WWII and Holocaust - Key Terms and Concepts

WWII and Holocaust Study Notes

WWII Begins

  • General Overview: World War II (WWII) was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world’s nations.

Key Concepts

  • Luftwaffe

    • Definition: The German air force, crucial in WWII for air supremacy and bombing campaigns.

  • Rhineland

    • Definition: A region in western Germany that was remilitarized by Hitler, violating the Treaty of Versailles, and marking a significant step in Nazi aggression.

  • Appeasement

    • Definition: The policy of granting concessions to an aggressor in order to avoid conflict. This was especially relevant in the context of Britain and France’s relationships with Hitler prior to the outbreak of war.

Key Agreements and Events

  • Rome-Berlin Axis

    • Definition: A collective security agreement established between Germany and Italy in 1936, forming a military alliance between the two fascist states.

  • Anschluss

    • Definition: The annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938, representing Hitler's concept of uniting all German-speaking peoples.

  • Sudetenland

    • Definition: A region of western Czechoslovakia that was home to a significant ethnic German population and was annexed by Germany during the crisis of 1938.

  • Munich Conference

    • Description: A summit held in 1938 where British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French leaders agreed to allow Hitler to annex the Sudetenland in a failed attempt to maintain peace.

  • Neville Chamberlain

    • Role: The British Prime Minister who infamously declared he had secured "peace for our time" after the Munich Conference, highlighting the policy of appeasement.

  • Nazi-Soviet Pact

    • Definition: A non-aggression agreement signed between Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin in 1939, allowing Germany to invade Poland without fear of Soviet intervention.

Events in Asia

  • Manchuria

    • Description: A region in northeastern China seized by Japan in 1931 as part of its imperial expansion.

  • Pu Yi

    • Role: The puppet emperor installed by the Japanese in Manchuria after its invasion, representing Japanese control over the region.

  • Chiang Kai-shek

    • Role: The leader of the Nationalists in China during the war; he resisted both Japanese aggression and communist forces under Mao Zedong.

  • New Order in Asia

    • Definition: Japan's vision for a Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere, aiming to expand its empire across the Pacific.

  • French Indochina

    • Description: The region consisting of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos which were colonized by France and later occupied by Japan during WWII.

Economic and Military Actions

  • Sanctions

    • Definition: Economic restrictions imposed to enforce international laws; Japan faced sanctions from Western powers over its expansionist actions in Asia.

  • Ethiopia

    • Description: An African nation invaded by Italy in 1935 as part of Mussolini's efforts to build a new Roman Empire.

  • Haile Selassie

    • Role: The Emperor of Ethiopia who appealed to the League of Nations for help during the Italian invasion, symbolizing resistance against fascism.

  • Rape of Nanjing

    • Description: A brutal invasion by Japanese forces of the Chinese city Nanjing, resulting in mass atrocities, including widespread murder and sexual violence, marking one of the darkest chapters in WWII in Asia.