7D World War II (part 2)

Appeasement

A policy of making concessions to an aggressor in the hopes of avoiding war. Associated with Neville Chamberlain's policy of making concessions to Adolf Hitler.

Auschwitz

Nazi extermination camp in Poland, the largest center of mass murder during the Holocaust. Close to a million Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and others were killed there.

Blitzkrieg

a method of offensive warfare designed to strike a swift, focused blow at an enemy using mobile, maneuverable forces, including armored tanks and air support.

fascism

A political system headed by a dictator that calls for extreme nationalism and racism and no tolerance of opposition

genocide

the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.

ghettos

Crowded and confined sections of towns and cities in which Jews were forced to live.

holocaust

A methodical plan orchestrated by Hitler to ensure German supremacy. It called for the elimination of Jews, non-conformists, homosexuals, non-Aryans, and mentally and physically disabled.

Island Hopping Campaign

US strategy to reach mainland Japan by capturing key islands

Josef Mengele

The "Angel of Death" of Auschwitz known for his medical experimentation, especially on twins, and his decisions as to who would die.

Joseph Goebbels

Nazi minister of propaganda under Adolf Hitler. He was instrumental in convincing the German people to support the Nazi regime and maintained their support during World War II.

Kristallnacht

(Night of the Broken Glass) November 9, 1938, when mobs throughout Germany destroyed Jewish property and terrorized Jews.

Lebensraum

Hitler's expansionist theory based on a drive to acquire "living space" for the German people

Luftwaffe

the German air force before and during World War II

Mein Kampf

"My Struggle"- a book written by Adolf Hitler during his imprisonment in 1923-1924, in which he set forth his beliefs and his goals for Germany

Nanjing Massacre / Rape of Nanjing

(1937) the murder of as many as 300,000 Chinese men, women, and children by Japanese troops

Nuremberg Laws

1935 laws defining the status of Jews and withdrawing citizenship from persons of non-German blood.

Nuremberg Trials

A series of court proceedings after World War II in which Nazi leaders were tried for violations of the rules of war, and crimes against humanity.

Propaganda

information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

Total War

A conflict in which the participating countries devote all their resources to the war effort. It affects the lives of all citizens in the warring countries, even those remote from the battlefields.

V-E Day

May 8, 1945; victory in Europe Day when the Germans surrendered

V-J Day

"Victory over Japan day" is the celebration of the Surrender of Japan, which was initially announced on August 15, 1945