Interwar Period and World War II Vocabulary Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the rise of totalitarianism, the Great Depression, and major events of World War II based on the lecture transcript.

1935 Nuremberg Laws

Legislation that stripped German Jews of their citizenship, denied them basic rights, and forbade them from marrying non-Jews.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The U.S. President who introduced the New Deal legislation to combat the Great Depression.

Reichstag Fire

An event that helped Adolf Hitler and the Nazis take control of the German government in 1933 after he was appointed chancellor.

Soviet Collectivization

A policy under Stalin where all farmland was owned by the government.

Joseph Stalin

The Soviet leader who maintained power by getting rid of anyone who threatened his authority.

Fascism

A political movement established by Benito Mussolini that promoted extreme nationalism, obedience to the state, and dictatorship.

WPA, CCC, and TVA

Three groups or programs established by President Roosevelt under his New Deal legislation.

Kulaks

Soviet peasants who responded to the collectivization movement by refusing to follow Stalin.

Kristallnacht

An event involving the destruction of thousands of Jewish businesses and synagogues.

Stalin's Five Year Plans

Economic goals set with the specific aim to industrialize the Soviet Union.

Stock Market Crash of 1929

The event caused by over-speculation and buying stocks on margin that marked the beginning of the Great Depression.

Weimar Republic

The German government that many citizens felt betrayed by because it accepted full blame for WWI and oversaw a destroyed economy.

September 1, 1939

The significant date marking Germany's invasion of Poland and the start of World War II.

D-Day

The Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944; the "D" stands for Day.

Nagasaki

The city upon which the second atomic bomb ever used in warfare was dropped.

V-J Day

The nickname referring to the end of the war in the Pacific.

V-E Day

The nickname referring to the end of the war in Europe.

Kamikaze

Japanese suicide pilots who crashed into enemy ships, demonstrating values of loyalty and sacrifice for the emperor.

December 7, 1941

The date Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, described as "a date which will live in infamy."

Rhineland, Sudetenland, and Anschluss

Three European regions or designations acquired by Hitler before the official start of WWII.

Final Solution

The Nazi plan to exterminate Europe's Jews, which led to the Holocaust.

Neville Chamberlain

The leader who advocated for the policy of "appeasement" toward Hitler before the start of WWII.

Arbeit Macht Frei

A phrase meaning "Work Sets You Free," placed above concentration camp gates to trick Jews into thinking labor was freedom.

Lost Generation

A group of writers and authors including John Steinbeck, James Joyce, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Il Duce

The title used by Benito Mussolini.

Axis Powers

The alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Isolationism

The U.S. policy after WWI intended to avoid involvement in England's and Europe’s conflicts.

Surrealism, Cubism, and Dadaism

Three art movements from the early 20th century.

Appeasement

The policy where England believed Hitler would be satisfied after taking a single piece of land.

Nonaggression Pact

An agreement between the Nazis and Soviets that shifted the balance of power, allowing Hitler to call the shots.

Mein Kampf

A book expressing Adolf Hitler's political views; the title means "My struggle."

Lebensraum

A German term meaning "living space."

Third Reich

The Nazi regime in Germany led by Adolf Hitler.

Francisco Franco

The leader who fought for the Nationalists.

Blitzkrieg

A German military strategy that depended on attacking the weakest point of a defense.

Battle of Britain

A conflict where the British had advantages like Radar and the Royal Air Force, proving air power was crucial in modern warfare.

Battle of Midway

The turning point in the Pacific where Japan lost 4 aircraft carriers and their naval superiority ended.

Battle of the Bulge

The final German offensive of World War II in the West.

Nuremberg Trials

The post-WWII proceedings held to try Nazi leaders for war crimes.

Island Hopping

The Allied strategy in the Pacific involving the capture of key islands while bypassing heavily defended ones.

Lend-Lease Act

A U.S. policy that supplied weapons and materials to Allied nations while keeping the U.S. out of direct combat initially.

Bernard Montgomery

The general who led victorious troops in the Battle of El Alamein, turning the tide in North Africa.

Soviet Union

The nation that paid the greatest price in terms of the number of lives lost during WWII.

1933 Unemployment Rate

Approximately $25\%$ of the American workforce.

Leon Trotsky

The former Red Army general who was assassinated in Mexico City.

Phony War

Also known as the "Sitzkrieg."

Little Boy and Fat Man

The names of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Ghetto

A term that gained recognition during WWII and the Holocaust for areas under Nazi control.