AP World 7.6-7.7

Adolf Hitler

Leader of the German Nazi Party. His extreme views on the superiority of the Aryan race and his vision of a great German civilization led him to prosecute Jews and other minorities and to systemically seize land.

Weimer Republic

The democratically elected government that replaced the monarchical rule of the kaiser in Germany after WWI

Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”)

Hitler’s declaration of his extreme anti-Semitic views

Nazis

AKA The National Socialist German Worker’s Party. Came to power in Germany legally by winning elections

Reichstag

The German parliament building. It was burned by the Nazis and blamed on radical extremists to justify Hitler outlawing all other political parties and opposition.

scientific racism

a pseudoscientific theory that claimed that certain races were genetically superior to others

anti-Semitism

hostility towards Jews

Aryans

The race that Hitler declared was superior to all others. What he thought the German race was.

Nuremberg Laws

These laws designed to disenfranchise and discriminate against the Jews forbade marriage between Jews and non-Jews, stripped Jews of their citizenship, and unleashed a series of subsequent decrees that marginalized Jews.

Lebensraum

living space for Hitler’s new German Empire

Rome-Berlin Axis

a military pact between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy

Anti-Comintern Pact

A military alliance between Japan and Nazi Germany based on mutual distrust of communism

Axis Powers

The alliances among Germany, Japan, and Italy

Kristallnacht

The night that feelings of hostility, hatred, and distrust within Germany towards Jews broke out. Anti-Jewish riots broke out in response to the assassination of a German diplomat by a Jewish teenager. Thousands of Jews were attacked by rioters and arrested by the Nazis to be sent to concentration camps.

appeasement

a policy that Britain followed where it gave into Germany’s demands in hopes of keeping peace

Third Reich

Hitler’s plan for a new German Empire. This was also the official Nazi designation of the regime in Germany from 1933 to Germany’s defeat at the end of WWII.

Anschluss

the political union between Austria and Germany where Austria became part of the Third Reich

Sudetenland

A region of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by native German speakers. Hitler demanded it for his Third Reich.

Neville Chamberlain

A British Prime Minister that argued a policy of appeasement would keep the peace and put an end to Hitler’s demands for more land.

Munich Agreement

Allowed Hitler to annex the Sudetenland if he promised he wouldn’t take over any more Czech territory.

Danzig

A Polish port that Germany had some historical claims to. Hitler used it to justify his invasion of Poland.

German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact

An agreement between Nazi Germany and the USSR to not attack one another.

blitzkrieg

A highly effective strategy used by Hitler to quickly subdue his enemies. AKA “lightning war”

Vichy

The capital of the French pro-Nazi regime.

Destroyers-for-Bases Agreement

an agreement between Britain and the United States where the US promised to deliver 50 destroyers in exchange for eight British air and naval bases in the Western Hemisphere.

Lend-Lease Act

An act where the United States gave up all pretensions of neutrality by lending war materials to Britain

Atlantic Charter

set the US’ and Britain’s goals for a post-war world.

Luftwaffe

the German air force

Battle of Britain

a military campaign where the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy defended Britain from large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany’s air force, Britain’s victory was one of the most significant victories during the war.

Winston Churchill

The Prime Minster of Britain throughout WWII.

Siege of Leningrad

A three-year-long siege on the city of Leningrad by Nazi forces, ultimately resulted in a Soviet victory.

Pearl Harbor

A major US naval base that was attacked by Japan early in the war. Prompted the US to enter the War fighting both the Nazis and Japan.

Erwin Rommel

The Nazi General who led the campaign on Egypt.

Battle of El Alamein

A turning point in the European Theater. The British defeated General Erwin Rommel’s forces in Egypt.

Battle of Stalingrad

A battle in which a Soviet counteroffensive defeated Hitler’s Sixth Army.

Battle of the Coral Sea

The first Allied victory against Japan, when the US Navy defeated a Japanese fleet headed to invade New Guinea.

Battle of Midway Island

A battle in the Pacific theater where US naval forces destroyed four Japanese aircraft carriers.

Guadalcanal

The location of the first major Allied offensive against the Japanese.

Douglas MacArthur

The US General in charge of the Pacific Theater

island-hopping

An Allied strategy in the pacific where the Allies attacked islands where Japan was weak and skipped Islands where they were strong to get closer to mainland Japan. Worked slowly but surely.

aircraft carriers

a critical piece of ship technology during WWII in the pacific theater, provided air support for battleships.

D-Day

an amphibious invasion from England onto the Beaches of Normandy to finally break into German-controlled France. Led by General Eisenhower. Was successful but with high casualties.

Battle of the Bulge

a major German offensive campaign in the densely forested Ardennes region. An allied victory solidified the allies as the imminent winners of the war.

Battle of Kursk

The largest tank battle in the war. The Soviets defeated the German offensive towards Moscow and then quickly advanced towards Berlin

V-E Day

Victory in Europe Day

Hiroshima

The Japanese city where the first atomic bomb was dropped.

Nagasaki

The Japanese city where the second atomic bomb was dropped three days after the first.

V-J Day

Victory over Japan Day