WWII

Axis Powers

Alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II.

Allied Powers

Coalition of countries including the US, UK, USSR, and others fighting against the Axis.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister during World War II known for his leadership.

German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact (Nazi-Soviet Non Aggression Pact)

1939 agreement between Germany and the USSR to avoid military conflict.

Blitzkrieg

Tactical military strategy of rapid, surprise attacks using coordinated air and ground forces.

Lend-Lease Act

US program to supply Allied nations with war material during World War II.

Rosie the Riveter

Cultural icon representing women who worked in factories during World War II.

Pearl Harbor

US naval base in Hawaii attacked by Japan on December 7, 1941, leading to US entry into WWII.

Battle of Britain

Air campaign waged by Germany against the UK in 1940, marked by intense bombing.

Battle of Stalingrad

Turning point battle in 1942-1943 where Soviet forces defeated the German army.

Battle of El Alamein

Key battle in North Africa in 1942, leading to the defeat of Axis forces.

Battle of Midway

Crucial naval battle in 1942, where the US defeated Japan, shifting the balance in the Pacific.

Island Hopping

Military strategy employed by the Allies to capture strategic islands in the Pacific.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

32nd President of the United States, leading the country during most of WWII.

D-Day

June 6, 1944, Allied invasion of Normandy, France, to liberate Western Europe.

Dunkirk

Evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk, France, in 1940 under dire circumstances.

V-E Day

Victory in Europe Day, celebrated on May 8, 1945, marking the end of WWII in Europe.

Albert Einstein

Theoretical physicist known for the theory of relativity, significant in nuclear physics.

Manhattan Project

Secret US project during WWII to develop the atomic bomb.

Robert Oppenheimer

Scientific director of the Manhattan Project.

Trinity Test

First successful test of an atomic bomb on July 16, 1945, in New Mexico.

Luftwaffe

German air force during World War II.

Kamikaze

Japanese suicide pilots who attacked Allied ships during WWII.

Hiroshima

Japanese city where the first atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945.

Nagasaki

Japanese city where the second atomic bomb was dropped on August 9, 1945.

Firebombing

Air raids that use incendiary bombs to cause destruction through fire.

Atomic Bomb

Nuclear weapon that releases enormous energy through nuclear reactions.

V-J Day

Victory over Japan Day, marking the official surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945.

Big Three

Leaders of the US, UK, and USSR during WWII: FDR, Churchill, and Stalin.

Tehran Conference

1943 meeting between the Big Three to discuss the strategy against Axis Powers.

Yalta Conference

1945 meeting where the Big Three planned the post-war reorganization of Europe.

Potsdam Conference

Post-WWII meeting in 1945 to negotiate terms for the end of the war.

Nuclear Proliferation

Spread of nuclear weapons and technology to countries other than the main powers.

Total War Economy

Economy organized to support a war effort, prioritizing military production and resources.