history

Dictatorship

A government where one person has all the power and controls everything without anyone being able to stop them.

Totalitarianism

A system where the government controls every part of life, including what people think and do, with no freedom or opposition.

Fascism

A strict, nationalist government led by a dictator who forces people to obey and suppresses anyone who disagrees. It often includes military control and extreme pride in the country.

Appeasement

When one country gives in to the demands of another country to avoid conflict or war.

Mein Kampf

A book written by Adolf Hitler called 'My Struggle' where he explained his racist beliefs and plans for Germany, including his hatred for Jews.

Concentration Camp

A place where people, especially Jews, were imprisoned and forced to work under horrible conditions, often leading to death.

Total War

A type of war where a country uses all its resources (money, people, and materials) for fighting, with everyone in the country involved.

Nazi Party

The political group led by Adolf Hitler in Germany that promoted racist and nationalist ideas and caused World War II and the Holocaust.

Anti-Semitism

Hatred or discrimination against Jewish people.

Gestapo

The secret police in Nazi Germany who used fear and violence to control people and punish anyone who opposed the government.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

32nd U.S. president (1933-1945), led the country through the Great Depression and WWII.

Adolf Hitler

Dictator of Nazi Germany (1933-1945), started WWII and orchestrated the Holocaust.

Benito Mussolini

Fascist leader of Italy (1922-1943), allied with Hitler in WWII.

Joseph Stalin

Soviet leader (1920s-1953), ruled with repression and played a key role in WWII after being invaded by Germany.

Winston Churchill

UK Prime Minister during WWII, led Britain to victory against Nazi Germany.

Neutrality Act

U.S. laws in the 1930s to avoid involvement in foreign conflicts.

Lend-Lease Act

1941 U.S. law providing military aid to Allied nations during WWII.

Blitzkrieg

German 'lightning war' strategy using fast, overwhelming attacks.

The Four Freedoms

FDR's 1941 goals: freedom of speech, worship, from want, and from fear.

Atlantic Charter

1941 agreement between the U.S. and UK outlining post-WWII goals, including peace and self-determination.

Bataan Death March

After American and Filipino troops surrendered to Japan in 1942, they were forced to march about 65 miles to prison camps. Many died from starvation, sickness, or abuse.

Battle of Coral Sea

In May 1942, the U.S. and Japan fought a major naval battle. It was important because it stopped Japan from taking over New Guinea, marking the first big defeat for Japan in the Pacific.

Doolittle Raid

In April 1942, U.S. bombers attacked Japan for the first time, boosting American morale and showing Japan that they were vulnerable to air attacks.

Japanese Aggression

Japan started invading other countries in Asia in the 1930s, wanting to expand its empire. This included invading China and attacking Pearl Harbor, which led to the U.S. joining WWII.

Aircraft Carriers

These ships carried airplanes into battle and were very important in WWII, especially in the Pacific, because they allowed planes to attack far from land.

War Production Board

This U.S. government agency helped make sure there were enough supplies and weapons for the military during WWII by turning factories into war production sites.

Liberty Ships

These were cargo ships built quickly during WWII to carry supplies and soldiers across the ocean to support the war effort.

Women's Army Corps (WAC)

This was a group of women who joined the U.S. Army in non-combat roles like clerks and drivers, freeing up men to fight in the war.

Ford Motor Company

Ford helped produce war materials during WWII, like tanks and airplanes, by converting their factories to make things needed for the military.

American Production

The U.S. produced huge amounts of weapons, vehicles, and supplies during WWII, helping to win the war by supporting both American soldiers and their allies.

Unconditional Surrender

When a country gives up without any conditions or demands. Both Germany and Japan had to surrender this way in WWII.

Saturation Bombing

Dropping a lot of bombs over a wide area to cause maximum destruction, usually to enemy cities or military targets.

Strategic Bombing

Targeting important military places like factories and transportation to weaken the enemy's ability to fight.

Tuskegee Airmen

A group of African American pilots who fought in WWII and became famous for their courage and skill.

