Untitled Flashcards Set

1. Treaty of Versailles
Peace treaty that ended WWI. Blamed Germany (War Guilt Clause), imposed harsh reparations, and limited its military. Created resentment in Germany that fueled the rise of Adolf Hitler.

2. League of Nations
International peacekeeping organization formed after WWI. Aimed to prevent wars through diplomacy and collective security. Lacked enforcement power and failed to stop aggression by Axis powers.

3. Dawes Debt Plan (1924)
U.S. plan to help Germany pay reparations by providing loans and restructuring payments. Temporarily stabilized the German economy but created dependency on U.S. investment.

4. Manchurian Crisis (1931)
Japan invaded Manchuria after a staged railway explosion. League of Nations condemned the action but did not intervene. Showed League's weakness and encouraged future aggression.

5. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)
U.S. president (1933–1945). Led the U.S. through the Great Depression and WWII. Gradually shifted foreign policy from isolationism to supporting the Allies.

6. Neutrality Acts of 1935–1937
Laws designed to keep the U.S. out of foreign wars. Prohibited arms sales and loans to nations at war. "Cash and Carry" exception allowed trade with Allies if paid in cash and transported by buyer.

7. Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)
Conflict between Republicans and Fascist Nationalists under Franco. Germany and Italy supported the Nationalists. Preview of WWII and a testing ground for fascist military tactics.

8. Nanking (Nanjing) Massacre (1937)
Japanese troops killed over 200,000 civilians and POWs in China's capital. Known for extreme brutality. Highlighted Japanese militarism and atrocities in Asia.

9. The Holocaust (1941–1945)
Systematic genocide by Nazi Germany targeting Jews and others. ~6 million Jews murdered. Included ghettos, concentration camps, and mass executions.

10. S.S. St. Louis (1939)
Ship carrying Jewish refugees denied entry to Cuba, U.S., and Canada. Returned to Europe, where many passengers died in the Holocaust. Symbol of global indifference.

11. Appeasement / Munich Conference (1938)
Britain and France allowed Hitler to annex Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. Appeasement failed to prevent war and emboldened Hitler.

12. Non-Aggression Pact (1939)
Agreement between Hitler and Stalin not to attack each other. Secret clause divided Eastern Europe. Enabled invasion of Poland.

13. "Cash and Carry" (1939)
U.S. policy allowing war materials to be sold to belligerents if paid in cash and transported by buyer. Aimed to support Allies without direct involvement.

14. Lend-Lease Act (1941)
Allowed U.S. to supply Allied nations with war materials on loan. Ended official neutrality and increased support to Britain, USSR, and China.

15. Adolf Hitler
Nazi dictator of Germany. Rose to power in 1933. Led aggressive expansion in Europe and orchestrated the Holocaust.

16. Benito Mussolini
Fascist leader of Italy. Allied with Hitler. Invaded Ethiopia and joined Axis Powers. Overthrown in 1943.

17. Joseph Stalin
Totalitarian leader of the Soviet Union. Signed Non-Aggression Pact with Hitler but joined Allies after being invaded. Led USSR through WWII.

18. Winston Churchill
British Prime Minister during WWII. Opposed appeasement. Key leader in Allied victory. Famous for speeches and leadership during the Blitz.

19. Atlantic Charter (1941)
Agreement between FDR and Churchill outlining postwar goals: self-determination, no territorial expansion, free trade. Basis for United Nations.

20. George S. Patton
U.S. general known for leadership in North Africa, Sicily, and Battle of the Bulge. Aggressive and effective tank commander.

21. Douglas MacArthur
U.S. general in the Pacific. Led defense of the Philippines and returned to liberate them. Oversaw Japan’s postwar occupation.

22. Dwight D. Eisenhower
Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. Led D-Day invasion and coordinated European Allied operations. Later became U.S. president.

23. Invasion of Poland (1939)
Germany invaded using Blitzkrieg tactics. Prompted Britain and France to declare war on Germany. Start of WWII.

24. Blitzkrieg
“Lightning war” strategy using fast, coordinated attacks with planes, tanks, and infantry. Used successfully in Poland and Western Europe.

25. Battle of Britain (1940)
Air battle between RAF and German Luftwaffe. Britain’s victory prevented invasion and marked Hitler’s first major defeat.

26. Pearl Harbor Attack (Dec. 7, 1941)
Surprise Japanese attack on U.S. naval base. 2,400 killed. Led to U.S. entering WWII.

