World War II Overview

The largest and most destructive armed conflict in history, occurring from 1939 to 1945.

The U.S. Army was crucial in various campaigns during WWII, emphasizing military preparedness and combined operations.

A fast and aggressive military strategy used by Germany in WWII, combining air and ground forces.

A quiet period in WWII following the outbreak of war in 1939, where no major military operations occurred in Western Europe.

A major aerial campaign where the Royal Air Force defended the UK from the German Luftwaffe in 1940.

The Japanese surprise attack on a U.S. naval base on December 7, 1941, leading to U.S. entry into WWII.

A 1941 U.S. law allowing the transfer of military goods to Allies, crucial for supporting Britain and later the Soviet Union.

U.S. and Allied operations in North Africa aimed at defeating Axis forces in the region, including battles in Tunisia.

June 6, 1944, Allied invasion of Normandy to liberate Western Europe from Nazi control.

A major German offensive through Belgium in December 1944, attempting to split Allied forces.

Nuclear weapons developed by the U.S. and used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 to hasten Japan's surrender.

A military strategy used by the U.S. in the Pacific to capture strategic islands while avoiding heavily fortified ones.

A crucial battle in February-March 1945 where U.S. forces captured the island, suffering heavy casualties.

The Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 aimed at gaining control of Italy, leading to Mussolini's downfall.

The Allied invasion of German-occupied France from Britain, leading to the liberation of France.

A 1943 meeting between Allied leaders to plan the next phase of the war, including the Italian Campaign.

Site of the first major battle between U.S. and German forces in North Africa, highlighting U.S. unpreparedness.

General Douglas MacArthur's approach in the Pacific, focusing on leapfrogging to capture key islands.

Southwest Pacific Area directed by MacArthur and Pacific Ocean Areas led by Nimitz, each with different strategies in WWII.

The deliberate destruction of a racial, ethnic, or national group, associated especially with the Holocaust during WWII.

Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945, when Allies accepted Germany's unconditional surrender.

Governments that seek to exert complete control over public and private life, prominent in Axis powers.

A failed Allied military operation in September 1944 aimed at securing bridges in the Netherlands.

Fighting conducted in tropical rainforest environments, characterized by harsh conditions and diseases, significant in the Pacific.

Submarines used by the German Navy to disrupt Allied shipping in the Atlantic during WWII.

The codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in 1944.

The alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan against the Allies during WWII.

The coalition of nations fighting against the Axis, including the U.S., UK, and USSR during WWII.

Two major fronts in WWII: the European focus on ground battles and liberation, while the Pacific involved naval engagements and island assaults.

U.S. government agency created to coordinate the production of war materials during WWII.