honors history ww2

Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic was the name of the German government from 1918 to 1933. It was a period of parliamentary democracy that followed the end of the German monarchy. 

German republic founded after the WWI and the downfall of the German Empire's monarchy.

-democratic government established in Germany after WWI, economic hardship, political instability, and the Treaty of Versailles, rise of hiter contributed to its collapse

hyperinflation

a rapid increase in prices that erodes the value of a currency

-one of the biggest effects of WWI on Germany, was caused by the war guilt clause and the treaty of Versailles after WWI, the government responded to war debt and economic struggles by printing more money which led to all money losing its value and prices soaring

war guilt clause

in treaty of Versailles; declared germany and austria responsible for WWI; ordered Germany to pay reparation to Allied powers

art of the treaty of Versailles that gave Germany all the blame for WWI, humiliated Germany and caused great economic struggles and social unrest 

reparations

payment to other countries for war damages

financial compensation Germany had to pay to the allies  as a result of the war guilt clause 

roaring 20s

a period of economic prosperity, social change, and cultural excitement in the United States and other Western countries from 1920 to 1929. The decade was marked by jazz music, flappers, and Prohibition. 

mohandas gandhi

encouraged Indians to practice civil disobedience and turn to the Vedas for wisdom. Despite this, India didn’t gain its independence until 1947.

promoted nonviolence resistance during indias struggle to gain independence from British colonial rule 

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

a founding father of turkey

-was a Turkish field marshal and a founding father of the Republic of Turkey, serving as its first president from 1923 until his death in 1938. He undertook sweeping progressive reforms, which modernized Turkey into a secular, industrializing nation. Ideologically a secularist and nationalist, his policies and socio-political theories became known as Kemalism.

the great depression

a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939, characterized by high unemployment, poverty, and failures in the banking and business sectors, originating in the United States after the stock market crash of 1929 and spreading worldwide. 

-worldwide economic downturn caused by the stock market crash on 10/9/1929, overproduction, bank failures, and tariffs on imports led to hyperinflation, economic and social instability

Franklin D Roosevelt

Elected president in America in 1932, he created the New Deal,  

The new deal

program developed by John F. Kennedy an economic reform designed to solve problems created by the Great Depression. Helped modernize American society and stabilize the ecomony. 

Fascism

A political movement that promotes an extreme form of nationalism, denial of individual rights, and dictatorial and one-party rule, dictatorship. 

-authoritative nationalistic system of government, emphisized totalitarian control, ultra nationalism, suppression, state controlled economy, used propaganda (rose in italy by mussolini after WWI

Benito mussolini

Italian Dictator and the founder of fascism, key ally to Adolf Hitler, was executed in 1945

adolf hitler

A dictator in Nazi Germany, and the leader of the Nazi Party, responsible for starting WW2 and the Holocaust, 

Nazism

The fascist policies of the National Socialist German Workers party, based on totalitarianism, believed in racial superiority and the state control of industry, Adolf Hitler solely believed in this. 

-also known as national socialism, believed in the superiority of the Aryan race which caused extreme antisemitism, nationalism, and racism, totalitarian dictatorship rule (Hitler), a state-controlled economy, and propaganda

Lebensraum

Hitler declared this in Germany, German for “Living Space” was Nazi policy, aimed at extending Germany’s territory, Hitler's main reason for ww2. 

-Germany word meaning living space, Hitler and the nazi party used this term to explain that the German people (Aryan race) needed more territory to grow and prosper

enabling act

A law passed in Germany, That gave Adolf Hitler dictatorship power, and allowed him to rule without the Reichstag (Parliament), marked the end of democracy in Germany

storm troopers

Also known as the “Brownshirts” used violence and intimidation to help Hitler rise to power by attacking political opponents, they lost power to the SS

-Sturmabteilung (SA) also known as brown shirts, promoted and enforced nazi ideologies with violence, disrupt and kill rival groups, and used violence and intimidation against communist and socialist 

-Schutzstaffel (SS) combat troops who fought in the war, ran concentration camps and maintained order

SS

Hitler’s elite Nazi force was responsible for running the concentration camps, and carrying out the holocaust. they feared brutality.

Nuremburg laws

Racist laws passed in Nazi Germany in 1935, took rights from Jewish people, and soon led to the holocaust

Anschluss

This was when Germany took over Austria Hungry and wanted Austria to be a part of Germany, the people in Austria spoke German

The Anschluss was the Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938. It was Nazi Germany's first act of territorial aggression. 

Sudetenland

A German-speaking region in western Czechoslovakia, Germany took over (Britain and France gave in to avoid war-appeasement policy) Hilter said the Germans there were being mistreated. 

appeasement

This was when Britain and France gave into Germany’s commands before WW2 to avoid war, military tactics created to cause massive fires and destruction

• accepting unwanted compromises in order to avoid conflict

axis powers

Germany, Italy, and Japan

Francisco Franco

A Spanish military general and dictator who ruled Spain from 1939-1975. He led the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. established fascist dictatorship. 

