World War II

Flashcards about the causes, events, and effects of World War II.

Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 treaty that ended WWI; imposed harsh reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

Fascism

A far-right, authoritarian ideology promoting nationalism and dictatorial power.

Japanese Expansion

Japan's imperialist policy in the early 20th century aimed at acquiring resources and territory.

Ultra Nationalism

Extreme form of nationalism marked by belief in national superiority and expansion at any cost.

Great Depression

A global economic downturn in the 1930s that destabilized governments and economies.

Dawes Plan

A 1924 U.S. plan to help Germany pay reparations by restructuring its debt.

Sino-Japanese War

Conflict between China and Japan (1937–1945) triggered by Japanese invasion.

Manchukuo

A puppet state in Manchuria established by Japan in 1932 after invading China.

Tripartite Pact

A 1940 alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan forming the Axis Powers.

Reoccupation of the Rhineland

Hitler's 1936 violation of the Treaty of Versailles by sending troops into the demilitarized Rhineland.

Annexation of Austria (Anschluss)

Germany's 1938 annexation of Austria, uniting it with the German Reich.

Appeasement

The policy of conceding to Hitler's demands to avoid war.

Munich Agreement

A 1938 pact allowing Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia.

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

A 1939 agreement between Germany and the USSR not to attack each other.

Axis Powers

WWII alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Allies

Coalition fighting the Axis, including the U.S., U.K., USSR, and China.

Invasion of Poland

Germany's 1939 invasion, which triggered the start of WWII in Europe.

Pearl Harbor

Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii (Dec. 7, 1941), leading the U.S. to enter WWII.

Blitzkrieg

"Lightning war"—German strategy using quick, surprise attacks.

Enigma

German cipher machine; breaking its code was a major Allied intelligence breakthrough.

Operation Barbarossa

Germany's 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, breaking the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

Battle of Stalingrad

Turning point battle in 1942–43; Soviet victory that began the pushback against Germany.

Operation Overlord

Codename for the 1944 D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France.

Battle of the Atlantic

Long naval campaign to control Atlantic shipping lanes.

Radar

Technology used to detect aircraft and ships; critical for British defense.

Submarines (U-Boats)

German naval vessels that disrupted Allied shipping.

Battle of Britain

1940 air campaign where the Royal Air Force defended the U.K.

Island Hopping

U.S. military strategy in the Pacific to capture strategic islands.

Philippines

Key Pacific theater battleground between Japanese and Allied forces.

Battle of Midway

Turning point in the Pacific War (1942); U.S. defeated Japan.

Manhattan Project

Secret U.S. project that developed the atomic bomb during WWII.

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Japanese cities destroyed by U.S. atomic bombs in August 1945.

Cold War

Period of geopolitical tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union after WWII.

Decolonization

Process by which colonies in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere gained independence after WWII.

Nuremberg Trials

Post-war military tribunals that prosecuted Nazi leaders for war crimes

Tokyo Trials

Allied war crimes trials for Japanese leaders after WWII.

Human Toll

The massive human cost of WWII, with tens of millions of military and civilian deaths.

Cultural Toll

Destruction of cultural heritage and displacement of peoples during WWII

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A 1949 military alliance formed to defend against Soviet aggression.

United Nations

International organization founded in 1945 to promote peace and security.