Name: _______________________________

World War II Vocabulary

1. Appeasement – belief that it is best to let an aggressive nation have what they want in hopes that
this will satisfy its leaders and stop the aggression.
2. World War II – war that started in Europe when Germany began invading other countries; was
fought in Europe and the Pacific.
3. Allies – an alliance between the Unites States, Great Britain, USSR (Russia); also known as “The
Big Three”.
4. Axis Powers – an alliance between Germany, Italy and Japan.
5. Pearl Harbor – Japanese planes launch a surprise attack on the morning of December 7, 1941
that destroyed US ships and planes; caused the United States to enter WWII.
6. Iwo Jima – one of the fiercest battles in WWII; took one month to gain control of the Japanese
occupied island in the Pacific.
7. D-Day – surprise water-to-land invasion the allies launched on the beaches of Normandy, France
along the western coast on June 6, 1944; it was very successful and forced Germany to fight a
war on two fronts.
8. VE Day – Victory in Europe Day (allies celebrated); the war in Europe is over, Germany
surrenders, May 8, 1945
9. VJ DAY – Victory in Japan Day; celebrated after the US bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki
leading to the surrender of Japanese forces, September 2, 1945.
10. Holocaust – the systematic killing of over 6 million Jews between 1933-1945; Hitler and the
Nazi Party were responsible.
11. Concentration Camp – Nazi prison camps that housed thousands of starving and tortured
prisoners, mostly Jews and victims of the Holocaust during WWII; most were starved, tortured to
death.
12. Atomic bomb – developed by the United States, first nuclear weapon in the world. Used when
Japan refused to surrender unconditionally. Truman ordered the bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.
13. Hiroshima – where the first atomic bomb was dropped to force Japan to surrender; was
destroyed; thousands of Japanese died and even more died later from effects of nuclear radiation.
14. Nagasaki – After Japan refused to surrender after the bombing of Hiroshima a 2nd atomic bomb
was dropped on Nagasaki. The deaths and destruction caused by the atomic bombs eventually
caused Japan to surrender unconditionally.
15. Franklin D. Roosevelt – President of US when US entered WWII, 1933-1945 helped plan D-
Day invasion (Allies)
16. Joseph Stalin – leader of the Soviet Union (USSR) during WWII, part of allied powers.
17. Winston Churchill – Great Britain’s Prime Minister during 1940-1945, WWII, part of the allied
powers.
18. Emperor Hirohito – Emperor of Japan 1926-1989, did not hold a lot of real power in Japan,
Emperor when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Axis powers.
19. Harry Truman – became president after FDR died in office, responsible for ordering the atomic
bombs to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; starts NATO after WWII
20. Benito Mussolini – leader of Italy 1925-1945, became leader of the puppet government in Italy
under Hitler, Axis powers
21. Adolf Hitler – leader of Germany and Nazi Party 1934-1945; preached hatred of the Jews and is
responsible for the Holocaust, Axis powers.
22. “Rosie the Riveter” – fictional character the US government puts on posters to encourage
women to join the war effort and help with the war production effort.
23. Tuskegee Airmen – African American fighter pilots known for their superior flying skills during
WWII, successfully protected every US bomber they were tasked with protecting.
24. United Nations – formed to maintain peace between countries and make sure nations obeyed
international laws and human rights, before WWII known as the League of Nations.
25. UN Security Council – United States, Soviet Union (USSR), China and Great Britain, victors of
WWII.
26. Island hopping – strategy US military used in WWII; conquering one set of islands at a time.
27. Internment Camps – prison camp for enemies of the state; the jailing of Japanese Americans by
FDR, by US order 6066.
28. Antisemitism – a deep hatred of Jewish people.
29. Fascism – a government characterized by militarism and extreme nationalism.
30. Dictator – leaders that control nations by force and assume all or most political power, absolute
ruler of a nation.
31. Bracero Program – using Mexican migrant workers to fill the production needs caused by US
men joining the war effort.
32. Nisei – Japanese Americans that were born in the U.S.
33. Genocide – killing of people because of their race, ethnicity, beliefs.
34. Pogrom – organized, violent attacks on minorities, particularly Jewish communities, throughout
the history of the Russian empire and Europe.
35. Bataan Death March – April 1942, allied POWS in the Pacific forced to march 65 miles
intending to kill as many as possible
36. Blitzkrieg – German lightning warfare
37. Navajo Codetalkers – Navajo soldiers fighting for US who carried the secret communications
code for the Allies during the war in the Pacific; code was based on the Navajo language; code
was never broken.
38. Kamikaze – Japanese suicide pilots; named after ancient Japanese winds.
39. Manhattan Project – code name for the US effort during WWII to produce nuclear technology
that would result in the atomic bombs dropped used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
40. Kristallnacht – “Night of Broken Glass” – Nazi’s terrorize Jewish people, businesses.
41. Third Reich – the NAZI regime in Germany between 1933-1945.
42. Armistice – an agreed upon break in fighting during battles or wars.
43. Ghetto – an area of a city lived in by a minority group – poor and dense.
44. Eugenics – belief that humans can improve through selective breeding; manipulating the human
gene pool to improve.
45. Mobilization – to assemble armed forces into a readiness for war.
46. Otto Von Bismarck – the head of the German government from 1871-1890.
47. Communism – political system in which all property and wealth in collectively owned by all of
society.
48. Totalitarianism – a single party in government without any other political opposition.
49. Ration – a fixed and limited supply of something; goods and services during war times.
50. Alliance System – countries friendly or supportive of each other to ensure their protection and
control.
51. NAZI – German National Socialist Party that rose to power under Adolf Hitler.
52. Socialism – political system characterized by communal ownership of property.
53. Propaganda – misleading information that is widely spread to persuade public opinion.
54. Disarmament – reduction or loss of weapons or military for a nation.
55. Dwight D. Eisenhower – Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe.
56. Nationalism – extreme patriotism; characterized by proud loyalty and devotion to nation.
57. Imperialism – takeover and domination of a nation, authority over another nation; usually for its
resources.