World War 2

Treaty of Versailles

Harsh penalties imposed on Germany after WWI, leading to resentment and economic hardship.

Great Depression

Economic instability in the 1930s that contributed to the rise of totalitarian leaders.

Fascism

Totalitarian ideology emphasizing nationalism and military strength, led by figures like Hitler and Mussolini.

Appeasement

Policy of conceding to aggressive demands to avoid conflict, exemplified by the Munich Agreement.

Blitzkrieg

"Lightning war" tactic used by Germany for rapid military conquest.

Battle of Britain

Germany’s failed air campaign to subdue Britain in 1940.

Pearl Harbor

Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii in 1941, prompting U.S. entry into WWII.

D-Day

Allied invasion of Normandy, France, in 1944, marking a turning point in Europe.

Holocaust

Systematic extermination of 6 million Jews and millions of others by Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1945.

Final Solution

Nazi plan to eliminate all Jews in Europe through mass murder.

Atomic Bomb

Weapon developed under the Manhattan Project that ended the war in the Pacific.

Non-Aggression Pact

Agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union to divide Poland, later broken by Germany.

Yalta Conference

Meeting of Allied leaders in 1945 to plan post-war Europe.

Potsdam Conference

Final meeting of Allied leaders demanding Japan’s unconditional surrender.

Totalitarianism

Political system where the state holds total authority over society, exemplified by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

Island Hopping

U.S. strategy in the Pacific to capture key islands while bypassing fortified ones.

V-E Day

Victory in Europe Day, marked Germany’s surrender in 1945.

V-J Day

Victory over Japan Day, marking the end of WWII in 1945.