World War 2

Leader of the Soviet Union known as the 'Man of Steel'.

Joseph Stalin

Great Depression

Economic crisis that contributed to the rise of dictators in Europe.

Purge trials

Political repressions and trials ordered by Stalin to eliminate opposition.

KGB

The main security agency for the Soviet Union.

Fascism

A far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power.

IL Duce

Title of Benito Mussolini, meaning 'The Leader'.

Nazi Germany

The regime led by Adolf Hitler, known for totalitarian practices and aggression.

Mein Kampf

Autobiographical book by Hitler outlining his ideology and political plans.

Lebensraum

Living space; the legal justification for Nazi expansion into Eastern Europe.

Operation Barbarossa

The code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during WWII.

Blitzkrieg

A military strategy that translates to 'lightning war' for rapid, surprise attacks.

Pearl Harbor

The location of a surprise military attack by Japan on the US naval base in 1941.

Manhattan Project

The secret US project to develop the atomic bomb during WWII.

Nuremberg Laws

Anti-Semitic laws in Nazi Germany that excluded Jews from citizenship.

Holocaust

The systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of Jews.

Battle of Britain

A military campaign of WWII where the Royal Air Force defended the UK against large scale attacks.

Axis Powers

The coalition of Germany, Italy, and Japan during WWII.

Operation Overlord

The code name for the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe on D-Day.

Cash and carry

A policy allowing countries to purchase goods from the US if they paid in cash and transported them on their own ships.

Selective Training and Service Act

The first peacetime draft in US history enacted in 1940.

Scorched Earth Policy

Military strategy of destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while retreating.