The historic meeting of the Big Three in November 1943 to plan the invasion of France.

Big Three

The nickname for Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin, the leaders during WWII.

D-Day

The codename for the Allied landings on June 6, 1944, which opened a second front against Nazi Germany.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Supreme Allied Commander during D-Day and later US president.

Amphibious

A military action involving water landings on a target.

Battle of the Bulge

Hitler's last major offensive which caused a bulge in the Allied lines.

Yalta Conference

The February 1945 meeting of the Big Three to shape the post-war world.

United Nations

An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace and cooperation among countries.

Victory-in-Europe (V-E) Day

The term for May 7, 1945, marking the surrender of Germany.

Holocaust

The systematic extermination of the Jewish population by the Nazis from 1939 to 1945.

Wannsee Conference

January 1942 meeting where Nazi officials coordinated the Holocaust.

Zyclon-B

The toxic poison gas used by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

Concentration camps

Detention camps built by Nazis to house, work, or murder victims.

Roma

A minority group targeted for persecution by Nazis, previously known as Gypsies.

Nuremberg Trials

Legal proceedings to prosecute Nazi leaders after WWII.

Crimes against humanity

The most common charge against Nazi leaders during the Nuremberg Trials.

Iron Curtain

The term for the boundary separating communist and non-communist Europe.

Manhattan Project

The U.S. effort to develop an atomic bomb during World War II.