The Second World War: Causes, Early Conflicts, and Global Consequences (Chapter 26-27)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from WWII notes.

Treaty of Versailles reparations

Heavy reparations imposed on Germany after WWI that fueled resentment and a desire for revenge.

Unsettled Quarrels (post-WWI)

Disputes from World War I that remained unresolved and contributed to future conflict.

Great Depression

Global economic collapse that created fertile ground for extremist ideologies.

Nazi Party

German fascist party led by Hitler; promoted jobs, expansion, and racial hierarchy.

Lebensraum

Hitler's idea of acquiring 'living space' in Eastern Europe for expansion.

Fascism

Authoritarian nationalist movement (e.g., Mussolini's Italy) that supports expansion and suppression of opposition.

Militarism (Japan)

Japan's policy of aggressive expansion and military influence in Asia.

Appeasement

Policy of conceding to aggressors to prevent war; ultimately emboldened them.

Munich Agreement (1938)

Policy of appeasement that allowed German annexation of parts of Czechoslovakia.

Invasion of Poland (1939)

Germany's invasion that triggered Britain and France to declare war on Germany.

Blitzkrieg

Rapid mechanized attacks using tanks, aircraft, and infantry to overwhelm opponents.

Battle of Britain

Britain's Royal Air Force repelled the German Luftwaffe; first major war campaign fought entirely in the air.

Lend-Lease

U.S. program to supply Britain and the USSR with war material.

Pearl Harbor

Japanese attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet in 1941, drawing the U.S. into WWII.

Operation Barbarossa

Germany's 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union to destroy communism and seize resources.

Eastern Front

The deadliest theater of the war, where Germany fought the Soviet Union.

Stalingrad

Major turning-point battle on the Eastern Front with immense casualties.

Kursk

Large tank battle on the Eastern Front, often cited as a turning point in favor of the Allies.

Holocaust

Systematic extermination of six million Jews and other groups deemed inferior.

Ethnic cleansing

Mass killings and forced removal of populations, especially in Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

Total War

Mobilization of entire economies and societies for war, including production, labor, and propaganda.

Manhattan Project

U.S. scientific project that developed the first atomic bombs.

D-Day (Normandy)

Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France in 1944; turning point in Europe.

Iwo Jima

Fierce island battle in the Pacific giving the U.S. a strategic position.

Okinawa

Major Pacific island battle; one of the last large-scale battles before Japan’s surrender.

Hiroshima

First atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, contributing to Japan's surrender.

Nagasaki

Second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, contributing to Japan's surrender.

United Nations

Postwar international organization formed to promote peace and cooperation.

Cold War

Geopolitical rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union after WWII.

Decolonization

Independence movements in colonies leading to national self-rule after WWII.