27. Doolittle’s Raid (1942)
U.S. air raid on Tokyo. First attack on Japanese home islands. Boosted American morale after Pearl Harbor.

28. Bataan Death March (1942)
Forced march of American and Filipino POWs by Japanese. Thousands died. Symbol of Japanese brutality.

29. Battle of Stalingrad (1942–1943)
Major Soviet victory. Turning point on Eastern Front. German army suffered devastating losses.

30. "Island Hopping" Campaign
U.S. strategy in Pacific to capture key islands and bypass heavily fortified ones. Brought U.S. closer to Japan.

31. Battle of Midway (1942)
Decisive U.S. naval victory. Destroyed 4 Japanese carriers. Turning point in the Pacific.

32. Battle of Guadalcanal (1942–1943)
First major U.S. land offensive in the Pacific. Marked beginning of Japanese retreat.

33. Battle of North Africa (1942–1943)
Allied campaign to expel Axis from Africa. Led by Eisenhower and Patton. Paved way for invasion of Italy.

34. Italian Campaign (1943–1945)
Allied invasion of Italy. Mussolini overthrown. Germany resisted fiercely.

35. Battle of Iwo Jima (1945)
Bloody battle for key island near Japan. Iconic flag-raising photo. Strategic airbase.

36. Battle of Okinawa (1945)
Last major Pacific battle. Heavy casualties. Influenced decision to drop atomic bomb.

37. Liberation of the Death Camps (1944–1945)
Allied troops discovered and freed survivors of Nazi camps. Revealed the full horror of the Holocaust.

38. Yalta Conference (Feb. 1945)
FDR, Churchill, Stalin met to plan postwar world. Agreed on UN, German occupation zones, and Soviet help vs. Japan.

39. Harry S. Truman
Became president after FDR's death. Made decision to use atomic bomb. Led U.S. through end of WWII.

40. V-E Day (May 8, 1945)
Victory in Europe Day. Germany surrendered. End of war in Europe.

41. Kamikazes
Japanese suicide pilots. Targeted Allied ships. Intensified in final Pacific battles.

42. Manhattan Project
Top-secret U.S. project to develop atomic bomb. Led by Oppenheimer. Resulted in creation of nuclear weapons.

43. Atomic Bomb (Aug. 1945)
Dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over 100,000 killed. Led to Japan’s surrender.

44. V-J Day (Aug. 15, 1945)
Victory over Japan. Marked end of WWII after Japan’s surrender.

45. Potsdam Conference (July 1945)
Truman, Stalin, and Churchill/Attlee discussed postwar Europe and Japan. Issued ultimatum to Japan.

46. Eleanor Roosevelt
First Lady during WWII. Advocate for civil rights, refugees, and women. Influential in shaping public opinion.

47. Conscription (1940)
Peacetime draft law. Required men to register for military service. Expanded after Pearl Harbor.

48. Good Neighbor Policy
FDR’s Latin America policy to promote cooperation and mutual defense. Ended U.S. interventions.

49. Japanese Internment (1942)
110,000+ Japanese Americans forcibly relocated to camps. Authorized by Executive Order 9066. Massive civil rights violation.

50. Korematsu v. United States (1944)
Supreme Court upheld internment as constitutional during wartime. Later criticized and formally apologized for by U.S. government.

51. Rationing
Government-controlled distribution of goods like gas, rubber, meat. Promoted fairness and war support.

52. War Production Board (1942)
Oversaw wartime production. Converted civilian factories to military use. U.S. became "Arsenal of Democracy."

53. Rosie the Riveter
Symbol of working women in WWII industries. Empowered women and challenged traditional gender roles.

54. Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC)
First U.S. military unit for women in non-combat roles. Later became WAC with full military status.

55. “Double V” Campaign
African American effort for victory against fascism abroad and racism at home. Promoted civil rights and equality.

56. Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
Founded in 1942 to use nonviolence to fight racial segregation. Became key civil rights organization.

57. Bracero Program (1942)
Agreement with Mexico to bring temporary agricultural workers. Addressed labor shortages, but led to exploitation and future immigration issues.

58. D-Day / Normandy Invasion (June 6, 1944)
Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France. Opened Western Front. Turning point in European war.

59. Battle of the Bulge (Dec 1944–Jan 1945)
Germany’s last major Western offensive. Surprise attack in Ardennes. U.S. forces held strong and repelled Germans.