WW2

• Fascism


  A political ideology characterized by authoritarianism, nationalism, and dictatorial power, often led by a single leader or party. It emphasizes the supremacy of the state, militarism, and extreme control over society, often through censorship, propaganda, and suppression of dissent.
• In relation to World War II, many countries involved in the war had fascist governments
• Appeasement


  A diplomatic policy aimed at avoiding war by making concessions to an aggressor
• This policy is most closely associated with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's approach to Adolf Hitler's Germany, particularly at the Munich Conference in 1938 where concessions were made to avoid conflict, ultimately emboldening Hitler's aggression
• Non-aggression Pact


  An agreement between two or more nations to avoid war or armed conflict between them
• The most notable is the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939, which allowed both nations to invade Poland without interference from the other
• Axis Powers


  The coalition led by Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II. These countries sought territorial expansion and were opposed by the Allied Powers.
• Allied Powers


  The major coalition opposing the Axis Powers, primarily including the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, China, and France. They worked together to defeat the Axis Powers.
• Blitzkrieg


  A German military tactic of rapid, overwhelming attacks using a combination of armored and air forces. This "lightning war" was first effectively used in the invasions of Poland, France, and the Low Countries.
• Genocide


  The systematic extermination of a particular ethnic, racial, or national group.
• Holocaust


  The genocide of six million Jews and millions of other minorities, including Romani people, disabled individuals, Polish and Soviet civilians, political prisoners, and homosexuals, carried out by Nazi Germany.
• Final Solution


  The Nazi plan for the extermination of the Jews. This policy was formalized at the Wannsee Conference in 1942 and led to the mass murder of Jews in concentration and extermination camps.
• Scorched-Earth Policy


  A military strategy of destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while retreating. The Soviet Union used this policy effectively during the German invasion in 1941.
• Internment Camp


  Detention centers where Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated and confined during World War II by the U.S. government, based on fears of espionage following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
• Island-Hopping


  A military strategy used by the Allies in the Pacific War against Japan. It involved capturing specific islands and using them as bases to advance closer to Japan.
• Kristallnacht


  Also known as the Night of Broken Glass, this was a series of coordinated attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria on November 9-10, 1938. Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were destroyed, and thousands of Jews were arrested.
• Propaganda


  Information, especially biased or misleading, used to promote a political cause or point of view. During World War II, propaganda was used extensively by all sides to boost morale, demonize the enemy, and recruit soldiers.
• Lend-Lease Act


  A U.S. program during World War II that provided Allies, particularly Britain and the Soviet Union, with military aid and supplies. This act helped to support the Allies before the U.S. formally entered the war.
• Auschwitz


  The largest and most notorious Nazi concentration and extermination camp, located in Poland. Over a million people were murdered there, the majority of them Jews.
• Emperor Hirohito


  • Emperor of Japan during World War II. Though considered a figurehead, he was seen as a symbol of Japanese militarism and later supported Japan's surrender in 1945.
• Adolf Hitler


  • The dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. He instigated World War II by invading Poland and was responsible for the Holocaust.
• Benito Mussolini


  • The Fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943. He allied Italy with Nazi Germany and participated in the Axis Powers' military campaigns.
• Franklin Roosevelt


  • The 32nd President of the United States. He led the country during the Great Depression and most of World War II until his death in 1945.
• Winston Churchill


  • The British Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. He was a key leader in the Allied victory, known for his speeches and refusal to surrender to Nazi Germany.
• Joseph Stalin


  • The leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. He played a crucial role in the defeat of Nazi Germany, particularly on the Eastern Front.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower


  • A U.S. general who served as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. He planned and executed Operation Overlord (D-Day), leading to the liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe.
• Douglas MacArthur


  • A U.S. general who commanded Allied forces in the Pacific Theater. He accepted Japan's surrender in 1945 and oversaw the post-war occupation of Japan.
• Erwin Rommel


  • A German general known as the "Desert Fox" for his leadership of the Afrika Korps. He was respected by both allies and enemies for his tactical genius.
• Harry Truman


  • The 33rd President of the United States, who succeeded Roosevelt in 1945. He made the decision to use atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• Japanese Invasion of China (1937)

  Japan invaded China, leading to widespread atrocities and setting the stage for broader conflict in the Pacific.
• Nanking Massacre (1937-1938)


  Japanese troops killed and raped hundreds of thousands of civilians in Nanking (Nanjing), an atrocity that still affects Sino-Japanese relations.
• Bataan Death March (1942)


  After the surrender of the Philippines, American and Filipino soldiers were forced to march 65 miles under brutal conditions by the Japanese, leading to thousands of deaths.
• German Invasion of the Rhineland, Austria, the Sudetenland (1936-1938)


  Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles and expanded German territory, leading to increased tensions in Europe.
• German Invasion of Poland (1939)


  This event marked the beginning of World War II, as Britain and France declared war on Germany in response.
• Munich Conference (1938)


  A meeting where Britain and France agreed to Hitler's demands for the Sudetenland in an act of appeasement, mistakenly believing it would prevent further conflict.
• Pearl Harbor (1941)


  A surprise military attack by Japan on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii, leading to the U.S. entry into World War II.
• Yalta Conference (1945)


  A meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin to discuss post-war reorganization. Agreements made here shaped the post-war world.
• Hitler's Invasion of the Soviet Union (1941)

  Known as Operation Barbarossa, this invasion broke the Non-Aggression Pact and led to some of the largest battles in history.
• Japanese Internment (1942)


  The U.S. government's policy of relocating Japanese Americans to internment camps during World War II due to fears of espionage.
• Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945)


  The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on these Japanese cities, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.