Aiden Thomas - 213 - World War II Study Guide - 7294054

Key Terms and Definitions

A. Totalitarianism

• A system where the government has total control over all aspects of life.

B. Anti-Semitic

• Hostility or prejudice against Jewish people.

C. Appeasement

• Policy of conceding to an aggressor to avoid conflict.

D. Anschluss

• Nazi Germany’s annexation of Austria in 1938.

E. Munich Pact

• 1938 agreement allowing Germany to annex Sudetenland to avoid war.

F. Dwight Eisenhower

• Supreme Allied Commander in Europe who led D-Day.

G. George S. Patton

• U.S. general known for his leadership in North Africa and Europe.

H. Unconditional Surrender

• Surrender without any guarantees or terms for the defeated.

I. Saturation Bombing

• Intense bombing meant to destroy an entire area.

J. Strategic Bombing

• Targeted bombing to destroy enemy military and industrial capacity.

K. Tuskegee Airmen

• African American pilots who served in WWII.

L. Chester Nimitz

• U.S. admiral who led the Pacific Fleet in WWII.

M. Battle of Midway

• A turning point in the Pacific War where the U.S. defeated Japan.

N. Executive Order 8802

• Prohibited racial discrimination in the U.S. defense industry.

O. Internment

• Forced relocation and confinement of Japanese Americans during WWII.

P. Rationing

• Government-controlled limits on the use of scarce resources.

Q. D-Day

• June 6, 1944, Allied invasion of Normandy to liberate France.

R. Harry S. Truman

• U.S. president who authorized the atomic bombings.

S. Island Hopping

• U.S. strategy of capturing key islands to approach Japan.

T. Kamikaze

• Japanese suicide pilots who crashed into enemy targets.

U. Manhattan Project

• Secret U.S. project to develop atomic bombs.

V. J. Robert Oppenheimer

• Lead scientist of the Manhattan Project.

W. Holocaust

• The genocide of six million Jews by Nazi Germany.

X. Nuremberg Laws

• Nazi laws that stripped Jews of citizenship and rights.

Y. Kristallnacht

• "Night of Broken Glass," a violent attack on Jewish businesses and synagogues.

Z. Genocide

• Deliberate extermination of a racial, political, or cultural group.

AA. Concentration Camp

• Nazi detention centers for political prisoners and minorities.

BB. Death Camp

• Nazi camps designed for mass murder, mainly of Jews.

Key Leaders and Countries

• A. Adolf Hitler - Germany

• B. Benito Mussolini - Italy

• C. Joseph Stalin - Soviet Union Russia

• D. Hideki Tojo - Japan

• E. Winston Churchill - Great Britain

• F. Franklin D. Roosevelt - United States

Impactful Events and Concepts

II. Main Ideas

• A. Countries excluded from Versailles Conference:

  • Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria.

• B. Stalin's tools for "The Great Terror":

  • Secret police (NKVD), purges, forced confessions, and executions.

• C. Events during "The Great Terror":

  • Mass arrests, show trials, executions, and labor camp imprisonments.

• D. Mussolini's rise to dictatorship:

  • Used violence, propaganda, and eliminated political opposition.

• E. Political party established by Hitler:

  • National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party).

• F. Issues outlined in Mein Kampf:

  • Anti-Semitism, Aryan supremacy, nationalism, and expansionism.

• G. Germany's climate in the early 1930s:

  • Economic hardship, political instability, and rising Nazi influence.

• H. Methods used by Hitler to establish dictatorship:

  • The Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, and elimination of opponents.

• I. Public works initiatives under Hitler:

  • Construction of Autobahns, rearmament, and infrastructure projects.

• J. Japanese military expansion strategies:

  • Focus on expansion and conquest for resources and territory.

• K. Weaknesses of the League of Nations:

  • Lack of military force, absence of U.S. support, and ineffective sanctions.

• L. Hitler's ultimate ambitions:

  • To establish a vast German empire (Lebensraum).

• M. Dictators' unchecked aggression:

  • Fear of war, policy of appeasement, and the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations.

• N. U.S. stance during the 1930s:

  • Isolationism and neutrality.

• O. Hitler's motivation for Rhineland and Sudetenland:

  • To reclaim lost lands and unite German-speaking populations.

• P. British Prime Minister who engaged in appeasement:

  • Neville Chamberlain.

• Q. Purpose of Roosevelt’s "Four Freedoms" speech:

  • To justify aid to Allies and promote democracy.

• R. Beliefs of interventionists regarding aid to Britain:

  • Necessary to defend democracy and U.S. security.

• S. Hitler's strategy to keep the Soviet Union out of WWII:

  • Signed the Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact.

• T. Power dynamics in Europe by end of 1940:

  • Germany and the Axis Powers were winning.

• U. Changes in support for Allies following Roosevelt’s reelection:

  • Increased military aid through the Lend-Lease Act.

• V. Reasons for Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor:

  • To cripple the U.S. Pacific Fleet and enable expansion in Asia.

• W. Events following the U.S. declaration of war:

  • Mass enlistment, increased war production, and national unity.

• X. Economic impact on the U.S. post-declaration of war:

  • Shifted to wartime production, ending the Great Depression.

• Y. Rationale behind the Allies pursuing a "Europe First" strategy:

  • Germany posed the greatest threat.

• Z. Significance of the Battle of Stalingrad:

  • A major turning point where Germany was defeated in the Soviet Union.

• AA. Effects of Allied bombing on WWII:

  • Weakened German industry and eroded morale.

• BB. The Battle of Midway's significance:

  • Turning point in the Pacific, with Japan losing key carriers.

• CC. Effects of WWII on women:

  • Increased job opportunities and involvement in military roles.

• DD. Effects of WWII on African Americans:

  • Expanded military roles, workforce participation, and civil rights momentum.

• EE. Impact of the D-Day invasion:

  • Established a Western Front against Germany.

• FF. Importance of the Battle of the Bulge:

  • Marked Germany’s last major offensive that ultimately failed.

• GG. Japanese response to island hopping strategy:

  • Fierce resistance and increased kamikaze attacks.

• HH. Economic persecution of Jews under Hitler:

  • Banned from jobs, businesses, and confiscated assets.

• II. Nuremberg Laws:

  • Policies that stripped Jews of citizenship and rights.

• JJ. Identification methods in Nazi camps:

  • Colored badges used for identifying different prisoner groups.

• KK. Post-WWII power dynamics:

  • United States and Soviet Union emerged as strongest nations.