Kamikaze

A tactic used by Japan where pilots flew planes into enemy ships on purpose, often to die in the attack.

Battle of Midway

A major battle between the U.S. and Japan in 1942 that was a big victory for the U.S., helping to turn the war in the Pacific in their favor.

Bracero Program

A program where the U.S. allowed Mexican workers to come to America during WWII to work in farms and railroads because there were not enough workers.

Rationing

Limiting how much food, gas, and other goods people could buy during the war so there would be enough for soldiers.

Propaganda

Messages or ads used to influence people's opinions, often to support the war effort or hate the enemy.

Rosie the Riveter

A famous image of a woman working in a factory during WWII, showing how women helped by doing jobs that men usually did when they went off to war.

A. Philip Randolph

An African American labor leader who fought for fair treatment of workers and led the March on Washington in 1941.

Zoot Suit Riots

Violent clashes in Los Angeles in 1943 between U.S. soldiers and young Mexican Americans, sparked by tensions over their 'zoot suits' and racial prejudice.

Civil liberties

Basic rights and freedoms. During WWII, Japanese Americans had their rights violated through internment camps, even though there was no proof of disloyalty.

War bonds

Sold by the U.S. government during WWII to raise money for the war. Citizens were encouraged to buy them as a patriotic act.

Internment camps

Places where over 100,000 Japanese Americans were forced to live during WWII, due to fear of espionage, despite no evidence of wrongdoing.

Office of War Information

A government agency that spread information to support the war effort, including propaganda through films, radio, and posters.

United Service Organizations

Created to provide entertainment and support to U.S. soldiers during WWII, with famous entertainers performing for the troops.

Executive Order 8802

This executive order, signed by President Roosevelt in 1941, banned racial discrimination in defense industries, ensuring fair employment practices.

Victory Gardens

Personal gardens where Americans grew their own food during WWII to help conserve resources and support the war effort.

D-Day

A massive Allied invasion on June 6, 1944, when soldiers from the U.S., UK, and other countries landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, to fight the German soldiers.

Battle of the Bulge

In December 1944, the Nazis launched a surprise attack in the snow-covered forests of Belgium, creating a 'bulge' in the Allied lines but were eventually defeated.

Harry S. Truman

He became president after Franklin D. Roosevelt died in 1945 and decided to drop atomic bombs on Japan to end the war quickly and save lives.

Manhattan Project

This was a secret U.S. program during World War II to create the first atomic bomb. Scientists worked in secret labs to develop this powerful new weapon.

J. Robert Oppenheimer

He was the leader of the Manhattan Project and is known as the 'father of the atomic bomb.' He oversaw the scientists who built the first bombs.

Navajo Code Talkers

These were Native American soldiers who used the Navajo language to send secret messages during the war. The Germans and Japanese couldn't understand the code, which helped the U.S. win battles.

Albert Einstein

He was a famous scientist who didn't work directly on the atomic bomb but wrote a letter to President Roosevelt warning him that Germany might be trying to build one. This letter helped start the Manhattan Project.

Hiroshima

On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion killed tens of thousands and caused huge damage, leading to Japan's surrender.

Nagasaki

Just three days after Hiroshima, on August 9, 1945, the U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. This led Japan to surrender, ending World War II.

Operation Overlord

This was the code name for the D-Day invasion and the whole plan to free Europe from Nazi control. It was one of the largest military operations in history, involving thousands of soldiers, ships, and planes.

Holocaust

The systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by Nazi Germany and its allies and collaborators during World War II (1939-1945). It also targeted other groups, including Roma, disabled individuals, and political dissidents.

Nuremberg Laws

A set of laws introduced in Nazi Germany in 1935 to institutionalize many of the racial theories espoused by the Nazis. The laws defined who was considered Jewish, restricted the rights of Jews, and laid the foundation for further discriminatory policies, including prohibitions against marriage or sexual relations between Jews and non-Jews.

Kristallnacht

Also known as the 'Night of Broken Glass,' this was a violent pogrom against Jews in Nazi Germany and Austria on November 9-10, 1938. Jewish businesses, homes, and synagogues were destroyed, and many Jews were arrested or killed. It marked a significant escalation in the Nazi regime's anti-Semitic policies.

