WOH TERM 2

Question 1

KATYN

Answer 1

Katyn refers to the mass execution of thousands of Polish military officers, intellectuals, and prisoners of war by Soviet authorities in 1940 during World War II. The massacre took place in the Katyn Forest and other locations, and it remained a source of tension between Poland and the Soviet Union for decades.

Question 2

jedwanbne

Answer 2

Jedwabne is the site of a mass killing of Jewish residents carried out by their Polish neighbors in July 1941 during World War II. The atrocity gained attention as part of the larger discussion on the role of local collaboration in the Holocaust.

Question 3

holocaust

Answer 3

he Holocaust was the systematic genocide carried out by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II, resulting in the persecution and extermination of six million Jews, along with millions of other targeted groups, including Romani people, Poles, Soviet POWs, disabled individuals, and others.

Question 4

democide

Answer 4

Democide refers to the intentional killing of a large number of people by a government, typically as part of a broader political agenda. It encompasses not only genocide but also other forms of mass murder, such as political repression and forced labor.

Question 5

nanking

Answer 5

The Nanking Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, occurred in 1937-1938 when Japanese forces captured the Chinese city of Nanking during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The event involved widespread atrocities, including mass killings, rapes, and looting by the Japanese military.

Question 6

genocide

Answer 6

Genocide is the deliberate and systematic extermination or targeting of a specific ethnic, religious, or national group with the intent to destroy it. The term was coined after World War II and is associated with the Holocaust.

Question 7

operation overlord

Answer 7

Operation Overlord was the codename for the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, during World War II. It marked the largest amphibious assault in history and was a crucial turning point in the war, leading to the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation.

Question 8

Stalingrad

Answer 8

The Battle of Stalingrad, fought between 1942 and 1943, was a pivotal confrontation during World War II between Soviet and German forces. The Soviet victory at Stalingrad marked a turning point in the Eastern Front, leading to a series of defeats for the German army.

Question 9

pearl harbor

Answer 9

The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese Imperial Navy launched a surprise military strike against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This event prompted the United States to enter World War II.

Question 10

lebensraum

Answer 10

Lebensraum, meaning “living space” in German, was a concept used by Adolf Hitler to justify territorial expansion in Eastern Europe as a way to provide space for the Germanic Aryan race. It played a significant role in the Nazi ideology and was a pretext for aggression leading up to World War II.

Question 11

allies

Answer 11

The Allies were the countries that formed a coalition against the Axis powers during World War II. The major Allied powers included the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and China, among others. The Allies worked together to defeat the Axis forces and bring an end to the war.

Question 12

Julius and Ethel

Answer 12

julius and Ethel Rosenberg were American citizens executed in 1953 for espionage, accused of passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union during the early years of the Cold War.

Question 13

red scare

Answer 13

The Red Scare refers to periods of intense anti-communist sentiment and fear of communist influence, notably in the United States during the early 20th century and the Cold War era.