World War II - Vocabulary and Key Concepts

These flashcards cover important vocabulary and concepts related to World War II, including policies, significant figures, and key events.

US Isolationism

A foreign policy stance adopted by the United States in the interwar period, aiming to remain uninvolved in European conflicts.

Cash and Carry

A policy that allowed belligerent nations to purchase goods from the U.S. as long as they paid in cash and transported the goods themselves.

Lend-Lease Act

A program under which the U.S. supplied allied nations with vast amounts of war material during World War II.

Good Neighbor Policy

A diplomatic policy adopted by the U.S. during the 1930s to improve relations with Latin American countries.

Neutrality Acts

A series of laws passed in the 1930s to prevent U.S. involvement in foreign wars, by restricting arms sales and loans to belligerent countries.

Arsenal of Democracy

A phrase used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to describe the U.S. providing Allies with supplies and support.

Embargo

An official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a specific country.

Atlantic Charter

A pivotal policy statement issued during WWII, outlining the allied goals for the post-war world.

Quarantine Speech

A speech by President Roosevelt in 1937 that suggested the need for collective action to oppose aggressor nations.

Day of Infamy Speech

FDR's address to Congress on December 8, 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, requesting a declaration of war.

Totalitarianism

A political system in which the state recognizes no limits to its authority and seeks to regulate every aspect of public and private life.

Fascism

A far-right authoritarian ultranationalist political ideology characterized by dictatorial power and forcible suppression of opposition.

Blitzkrieg

A military tactic used by Nazi Germany that translates to 'lightning war,' characterized by rapid and surprise attacks.

Luftwaffe

The aerial warfare branch of the German Wehrmacht during World War II.

Nazism

The ideology and policies of Adolf Hitler's National Socialist German Workers' Party which led to the establishment of a totalitarian regime.

Appeasement

The diplomatic policy of making political or territorial concessions to an aggressive power in order to avoid conflict.

Wolfpacks

German U-boat tactics in World War II where groups of submarines attacked Allied shipping.

Non-Aggression Pact

A treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939 in which both pledged to remain neutral if one attacked another.

Axis Powers

The coalition led by Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II.

Allied Powers

The coalition of nations opposing the Axis Powers, primarily led by the United States, Soviet Union, and United Kingdom.

Flying Tigers

A group of American volunteer pilots who fought for China against Japan prior to the U.S. officially entering WWII.

Destroyers for Bases

A trade agreement between the U.S. and Britain in which the U.S. provided destroyers in exchange for naval bases.

Neville Chamberlain

The British Prime Minister known for his policy of appeasement towards Hitler.

Benito Mussolini

The Italian dictator and founder of Fascism, allied with Hitler during WWII.

Winston Churchill

The British Prime Minister who led Britain through WWII and is known for his defiant speeches.

Joseph Stalin

The leader of the Soviet Union during WWII, known for his totalitarian regime.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The U.S. President during the majority of World War II, known for his New Deal policies.

Haile Selassie

The Ethiopian emperor who represented the resistance against the Italian invasion.

Hideki Tojo

The Prime Minister of Japan during World War II, responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Emperor Hirohito

The Emperor of Japan during WWII who reigned throughout the conflict.

Sudetenland

A region in Czechoslovakia that was annexed by Germany in 1938 as part of its aggressive expansion.

Abyssinia

Modern-day Ethiopia, invaded by Italy in the 1930s, showcasing the rise of fascism.

Invasion of Poland

The military campaign by Germany that started World War II on September 1, 1939.

Internment Camps

Detention facilities where Japanese Americans were forced to relocate during WWII.

Pearl Harbor

The surprise military attack by the Japanese on the U.S. naval base on December 7, 1941, leading to American involvement in WWII.