Unit 11

Munich Conference

France and Britain pledged to declare war against Germany if they attacked Poland.

Non-aggression pact

Hitler and Stalin agreed to split Poland between Russia and Germany in 1939.

Blitzkrieg

An intense military campaign for a swift victory, a German strategy in WWII.

Tripartite Pact

Signed in Berlin in 1940 between Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Pearl Harbor

Japan's surprise attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii on December 7, 1941.

Battle of Midway

U.S. victory sinking all Japanese aircraft carriers in the Pacific.

Island Hopping

Strategy to bypass powerful Japanese islands and focus on weaker ones.

Atomic Bomb

New weapon used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

Nazi Party

Led by Hitler, SS and Gestapo were key organizations enforcing Nazi ideology.

Holocaust

Systematic execution of over 6 million Jews during WWII.

Tehran Conference

First meeting between Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt during WWII.

Potsdam Conference

Meeting after Germany's defeat to decide post-war plans.

Marshall Plan

U.S. initiative to aid European recovery after WWII.

MacArthur's Plan

Occupation of Japan post-WWII to encourage democracy and growth.

United Nations

Formed after WWII to promote international cooperation and peace.

Berlin Wall

Constructed by the USSR to divide East and West Berlin during the Cold War.

NATO and Warsaw Pact

Military alliances formed in response to Cold War tensions.

How did Hitler’s invasion of Poland lead to the start of WWII?

France and Britain declared war on Germany, starting WWII

Why did Americans put Japanese Americans in interment camps during WWII?

The US Govt feared that Japanese Americans were a threat to national security after the bombing of Pearl Harbor

What is island hopping?

Moving from island to island, getting closer to Japan; Allied strategy for wining the war in the Pacific

What killed thousands of people instantly and then would also lead to the deaths of more people from the radiation?

Atomic Bomb

What US President decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan?

Truman

What US President declared war on Japan in response to Pearl Harbor?

FDR; Franklin Roosevelt

What were the theatres of WWII?

European, Pacific

Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?

Preemptive strike - Japan wanted to conquer the Pacific

What caused the Us to declare war on Japan in 1941?

The attack on Pearl Harbor

Which battle was the first major win for the allies in the Pacific?

Battle of Midway

Which battle was the last major offensive from the Axis powers during WWII?

Battle of the Bugle

What is another name for the Allied storming of the beaches of Normandy?

D-Day

What was the purpose of D-Day

To push the Germans out of France

What was the name given to May 8, 1945 when Hitler committed suicide and Berlin surrendered?

V-E Day

What was the was outcome of the Battle of Stalingrad?

The Soviet Union defeated the Germans

What was the Holocaust?

Hitler’s campaign for murdering Jews in death camps

Describe basic Nazi beliefs:

• Antisemitism

• Aryan superiority

• Fascist Govt

Who promoted anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination?

Adolf Hitler

What were the Nuremberg Laws?

Laws passed by Nazi to restrict the rights of Jews

What is a Genocide?

The mass murdering of an entire race

Who were the “Big 3” in WWII?

• Stalin

• Churchill

• FDR

What was the name given to Hitler’s plan to murder Jewish people in the world?

“The Final Solution”

What was decided at the Tehran Conference?

Decided open a second front against Germany in France (D-Day)

What was decided at the Yalta Conference?

Final meeting before the end of the war, disagreed about how to handle Poland and decided to divide Germany

What was decided at Potsdam Conference?

Held after Germany’s defeat; decided to allow Soviets to control Poland

How was the Soviet Union different from Britain and France during WWII?

The Soviets were communist and Britain and France were not

What was the Marshall Plan?

The US plan for aiding Europe in rebuilding after WWII

Why was NATO formed?

Formed by US and other allies to unite against communist countries like the Soviet Union

Which global network was created as a result of WWII?

The United Nations

Why was the Warsaw Pact formed?

A Soviet alliance; in response to NATO

What was MacArthur’s Plan for Japan?

Take direct control over Japanese government and military

How did the UN compare to the League of Nations?

The UN had access to military where as the League didn’t