World War II Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts related to World War II and key events surrounding Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime.

Adolf Hitler

Leader of Nazi Germany and central figure in World War II, known for his role in the Holocaust and aggressive expansionist policies.

Mein Kampf

Autobiographical book by Adolf Hitler, outlining his ideology and future plans for Germany.

Nazi Party

The National Socialist German Workers' Party, which rose to power in Germany in the 1930s and implemented totalitarian regime.

Blitzkrieg

A military tactic used by Germany in WWII involving rapid and coordinated attacks using air and ground forces.

Lebensraum

German for 'living space', the policy aimed at acquiring territory for German expansion, especially at the expense of Slavic people.

Kristallnacht

Night of Broken Glass, a coordinated attack against Jews in November 1938, marking a significant escalation in anti-Semitic violence.

Appeasement

A diplomatic policy aimed at avoiding conflict by making concessions to an aggressor, notably used by Britain toward Hitler.

Reichstag Fire

A pivotal event in 1933 when the German parliament building was set on fire, leading to the implementation of draconian laws by Hitler.

Nuremberg Laws

1935 laws that institutionalized racial discrimination against Jews in Germany, stripping them of their citizenship and rights.

The Final Solution

The Nazi plan for the systematic extermination of the Jews during the Holocaust, which included deportation to death camps.

Einsatzgruppen

Mobile killing units responsible for mass shootings of Jews and others during WWII, particularly in Eastern Europe.

Operation Barbarossa

The code name for the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, which led to significant losses for Germany.

D-Day

The Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, marked a turning point in WWII and led to the liberation of Western Europe.

Total War

A war in which a country mobilizes all of its resources and population to achieve victory, impacting civilian and military sectors.

Nuremberg Trials

Post-war military tribunals held to prosecute prominent leaders of Nazi Germany for war crimes and crimes against humanity.