American History II-Unit 6: World War II

Autocracy

a system of government by one person with absolute power.

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Representative Democracy

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.

Enabling Act of 1933

signed by Hindenburg, gave special powers to Hitler's government and enabled him and his cabinet to enact laws without the participation of the Reichstag

Causes of WWII

Treaty of Versailles, Failure of the League of Nations, Appeasement, Hitler's Actions

Anschluss

The union of Austria with Germany, resulting from the occupation of Austria by the German army in 1938.

WWII began with

Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939

Axis Powers

Germany, Italy, Japan

Allied Powers

Alliance of Great Britain, Soviet Union, United States, and France during World War II.

Blitzkrieg

"Lighting war", typed of fast-moving warfare used by German forces against Poland in 1939

Adolf Hitler

German Nazi dictator during World War II (1889-1945)

Mussolini

Italian fascist dictator (1883-1945)

Joseph Stalin

Communist dictator of the Soviet Union

Tojo

Military leader of Japan

Winston Churchill

Prime Minister of Great Britain during WWII

Charles de Gaulle

French general and statesman who became very popular during World War II as the leader of the Free French forces in exile (1890-1970)

Franklin D. Roosevelt

President of the US during Great Depression and World War II

Battle of Britain

A series of battles between German and British air forces, fought over Britain in 1940-1941; heavy bombing

Battle of France

Quick takeover of German forces in France; France fell to Nazi Germany

Miracle at Dunkirk

More than 300,000 troops were rescued from the harbor beaches by people in privately owned boats.

Battle of Pearl Harbor

a surprise military strike conducted by the Japanese navy against the United States' naval base in Hawaii; led to the U.S's involvement in World War II; December 7, 1941