APUSH Chapter 24-> vocab, ppl

Key Concepts and Events

  • Fascism: A far-right, authoritarian ultranationalist political ideology that emphasizes dictatorial power and suppression of opposition.

  • National Socialist (Nazi) Party: The German political party led by Adolf Hitler, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945 and was responsible for World War II and the Holocaust.

  • Rome-Berlin Axis: The alliance between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in 1936, later joined by Japan, forming the Axis Powers.

  • Neutrality Act of 1935: A U.S. law aimed at preventing American involvement in foreign wars by prohibiting arms sales to warring nations.

  • Popular Front: A coalition of leftist groups in the 1930s that opposed fascism and supported intervention against Nazi aggression.

  • Munich Conference: A 1938 meeting where Britain and France appeased Hitler by allowing Germany to annex the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia.

  • Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies: A U.S. group that promoted American support for Britain and France before the U.S. entered WWII.

  • America First Committee: An isolationist group that opposed U.S. involvement in WWII, emphasizing neutrality.

  • Four Freedoms: FDR’s 1941 speech advocating for freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.

  • Lend-Lease Act: A 1941 law allowing the U.S. to supply Allied nations with military aid without direct involvement in WWII.

  • Atlantic Charter: A 1941 agreement between FDR and Churchill outlining post-war goals for democracy and self-determination.

  • Pearl Harbor: A surprise Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, that led the U.S. to enter WWII.

  • War Powers Act: A 1941 law giving the U.S. president broad powers to conduct war efforts.

  • Revenue Act: A law that increased taxes to help fund WWII.

  • Code Talkers: Native American soldiers, primarily Navajo, who used their languages to create unbreakable codes in WWII.

  • Executive Order 8802: A 1941 order banning racial discrimination in defense industries.

  • Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (GI Bill, 1944): Provided benefits like education and housing assistance to WWII veterans.

  • Zoot Suits: Flashy suits worn by Mexican-American youth; their wearers were targeted in the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles.

  • Executive Order 9066: FDR’s order leading to the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

  • D-Day: The Allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, marking a turning point in WWII.

  • Holocaust: The Nazi genocide of six million Jews and other persecuted groups during WWII.

  • Manhattan Project: The secret U.S. project that developed the atomic bomb.

Key People

  • Benito Mussolini: Fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943.

  • Adolf Hitler: Leader of Nazi Germany, responsible for WWII and the Holocaust.

  • Hideki Tojo: Prime Minister of Japan during WWII, oversaw the attack on Pearl Harbor.

  • Charles A. Lindbergh: Famous aviator and leading member of the America First Committee, opposing U.S. entry into WWII.

  • Winston Churchill: Prime Minister of Britain during WWII, known for his leadership and opposition to Nazi Germany.

  • Harry S. Truman: U.S. president after FDR’s death in 1945; authorized the use of atomic bombs on Japan.

  • Gordon Hirabayashi: A Japanese-American who challenged internment policies in the Supreme Court.

  • Dwight D. Eisenhower: Supreme Allied Commander during WWII, later became U.S. president.