• Allied with Hitler to win the civil war in Spain and Hitler bombed Spains people, particularly in the bombing of Guernica, a devastating event that showcased Nazi aerial warfare tactics;
  

Guernica

A town in northern Spain was bombed by Germany and Nazis and Italy on 1937 April 26. 

It was carried out at the Francisco Franco's rebel Nationalist faction by its allies, the Nazi

• a large 1937 oil painting by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso

The third Reich

This was Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler’s rule and was used to describe his vision of a powerful empire in Germany

• term used by nazi germany to reflect their ideology of racism, antisemitism, and ultranationalism and support the idea of the superiority of the Aryan race

Munich Conference

A meeting where France, Britain, and Germany, agreed to let Hitler take Sutetenland to avoid war. 

•  meeting with Britain,France,and Germany that allowed Hitler to annex Czech without any czech representation

  Appeasement-policy set in place to avoid another world war, satisfied hitlers demands to prevent war, Munich conference and Anschluss are examples of appeasement

  
  
  

Nazi-Soviet Non aggression pact

 a treaty signed between the Soviets and the Nazis, both countries agreed not to attack each other, or support if any other country attacks one another.

• agreement signed Between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to not attack each other or support attacks against each other, also divided poland and other territories

Blitzkrieg

This means lightning war in German, It was a military strategy used by Nazi Germany, it focused on rapid overwhelming attacks combining airpower, tanks, and mechanized infantry

• german word for lighting war which involved quick and aggressive attacks to prevent the same outcome of WWI

Operation Barbarossa

Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union which failed and marked a turning point in the war 

-This was Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the biggest invasion 

Winston Churchill

The prime minister of Great Britain was known for his leadership during WW2, and his refusal to surrender to Germany in WW2.

-British prime minister during World War II known for his leadership and speeches that  inspired Britain to continue fighting

Dunkirk

This was a huge evacuation when over 338,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated and surrounded by German forces, happened in Dunkirk, France

-evacuation of Allied Forces from Dunkirk France which saved over $330,000 soldiers despite being surrounded by German forces

Battle of Britain

A battle between Germany and Britain, fought between their air forces, was marked as Germany’s first defeat, this battle was also fought entirely in the air, between both of the countries' air forces. 

-air campaign between Royal Air Force and Luftwaffe where Britain successfully defeated the Germans 

Pearl Harbor

A surprise military attack on one of the United States naval bases by Japan was what caused the United States to enter WW2. December 7, 1941. 

• japan's attack on the U.S. military base which led to the US joining WWII

Total War

This is a type of war where a country uses all its resources on the war

• where all resources and people are put into war efforts Firebombing

Firebombing

military tactics created to cause massive fires and destruction

Propaganda

Biased/ misleading information used to shape public opinion

ration cards and war bonds

Used by governments during times of war to control the distribution of scarce sources, like food fuel, and clothing

Role of women in war (Axis vs. Allies)

Axis: believed women should be playing their roles as wives, mothers, cooks, etc

Allies: allowed women to serve a role in WW2. 

siege of leningrad

This was when Germany surrounded the city of Leningrad in Russia for nearly two and a half years, remembered as one of the worst hardships of WW2

Bengal Famine

A major food crisis in Britain and India killed around 3 million people due to starvation and diseases, floods, and other natural disasters reducing the food,  part of this was a “Man-Made Disaster” due to the governments

Holocaust

A genocide that took place in WW2, led by Adolf Hitler and his allies sought to exterminate the Jewish population, around 6 million Jews were killed, by the concentration camps and the Nazis  

Warsaw Ghetto

The largest ghetto established in Nazi, Germany during the Holocaust, it was located in the City of Warsaw, the capital of Poland, and ultimately was designed to exterminate Jews

Kristallnacht

Also known as the “Night of Broken Glass” a violent attack against the Jewish people in Germany and Austria, that took place November 9, 1938

The final plan

This was the Nazi’s plan to exterminate the Jews in Europe, this was their attempt to murder all Jews, 

Auschwitz

This was the largest concentration camp of the Holocaust, over 1 million Jews were killed there, Gas chambers were used there to murder people

Dwight Eisenhower

A key military leader during WW2, became the 34th president of the United States, led the allied forces to victory in Europe, oversaw D-Day and played a big role on the victory of WW2

US military leader during WWII who later became presedent, lead allied operations like d-day

Battle of Stalingrad

One of the most significant battles of WW2 took place in Stalingrad Russia, and marked the turning point of the war on the Eastern Front, a huge victory for the Societ Union and a Defeat for Germany, was the start of Hitler's campaign,  

manhattan project

 to technological advancements for the world A secret research development project during WW2, aimed at creating the atomic bomb

US secret project to develop the atomic bomb

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

These were 2 Japanese cities hit by atomic bombs, by the United States, these bombings played a crucial war in the surrender of Japan in WW2, and were the first and only bombs used in WW2. Nagasaki happened three days after Hiroshima. 

auschwitz

largest nazi concentration and extermination camps located in poland, about 1 million people died