Genocide

The deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group. The Holocaust is considered one of the most horrific examples of genocide in history, where millions of Jews, as well as other minorities, were systematically exterminated by the Nazis.

Death Camp

A type of concentration camp specifically designed for the mass murder of prisoners. The most notorious death camps were part of the 'Final Solution,' the Nazi plan to exterminate the Jewish population. Camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, and Sobibor were designed for industrial-scale killing, primarily through gas chambers.

War Refugee Camp

Temporary camps set up to house individuals fleeing the horrors of war, particularly Jews and others persecuted by the Nazis. Many refugees lived in overcrowded, poor conditions and were vulnerable to disease and violence. Some camps were also used by the Allies after the war to house displaced persons.

Jude

The German word for 'Jew.' During the Holocaust, the Nazis used this term to mark Jews, especially with yellow Star of David badges that Jews were forced to wear as a way to identify them in public.

Containment

Containment was a U.S. foreign policy aimed at stopping the spread of communism after World War II.

Iron Curtain

The Iron Curtain was a term popularized by Winston Churchill to describe the division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe.

McCarthyism

McCarthyism refers to the anti-communist hysteria in the United States during the early 1950s.

Red Scare

The Red Scare was a period of intense fear of communism in the United States, especially in the late 1940s and 1950s.

NATO

NATO is a military alliance formed in 1949 between the United States, Canada, and several Western European countries.

Marshall Plan

The Marshall Plan was a U.S. economic aid program launched in 1948 to help rebuild European nations after WWII.

HUAC

HUAC was a congressional committee created to investigate suspected communist activity in the U.S. during the Cold War.

Satellite State

A satellite state is a country that is formally independent but heavily influenced or controlled by another nation.

Truman Doctrine

Announced in 1947, the Truman Doctrine was a U.S. policy to support countries resisting communism.

Doctrine

The doctrine marked the beginning of the U.S.'s active role in global Cold War politics. It laid the foundation for the policy of containment.

Korean War

The Korean War (1950-1953) was a conflict between communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea, with the North supported by China and the USSR, and the South backed by the U.S. and the United Nations. It began when North Korea invaded the South in 1950. The war ended in a stalemate, with Korea remaining divided at the 38th parallel.

Espionage

Espionage, or spying, played a significant role during the Cold War as both the U.S. and USSR sought intelligence on each other. Agencies like the CIA and KGB carried out covert operations around the globe.

Ideology

During the Cold War, ideology referred to the clash between two opposing belief systems: capitalism and communism. The U.S. promoted democracy, free markets, and individual freedoms, while the USSR advocated for a classless society with state control over resources.

Berlin Airlift

The Berlin Airlift (1948-1949) was a U.S.-led operation to supply West Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked all ground routes into the city. Western powers flew in food, fuel, and supplies around the clock for nearly a year.

Communism

Communism is a political and economic ideology that promotes the elimination of class differences through collective ownership of property and the means of production. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union sought to spread communism around the world.

Proxy War

A proxy war is a conflict where major powers support opposing sides without directly fighting each other. The Korean and Vietnam Wars were examples, with the U.S. and USSR backing different factions.

Nuclear Proliferation

Nuclear proliferation refers to the spread of nuclear weapons to more countries beyond the original powers like the U.S. and USSR. It raised global concerns about nuclear war and led to treaties like the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Détente

Détente was a period in the 1970s when Cold War tensions between the U.S. and USSR eased. It included arms control agreements like SALT and increased diplomatic engagement.

U-2 Incident

The U-2 Incident (1960) occurred when a U.S. spy plane was shot down over Soviet territory in 1960. The pilot, Francis Gary Powers, was captured, and the U.S. was forced to admit to espionage.

Civil Defense

Civil defense refers to preparations made by governments and citizens to protect themselves in the event of nuclear war. In the U.S., this included building fallout shelters, conducting air raid drills, and issuing public information campaigns.