WWII Key Terms

• WWII Key Terms
  • Appeasement: A diplomatic policy of making concessions to an aggressor to avoid war.
  • Blitzkrieg: "Lightning war," a military tactic involving swift, coordinated attacks by air and land forces.
  • Holocaust: The systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.
  • Anti-Semitism: Hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.
  • Propaganda: Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
  • Isolationism: A policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other groups, especially the political affairs of foreign countries.
  • Totalitarianism: A political system in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life.
  • Rationing: Controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services, especially during wartime.
  • Genocide: The deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.
  • Resistance: The refusal to accept or comply with something; attempt to prevent something by action or argument.
  • D-Day: June 6, 1944, the day Allied forces invaded northern France by means of beach landings in Normandy.
  • Manhattan Project: A research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons.

Causes of WWII

• Treaty of Versailles: The treaty that ended WWI, which imposed harsh terms on Germany, including territorial losses, demilitarization, and reparations, fostering resentment and instability.
• Economic Depression: The global economic downturn of the 1930s, which led to widespread unemployment, poverty, and social unrest, creating conditions that extremist movements could exploit.
• Rise of Fascism and Nazism: The emergence of aggressive, nationalistic ideologies in Italy (Fascism) and Germany (Nazism) that promoted militarism, expansionism, and authoritarian rule.
• Japanese Expansionism: Japan's aggressive pursuit of territorial expansion in Asia, including the invasion of Manchuria and China, which threatened regional stability and international order.
• Failure of Appeasement: The policy of granting concessions to aggressor nations, such as Nazi Germany, in the hope of avoiding war, which ultimately emboldened Hitler and failed to prevent the outbreak of conflict.
• League of Nations Ineffectiveness: The inability of the League of Nations to effectively address aggression and maintain international peace due to its lack of enforcement power and the absence of key members such as the United States.
• Nationalism: Intense national pride and a belief in national superiority, which fueled rivalries and conflicts between nations.
• Militarism: The buildup of military strength and the glorification of military power, which created an atmosphere of tension and suspicion among nations.
• Imperialism: Competition among European powers for colonies and resources, which led to conflicts and rivalries that contributed to the outbreak of war.

Allied Powers

• Great Britain:
  • Led initially by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and later by Winston Churchill.
  • Played a crucial role in resisting Nazi aggression in Europe and fighting in various theaters of the war.
  • Significant military contributions included the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Battle of Britain and naval forces in the Atlantic.
• United States:
  • Initially adopted a policy of neutrality but entered the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
  • Provided significant economic and military support to the Allied war effort.
  • Played a key role in the Pacific theater and the invasion of Europe.
• Soviet Union:
  • Initially signed a non-aggression pact with Germany but was invaded by Nazi forces in 1941.
  • Endured immense casualties and played a decisive role in defeating Germany on the Eastern Front.
  • Under the leadership of Joseph Stalin.
• China:
  • Engaged in a long and brutal war against Japan, tying down a significant portion of Japanese forces.
  • Received support from the United States and other Allied powers.
• Other Allied Nations:
  • Included France, Poland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and many other countries that contributed troops, resources, and support to the Allied cause.

Axis Powers

• Germany:
  • Led by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
  • Pursued an aggressive policy of territorial expansion and sought to establish a dominant European empire.
  • Initiated the war by invading Poland in 1939 and implemented the Holocaust.
• Italy:
  • Led by Benito Mussolini and the Fascist Party.
  • Sought to establish a new Roman Empire in the Mediterranean region.
  • Initially successful in North Africa but eventually faced defeat against Allied forces.
• Japan:
  • Led by Emperor Hirohito and a militaristic government.
  • Pursued a policy of expansionism in Asia, seeking to create a "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere."
  • Attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.