Unit 4 Part 1 (11) Key Terms

aggression

Unprovoked attacks or invasions carried out by a country against another nation to expand territory or influence.

totalitarianism

A system of government where a dictator or single party exerts total control over every aspect of public and private life.

Joseph Stalin

Totalitarian dictator of the Soviet Union (USSR) during World War II who led the communist nation against Nazi Germany.

Benito Mussolini

Fascist dictator of Italy who created the first modern fascist state and allied with Nazi Germany during World War II.

Fascism

A right-wing totalitarian political ideology characterized by extreme nationalism, militarism, dictatorial power, and suppression of opposition.

Adolf Hitler

Leader of the Nazi Party and totalitarian dictator of Germany whose aggressive expansionism and racial theories sparked World War II and the Holocaust.

anti-Semitic

Systemic prejudice, discrimination, hatred, or violence directed specifically against Jewish people.

Spanish Civil War

A 1936–1939 conflict between Nationalist rebels (led by Franco) and the elected Republican government; served as a testing ground for WWII military tactics by Germany and Italy.

General Francisco Franco

Fascist military dictator of Spain who led the Nationalists to victory in the Spanish Civil War with German and Italian support.

appeasement

The policy of giving in to the demands of an aggressive power (such as Hitler's Germany) in the hope of maintaining peace and avoiding war.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The 32nd U.S. President who led the nation through the Great Depression and most of World War II, elected to an unprecedented four terms.

Anschluss

The 1938 forced political union and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany.

Neville Chamberlain

Prime Minister of Great Britain who championed the policy of appeasement toward Hitler, signing the Munich Pact in 1938.

Munich Pact

A 1938 agreement between Britain, France, and Germany that allowed Hitler to annex Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland in exchange for a pledge of no further territorial expansion.

blitzkrieg

"Lightning war"—a German military tactic using rapid, coordinated air and ground attacks with tanks and infantry to overwhelm defenses.

Axis Powers

The alliance of nations during World War II led primarily by Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Allies

The coalition of nations led by Great Britain, the Soviet Union, the United States, and China that fought against the Axis Powers.

Winston Churchill

Prime Minister of Great Britain throughout most of World War II, known for his resolute leadership and opposition to Nazi aggression.

Neutrality Act of 1939

U.S. legislation that lifted the arms embargo and introduced the "cash-and-carry" policy, allowing warring nations to buy U.S. weapons if they paid cash and used their own ships.

Charles Lindbergh

Famous aviator and prominent isolationist leader who urged the U.S. to stay out of WWII as a key spokesperson for the America First Committee.

Tripartite Pact

The 1940 mutual defense agreement signed by Germany, Italy, and Japan that officially formed the Axis alliance.

Lend-Lease Act

A 1941 U.S. law allowing the President to sell, lend, or lease military equipment to any nation deemed vital to the defense of the United States.

Atlantic Charter

A 1941 joint declaration issued by FDR and Churchill outlining Allied postwar goals, including self-determination, free trade, and global peace.

Hideki Tojo

General who served as Prime Minister of Japan during WWII and ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor

A surprise Japanese military strike on December 7, 1941, against the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, directly forcing the U.S. to enter World War II.

George Marshall

U.S. Army Chief of Staff who organized and expanded the American military during WWII and oversaw global Allied strategy.

Women’s Army Corps (WAC)

The auxiliary female branch of the U.S. Army established in 1942, enabling women to serve in non-combat military roles.

Douglas MacArthur

General who commanded U.S. Army forces in the Pacific Theater, famously vowing to return to the Philippines and accepting Japan's eventual surrender.

Bataan Death March

The 1942 grueling 65-mile forced march of around 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war by the Japanese military, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Battle of Coral Sea

A 1942 naval battle fought entirely with aircraft launched from carriers; it stopped the Japanese advance toward Australia.

Dwight Eisenhower

Supreme Allied Commander in Europe who planned and executed Operation Overlord (D-Day) and coordinated Allied campaigns in Europe.

George S. Patton, Jr.

Flamboyant and aggressive U.S. Army general who commanded mechanized field forces in North Africa, Sicily, and across France into Germany.

Omar Bradley

Senior U.S. Army commander who led American ground forces in North Africa, Sicily, and during the Normandy landings and drive into Western Europe.

unconditional surrender

Giving up completely in a conflict without any guarantees or negotiated terms.

saturation bombing

The tactic of dropping massive quantities of unguided bombs over a broad area to inflict maximum destruction on a city or area.