World War II

Office of Price Administration

(OPA) an agency established by Congress to control inflation during WWII.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister who did not give in to appeasing Hitler's demands and became what was possibly Britain's greatest weapon as his nation faced the Nazis

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Japanese cities that were completely destroyed after the U.S. dropped their atomic bombs

Hideki Tojo

Prime Minister of Japan who believed in militarism and Japanese expansion. He ordered the Japanese navy to prepare for an attack on the U.S.

Battle of Midway

a WWII battle that took place in early June 1942. The Allies destroyed the Japanese fleet at Midway, an island lying northwest of Hawaii. The Allies then took the offensive in the Pacific and began to move closer to Japan

Lend-Lease Act

a law passed in 1941, that allowed the U.S. to ship arms and other supplies, without immediate payment to nations fighting against the Axis Powers

Battle of the Bulge

a month-long battle of WWII, in which the Allies succeeded in turning back the last major German offensive of the war

D-Day

a name given to June 6, 1944—the day on which the Allies launched an invasion of the European mainland during WWII

V-E Day

a name given to May 8, 1945, "Victory in Europe Day" on which the Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany marked the end of WWII in Europe

Fascism

a political philosophy that supports a strong, centralized, nationalistic government headed by a powerful dictator.

Totalitarianism

a political system in which the government exercises complete control over its citizens' lives.

Concentration camp

a prison camp operated by Nazi Germany in which Jews and other groups considered to be enemies of Hitler were starved while doing slave labor or were murdered

War Production Board

an agency established during WWII to coordinate the production of military supplies by U.S. industries.

Communism

an economic and political system based on one-party government and state ownership of property

Internment Camps

confinement of Japanese-American citizens in the United States during WWII

Blitzkrieg

from the German word meaning "lightning war," a sudden, massive attack with combined air and ground forces, intended to achieve a quick victory.

Harry S Truman

served as Vice President to FDR and became the President after FDR's death during his fourth term in office. He made the ultimate decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan

Kamikaze

the deliberate crashing of a bomb-filled airplane into a military target

Axis Powers

the group of nations---including Germany, Italy, and Japan—that opposed the Allies in WWII

Allies

the group of nations—including Great Britain, The Soviet Union, and The United States—that opposed the Axis Powers in WWII

Benito Mussolini

the leader of Fascist Italy. An extreme nationalist who favored military expansionism, ownership of private property with strong government controls. A forceful leader who was anti-communist

Adolf Hitler

the leader of Nazi Germany. An extreme nationalist and racist who favored military expansionism, ownership of private property with strong government controls. A forceful leader who was anti-communist

Joseph Stalin

the leader of communist Soviet Union. Believed in a sound communist state where property was owned by the government and society was ruled by the working class.

Nazism

the political philosophy—based on extreme nationalism, racism, and militaristic expansionism—that Hitler put into practice in Germany from 1933-1945

Holocaust

the systematic murder—or genocide—of Jews and other groups in Europe by the Nazis before and during World War II