WW2

Stalin influence on the Soviet Union

Joseph Stalin turned the USSR into a totalitarian state through forced industrialization, collectivization of farms, and widespread political purges that eliminated opposition.

Non- aggression pact

An agreement between countries promising not to attack each other, most notably the 1939 pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to avoid war temporaril

Spain & Francisco Franco’s importance

Francisco Franco led the Nationalists to victory in the Spanish Civil War, establishing a fascist dictatorship and showing how fascism was spreading in Europe before WWII.

Appeasement policy, adoption and implementation

Appeasement was Britain and France’s policy of giving in to some of Hitler’s demands to avoid war, such as allowing Germany to take the Sudetenland.

Blitzkrieg

A German military strategy meaning “lightning war” that used fast-moving tanks, planes, and infantry to quickly overwhelm enemies.

Genocide and the holocaust

Genocide is the deliberate killing of a group based on identity; the Holocaust was Nazi Germany’s genocide of six million Jews and millions of other victims during WWII.

Pearl Harbor

A surprise Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, which led the United States to enter World War II.

Battle of Stalingrad

A major WWII battle where the Soviet Union defeated Germany, marking a turning point by stopping the German advance in Eastern Europe. MAJOR TURNING POINT

V-E Day

Victory in Europe Day, celebrated on May 8, 1945, marking Germany’s surrender and the end of the war in Europe.

Decision to drop the bomb, made by…

The decision to use atomic bombs on Japan was made by President Harry S. Truman in 1945.

Where were the atomic bombs dropped

The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945).

Yalta conference

A 1945 meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin to plan the postwar division of Europe and the defeat of Germany.

Selective service system

The U.S. government program that drafted men into military service during World War II.

A. Phillip Randolph

A civil rights leader who pressured President Roosevelt to ban racial discrimination in defense industries through the threat of a massive march on Washington.

Battle of the Bugle

Germany’s last major offensive in Western Europe, which failed and weakened German forces, speeding up the Allied victory.

D-Day

June 6, 1944, when Allied forces invaded Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.

Impact of war jobs on African Americans

WWII war jobs increased employment opportunities for African Americans and helped fuel the Great Migration to northern cities.

What did the U. S. Do to combat war time inflation

The government used price controls, rationing, and encouraged citizens to buy war bonds.

W. A. C. Or W. A. A. C.

Women’s Army Corps ( women’s army auxiliary corps ) members served in non-combat military roles, freeing men for frontline duty and expanding women’s roles in the military.

Reasons behind Roosevelts decision to move Japanese Americans to concentration camps

After Pearl Harbor, fear of espionage and racism led the government to forcibly relocate Japanese Americans, despite no evidence of widespread disloyalty.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program created in 1947 that provided financial aid to help rebuild European economies after World War II and prevent the spread of communism.

Totalitarianism

A system of government in which the state has total control over society, including the economy, media, education, and citizens’ private lives, with no political opposition allowed.

Spanish Civil War

A conflict in Spain between Republicans and Nationalists that ended with Francisco Franco establishing a fascist dictatorship.

Anschluss

The 1938 annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, which violated the Treaty of Versailles.

Munich Pact

An agreement in which Britain and France allowed Germany to take the Sudetenland in hopes of preventing war.

Neutrality Act of 1939

A U.S. law passed at the start of World War II that allowed the United States to sell weapons to nations at war on a “cash-and-carry” basis, meaning buyers had to pay upfront and transport the goods themselves.

Tripartite pact

A 1940 agreement that formally allied Germany, Italy, and Japan as the Axis Powers and pledged mutual support.

Lend and lease act

A 1941 U.S. law that allowed the president to supply military aid to Allied nations without immediate payment to help fight Axis powers.

Atlantic charter

A 1941 statement by the U.S. and Britain outlining shared goals for the postwar world, including self-determination, free trade, and peace.

Hideki Tojo

Japan’s prime minister during much of World War II, he supported aggressive expansion and approved the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Douglass MacArthur

An American general who led Allied forces in the Pacific and famously vowed, “I shall return” after leaving the Philippines.

Bataan Death March

The forced march of American and Filipino prisoners by Japanese troops in 1942, during which many prisoners died from abuse and neglect.

Battle of the Coral Sea

A 1942 naval battle that stopped Japan’s advance toward Australia and was the first battle fought entirely by aircraft carriers.

Dwight Eisenhower

The Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during WWII who planned and led the D-Day invasion; he later became U.S. president.

George S. Patton Jr.

A bold and aggressive U.S. general known for leading Allied forces across North Africa and Europe.

Tuskegee airmen

The first African American military pilots in the U.S. Army Air Forces, who flew combat missions and proved their skill despite segregation

Battle of Midway

A decisive 1942 naval battle in which the U.S. defeated Japan, turning the tide of the war in the Pacific.