world war II

rosie the riveter

A cultural icon used in propaganda to encourage women to join the workforce during WWII, symbolizing female industrial labor and shifting gender roles; significant for promoting women’s rights and contributing to postwar feminism.

kamikazes

Japanese suicide pilots who carried out attacks at Allied ships and highlighted Japan’s desperation and inflicted serious damage on U.S. naval forces during late-war battles.

treaty of versailles

The 1919 treaty that ended WWI by punishing Germany with reparations and territorial losses; its harsh terms fueled German resentment and helped Hitler rise to power.

appeasement

British and French policy of conceding to Hitler’s demands to avoid war, it emboldened Nazi aggression and directly led to the outbreak of WWII.

african Americans in military

Black soldiers served in segregated units and their capability challenged racism and paved the way for Truman’s desegregation of the military in 1948.

african Americans at home

migrated to urban centers for jobs and expanded civil rights activism and highlighted contradictions of fighting fascism. 

midway

A 1942 turning point in the Pacific where the U.S. Navy destroyed four Japanese aircraft carriers; it halted Japanese expansion and allowed the Allies to go on the offensive.

battle of the bulge

Germany’s last major offensive on the Western Front in December 1944; their failed attack depleted German forces and accelerated Allied victory in Europe.

nisei regiments

Segregated units of Japanese Americans soldiers who showed exceptional bravery despite internment and became highly decorated.

japanese internment

Executive order that forced relocation and imprisonment of Japanese Americans, sparked debate as this was a civil liberties violation

holocaust

Systematic Nazi genocide of six million Jews and millions of others; became a defining atrocity of WWII and led to global human rights reforms

genocide

The deliberate extermination of a racial, national, or ethnic group; the Holocaust inspired legal definitions and future international law prohibiting genocide.

final solution

Nazi Germany’s plan for complete extermination of the Jewish population through extermination camps; it was the central policy of the Holocaust.

normandy d-day

The Allied invasion of Normandy, France and marked liberation of Europe and the end for Hitler’s regime.

truman and atomic bombs

President Harry Truman authorized the use of atomic bombs to force Japan to end the war quickly; this controversial decision introduced nuclear warfare and shaped postwar diplomacy.

hiroshima and nagasaki

Japanese cities targeted with atomic bombs and resulted in immense civilian casualties and led to Japan’s surrender.

geneva convention

International agreements that set standards for humane treatment of soldiers and civilians during wartime; strengthened after WWII to prevent atrocities like those

nuremberg trials

Postwar military trials that prosecuted Nazi leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity; established legal precedent for international justice and accountability

el alamein

A 1942 Allied victory in North Africa against German forces and turning point in the African campaign.

defeat hitler first

Allied strategy to prioritize winning in Europe before focusing on Japan; ensured coordinated effort to stop the greater threat of Nazi Germany.

general macarthur

U.S. General who was commander of allied forces in the Pacific and oversaw the island-hopping campaign; later directed the postwar occupation and democratization of Japan.

battle of britain

A 1940 air battle in which Britain successfully resisted Germany’s campaign; prevented a Nazi invasion and proved Hitler could be stopped.

tuskegee airmen

Group of African American pilots who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps; their outstanding performance challenged stereotypes and influenced military integration.

navajo code talkers

Native American soldiers who used their tribal language to create unbreakable battlefield codes; instrumental to U.S. success in the Pacific.

blitzkrieg

German “lightning war” strategy using fast, concentrated attacks by air and ground forces; used effectively by Germany’s military in early WWII campaigns.

stalingrad

A brutal Soviet victory over Germany and marked the end of German Forces and stopped them from advancing into the Soviet Union

iwo jima and okinawa

Major bloody battles close to Japan’s mainland with high casualties; their intensity foreshadowed the U.S. decision to use atomic bombs instead of invading Japan.

manhattan project

Secret U.S. research program to develop nuclear weapons; produced the bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ushering in the nuclear age.

war bonds

Government-issued bonds to finance the war; helped raise funds and involved the public in the war effort.

americans on the homefront

Civilians rationed, conserved, and worked in war industries; mobilization led to economic recovery and national unity. without them, soldiers, sailors, and airmen could not have fought

island hopping

U.S. strategy to capture strategic Pacific islands while bypassing others; allowed gradual advance toward Japan.

lend lease act

1941 law allowing the U.S. to send supplies to Allies without immediate payment before officially entering the war; marked end of neutrality and strengthened Allied resistance.

bataan death march

Forced march of American and Filipino prisoners by Japanese forces in 1942; symbolized Japanese brutality and fueled anti-Japanese sentiment.

invasion of poland

Germany’s 1939 attack that began WWII; led Britain and France to declare war on Germany.

japanese embargo

U.S. cut off oil and materials to Japan in response to aggression; provoked Japan to attack Pearl Harbor.

women in military

Women served in support roles such as nurses, pilots, and clerks during WWII; expanded women’s roles in the military and society.

pearl harbor

Surprise Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii and prompted immediate U.S. entry into WWII.

non aggression pact

1939 agreement between Hitler and Stalin not to attack each other; secretly divided Eastern Europe and enabled WWII to begin.

selective service system

Draft system used to build U.S. armed forces to prepare for war; enabled rapid mobilization of military forces.

office of war mobilization

Federal agency coordinating production and labor of war materials and civilian resources ensured efficient wartime economy.

office of price administration

Controlled prices and rationed goods to prevent inflation; vital to maintaining the wartime economy.

korematsu v. united states

1944 Supreme Court case upholding Japanese internment as constitutional; later seen as a civil rights failure.

liberty ships

Mass-produced cargo ships that transported war supplies; crucial to maintaining supply lines to the Allies.

america first committee

Isolationist group opposing U.S. involvement in WWII and aimed at enforcing the neutrality act to keep America out of war.