Chapter 24 - The World at War, 1937-1945 Flashcards
fascism
an authoritarian system of government characterized by dictatorial rule, extreme nationalism, disdain for civil society, and glorification of imperialism and warfare
National Socialist (Nazi) Party
German political party led by Adolf Hitler that rose after WWI
Rome-Berlin Axis
political and military alliance formed between the fascist nations of Italy and Germany
Neutrality Act of 1935
imposed embargo on selling arms to warring countries and declared that Americans traveling on the ships of belligerent nations did so at their own risk
Popular Front
a small but vocal group of Americans who pushed for greater U.S. involvement and the fight against fascism
Munich Conference
a conference in 1938 in which Britain and France agreed to allow Germany to annex the Sudetenland as long as Hitler promised not to seek more territory
Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies
a group of interventionists who believed in engaging with international developments
America First Committee
isolationist group who warned against U.S. involvement in WWII
Four Freedoms
identified by FDR as the most basic human rights: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, freedom from fear
Lend-Lease Act
legislation that authorized the president to “lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of” arms and equipment to Britain or any other country whose defense was considered vital to the security of the United States
Atlantic Charter
a press release by FDR and Winston Churchill in August 1941 calling for economic cooperation, national self-determination, and guarantees of political stability after the war
Pearl Harbor
a naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii that was attacked by Japanese bombers in 1941, resulting in the deaths of 2,400 Americans and causing FDR to declare war against Japan
War Powers Act
gave FDR unprecedented control over all aspects of the war effort
Revenue Act of 1942
expanded number of people paying income taxes from 3.9 million to 42.6 million
code talkers
Native American soldiers trained to use native languages to send messages in battle during WWII
Executive Order 8802
order signed by FDR in 1941 that prohibited “discrimination in the employment of workers in defense industries or government because of race, creed, color, or national origin”
Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (1944)
legislation authorizing the government to provide WWII veterans with funds for education, housing, healthcare, and loans to start businesses and buy homes
zoot suits
oversized suits of clothing in fashion in the late 1940s, particularly among young male African Americans and Mexican Americans
Executive Order 9066
authorized the War Department to force Japanese Americans from their homes and hold them in relocation camps for the rest of the war
D-Day
June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of northern France to free the country from German rule
Holocaust
Germany’s campaign during WWII to exterminate all Jews living in German-controlled lands, along with other groups the Nazis deemed “undesirable”
Manhattan Project
top-secret project authorized by FDR in 1942 to develop an atomic bomb ahead of the Germans
Benito Mussolini
fascist Italian leader during WWII
Adolf Hitler
fascist dictator of Germany and leader of the Nazi Party during WWII
Hideki Tojo
prime minister of Japan during WWII
Charles A. Lindbergh
aviator hero who delivered impassioned speeches against intervention in Europe
Winston Churchill
prime minister of the United Kingdom during WWII
Harry S. Truman
Democratic 33rd president and successor to FDR
Gordon Hirabayahsi
American sociologist who resisted the Japanese American internment during World War II
Dwight D. Eisenhower
U.S. general during WWII and eventual 34th president
