World War 2 Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for World War 2 Study Guide.

Fascism

Far right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forced suppression of opposition.

Nazi

Far right racist and anti-Semitic party led by Adolf Hitler, feeding off German anger to gain votes.

Aryan

People considered part of the “superior race”: White, German, blonde, blue-eyed, athletic.

Genocide

The deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.

Luftwaffe

Largest and most formidable Air Force in all of Europe, used in combined arms tactics with the German military.

Propaganda

A message intended primarily to serve the interests of the messenger, spreading information to influence public opinion.

Blitzkrieg

Known as the “lightning war,” requiring concentrated offensive weapons (tanks, planes, artillery) to cause shock and disorientation among enemy defenses.

Operation Dynamo

Evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and other Allied troops from Dunkirk to England.

Ardennes Forest

Forest located in southeastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg, used by Germany to invade France.

Antisemitism

Hatred or discrimination against Jews; often associated with stereotypes such as being money hungry or greedy.

BlueBirds

Canadian nursing sisters that helped save lives, even going into the front line of fire.

Operation Overlord

Code name for the invasion of Normandy, formally known as D-Day.

Atomic Bomb

The first nuclear weapons created, specifically the two bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Manhattan Project

Research and development program during WW2 to produce the first nuclear weapons.

Reichstag Fire

German parliament building burnt down and the nazi party used it to withdraw many civil liberties under declaration of a national emergence. This event was blamed on the communists and the origin of the fire is still unknown

Munich Agreement

Involved UK, Italy, Germany, and France in aim to prevent world war and end the territorial expansion pursued by many leaders

Internment Camps

Facilities where people of Japanese descent were forced to go to that were brutal and form of punishment and imprisonment

Adolf Hitler

German War Veteran that originally failed as an art student. He fed off the anger of the German people and blamed democracy and other European nations for Germany's downfall. He also uses the Jewish population as a scapegoat for the problems of the German people

Joseph Stalin

Dictator of the Soviet Union during the war and became a crucial member of the allied powers with the US and the UK

Benito Mussolini

Leader of Italy during WW2 and founded the fascist regime and allied with Germany but also had poor military leadership and unpopular rule which led to his downfall

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Supreme commander of the allied expeditionary force leading operation overlord and the 34th president of the US. Important figure in D-day

Bernard Montgomery

British commander of the army group commanded all group forces in the initial stages of the invasion. Important figure in D-day

Erwin Rommel

German field marshal in charge of defending the French coast known for “desert FOx” meaning quick and sudden successful attacks against the allies in Africa. Important figure in D-day

Winston Churchill

Prime Minister of the Uk and he lead them through the darkest hours with powerful speeches, determined leadership and refusal to surrender to Germany. He also played a major part in shaping the UN and post war peace efforts

Hirohito

Emperor of Japan and was head of state. He remained a symbol of Japan's unity during the war but he did not stop the war effort. He was apart of the attack on Pearl Harbor throughout the entire war.

Mackenzie King

Prime minister of Canada during the war and held that country balanced support for the allies with efforts to maintain national unity. He became the key supplier of food, weapons and vehicles

Franklin D. Roosevelt

President of the United States during the war and lead the country from isolation to full involvement in the war and helped shape the allied victory and the post war world.

Elise MacGill

She was the chief engineer at Canadian car and foundry saw over 1400 hurricanes and was the first woman to design aircraft used in combat. Nicknames the queen of hurricanes and became of her impact of Canada's war effort

Sedan

German breakthrough at Sedan and was captured without resistance for the Germans defeated the French. German Luftwaffe bombing and low morale prevented the French defenders from destroying the bridgeheads. Made the attack fast

Belgium & Netherlands

Germany invaded Belgium and Netherlands as a plan to distract allied forces from the quick attack through the Ardennes. The Dutch surrendered after 4 days but Belgium held out for longer. The attack was all apart of a larger strategy for the downfall of France

Dunkirk

After Germany invaded France, British and French troops were trapped near the coast at Dunkirk and there was a massive evacuation called operation dynamo where many soldiers were rescued. It was a major retreat but seen as a heroic escape

Paris

German forces went into Paris during their rapid invasion of France. The French government already evacuated and the city was declared open. There was no major battle since the Germans took the city without much resistance and a few days later France surrendered

Pearl Harbor

Japan launched a surprise attack on the US naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and destroyed ships and aircrafts while also killing many people. The goal was to weaken the Pacific fleet and the next day US declared war on Japan officially started ww2

Midway

Major naval battle in the pacific where the us defeated japan

Stalingrad

One of the deadliest battles was fought between Germany and

D-Day

Was a day of allied invasion of nazi occupied France and launched on the beaches of Normandy. Was marked as the largest seaborn invasion in history. Was marked the beginning of liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control

The Pacific War

Fought between Japan and the allied powers (mainly us), after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It included battles like mid-way. The war ended after US dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and forced Japan to surrender

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

In the final days of WW2, the US dropped atomic bombs on these two cities that caused death immediately as well as later death due to the radiation. This caused Japan to then later surrender

Britain

Battle between Germany and the British Air Force. Germany tried to gain air control in preparation to invade Britain and the Britains resisted, It was the first major deaf ear in Hitlers forces and Britain remained unconcerned

The allies

US UK Soviet Union CHina France and Canada

The Axis

Germany Italy Japan

Brown Shirts

Hitler's paramilitary group of WW1 veterans that protected the Nazi party and were violent to anyone who opposed them.

Kristallnacht

Violent attack on Jews in Germany where synagogues, homes, and businesses were destroyed and thousands of Jews were arrested or killed. Marked a turning point from discrimination to organized, state-supported violence leading to the Holocaust.

Maginot Line

France's heavily fortified defense strategy along the German border that failed to protect the country, leading to a quick invasion and defeat by Germany.

Juno Beach

One of the 5 landing ports that was used on D-day where Canadian forces landed in Normandy, France. Canadian troops successfully captured the beach despite heavy resistance and it was also the turning point of liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control

The Manhattan Project

Secret us-led research program during the war that helped develop the first atomic bombs and it involved scientists from the u.s, Canada, and the u.k. It led to the creation of two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to force japan to surrender it also led to the nuclear age where there are ethnically concerns about nuclear weapons

Fascism

A political system that promotes a strong, centralized government led by a dictator, where individual freedoms are limited and nationalism, militarism, and loyalty to the state are emphasized.

Propaganda

The use of biased or misleading information to influence public opinion or to control what other people think.

D-Day invasion at Normandy

Marked the turning point of the war in Western Europe. The success of D-Day forced Germany to fight a two front war, weakening military strength and set the stage for the final defeat of Germany.