Unit 8, Part 3: World War II Period 4 (1914-present)

blitzkrieg

A military tactic used by Germany which means 'Lightning War,' involving fast, surprise attacks using planes, tanks, and trucks.

Katyn massacre

The mass execution of approximately 22,000 Polish army officers by Soviet forces, linked to the non-aggression pact with Germany.

Maginot Line

France's defensive fortifications built to prevent German invasion; ultimately breached during WWII.

Dunkirk

The location in France where British forces were trapped and later evacuated during WWII.

Winston Churchill

The Prime Minister of Britain known for his leadership during WWII and boosting British morale.

Battle of Britain

A major air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom in 1940.

Operation Barbarossa

The code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.

New Order

Hitler's ideology for the governance of Europe based on racial imperialism.

Nazi rule in 'Nordic' countries

The dominance of Nazi ideology in countries considered racially superior by the Nazis, often with puppet governments.

Vichy France

The regime of France that cooperated with Nazi Germany during WWII and was led by Henri Petain.

Henri Petain

The leader of Vichy France, a French general known for anti-Semitic policies.

Free France Movement

The political movement claiming to be the legitimate government of France and opposing Nazi rule, led by Charles de Gaulle.

White Rose Movement

An intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany, composed mainly of students advocating against Nazi occupation.

Tito

The leader of the Yugoslav partisans who resisted Nazi occupation and established a multi-ethnic socialist state.

Holocaust

The genocide of six million Jews and millions of others by the Nazis during World War II.

early Nazi euthanasia

The Nazi campaign involving the mercy killing of people deemed 'unworthy' of life, leading to the establishment of concentration camps.

Ghettos

Urban districts where Jews were confined to live under deplorable conditions during Nazi rule.

Einsatzgruppen

Mobile death squads responsible for mass killings, primarily of Jews, during the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

Final Solution

Nazi Germany’s plan for the systematic extermination of the Jewish population.

concentration camps

Detention centers where Jews and other targeted groups were imprisoned, exploited for labor, and often killed.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

The largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp, where hundreds of thousands were killed.

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

A 1943 revolt by Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto against Nazi liquidation efforts.

Primo Levi

An Italian Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor who documented his experiences in Auschwitz.

Nuremberg Laws

Racial laws enacted by Nazi Germany that stripped Jews of their rights and citizenship.

Wannsee Conference

A conference where Nazi officials planned the Final Solution, coordinating the logistics of the Holocaust.

Japanese racial-imperial ambitions

The ideology under the Japanese Empire that promoted Asian superiority and sought to liberate East Asia from Western colonial rule.

invasion of Manchuria

The 1931 Japanese military invasion of the northeastern region of China, which marked the start of aggressive expansion.

'Asia for Asians'

Japanese propaganda aimed at promoting liberation from Western influence and justifying imperial expansion.

Co-Prosperity Sphere

The Japanese-imposed concept of economic collaboration within Asia, which primarily served Japanese interests.

'comfort women'

Women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The President of the United States during the majority of World War II, known for his leadership and policy decisions.

Pearl Harbor

The 1941 surprise attack by Japan on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii that led to the U.S. entering WWII.

'war without mercy'

The brutal nature of the Pacific War characterized by extreme violence and dehumanizing racial tensions.

Grand Alliance

The coalition of the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom against the Axis powers during WWII.

'Europe first' policy

The Allied strategy of prioritizing the defeat of Nazi Germany before addressing the conflict in the Pacific.

El Alamein

A pivotal battle during WWII where Allied forces defeated Axis troops in North Africa.

bombings of civilian targets

The strategic bombardment of cities and civilian infrastructure to weaken morale and support for the war.

Battle of Stalingrad

A major turning point in WWII where Soviet forces decisively defeated the German army.

Destroy German 6th army, popular sentiment reflects non-violent ideas.

D-Day

The Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, marking the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe.

Dwight Eisenhower

The Supreme Commander of Allied forces during WWII, responsible for planning and executing D-Day.

Warsaw Uprising

An insurrection by the Polish resistance during WWII aiming to liberate Warsaw from German occupation.

island hopping

A military strategy employed by the Allies in the Pacific to capture key islands while bypassing heavily fortified ones.

Battle of Midway

A critical naval battle in which American forces decisively defeated the Japanese fleet.

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

The Japanese cities that were targeted with atomic bombs by the United States, leading to Japan's surrender.

atomic bomb

A powerful weapon of mass destruction developed during WWII, used by the U.S. against Japan.

Japanese internment camps

Facilities where Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated during WWII due to fear of espionage.

'Night Witches'

Female pilots in the Soviet Air Force who conducted daring night bombing raids against German forces.

Rape of Nanjing

The mass murder and rape of Chinese civilians by Japanese troops during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

American oil embargo

The U.S. restriction on oil exports to Japan, contributing to escalating tensions that led to the war.

human costs of WWII

The vast loss of life and impact on civilian populations during the war, estimated at around 50 million deaths.

internal post-war migration patterns

The movement of populations within Europe after WWII, particularly refugees seeking safety and stability.

displaced persons

Individuals who were forced to leave their homes during the war and struggled to find shelter afterward.

United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA)

An organization established to assist displaced persons after WWII and help rebuild affected areas.

German occupation zones

The divisions of Germany into four zones controlled by the U.S., U.K., France, and the Soviet Union after WWII.

collaborators

Individuals or groups who cooperated with occupying Nazi forces during the war.

denazification

The process of removing Nazi ideology and influence from German society and punishing those involved in the regime.

Nuremberg trials

A series of military tribunals held after WWII to prosecute prominent leaders of Nazi Germany.

Big Three

The leaders of the U.S., U.K., and USSR who negotiated post-war arrangements at various conferences.

Tehran Conference

A meeting of the Big Three to discuss strategies for defeating Germany and post-war plans.

Yalta Conference

A meeting where Allied leaders discussed the reorganization of post-war Europe and agreements on zones of influence.

Potsdam Conference

A meeting of Allied leaders where they addressed the post-war order and the administration of Germany.

Harry Truman

The President of the United States who succeeded Roosevelt and made key decisions during the Potsdam Conference.