Chapter 26 World War II Review
People
Adolf Hitler – Chancellor of Germany that led the Nazi party
Benito Mussolini – fascist leader of Italy who tried to expand his country’s territory by attacking
Ethiopia (Africa)
Joseph Stalin – dictator of the Soviet Union during World War II
Benjamin O. David – Tuskegee Airman who later became the first Africa American general in the
US Air Force
Douglas MacArthur – American general in charge of the troops in the Philippines; forced to
retreat in 1942, but returned in 1945
Franklin Roosevelt – President of the US during most of WWII; died of a stroke in April, 1945
Harry Truman – Vice-President who became President when FDR died
Emperor Hirohito – Emperor of Japan who agreed to attack on Pearl Harbor
Terms, Ideas, Battles, etc.
Totalitarianism – political system in which the government controls every aspect of citizens’
lives
Blitzkrieg – German strategy of swift attacks against the enemy; “lightning war”
Appeasement – policy of avoiding war with an aggressive nation by giving in to its demands
Pearl Harbor - why attacked? Japan wanted to get control of East Asia, so it had to try to
destroy the US navy and air forces so that Japan could get control of East Asia.
Effect of WWII on American Economy – factories ran 24 hours a day which lowered
unemployment and ended the Great Depression
Why did Great Britain and France declare war on Germany – GB and France had promised
Poland that they would protect it against Hitler. Hitler attacked Poland.
Tuskegee Airmen – African American pilots who trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in
Alabama
Issei – Japanese immigrants to the US
Nisei – Children of Japanese immigrants who were born in the US
Japanese American Internment Camps – forced relocation and imprisonment of Japanese
Americans during World War II because of fears that they would spy for the Japanese
Allied strategy to win war after US entered war – Defeat Axis powers in Africa before fighting in
Europe (This strategy angered the Soviets because they were struggling to fight off the
Germans.)
Bataan Death March - Allied prisoners of war in the Philippines were forced by the Japanese to
march more than 63 miles to prison camps
Battle of El Alamein – Battle in Northern Africa. Allied Powers defeated the Axis Powers and
pushed them out of Africa
Battle of Midway – Japan attacked the Midway Islands. US Admiral ordered attacks on the
Japanese aircraft carriers which severely weakened Japanese naval power. This was the
turning point of the war in the Pacific.
Battle of the Bulge – Last attempt by German forces to push the Allies back in Europe. Allied
victory.
Battle of Iwo Jima – Very difficult battle fought on an island near the Japanese mainland. Allied
victory. Famous statue of this battle in Washington, DC.
Battle of Stalingrad – Brutal Battle between the Soviet Union and Germany. Stalingrad was a
Soviet victory which turned the tide of the war against Germany.
Navajo "Code Talkers" – Native Americans who relayed coded messages in the Navajo language
for the Allies
Kamikaze - Japanese pilots who intentionally crashed their planes into enemy ships.
V-E Day – May 8, 1945, Day that Germany surrendered (Victory in Europe)
V-J Day – Sept. 2, 1945, Day that Japan signed their surrender (Victory over Japan)
Holocaust – The Nazis’ attempt to exterminate the entire Jewish population of Europe
Women in US Work Force – during World War II, women did work that traditionally had been
done by men
Rationing – ration (control the supply of) products needed for the war effort – sugar, gasoline,
rubber, shoes, etc.
Cost/Benefit Analysis – a tool that households use to make choices