World War 2: Part 1 Flashcards
Holocaust
The systematic murder of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany during WW2; comes from a Greek word meaning “sacrifice by burning”, become a part of the English language in the 1950s
Genocide
The deliberate annihilation of an entire race
Anti-Semitism
Hatred of the Jews
Persecution of the Jews
Attacks on the street by troopers
Boycotts
Book-burnings
Signs
yellow star
propaganda
schools
Nuremberg Laws
Took citizenship away from Jews
Banned marriage
no voting or holding public office
banned from practicing law and medicine
Half of the Jews were homeless
Kristallnacht
“The night of broken glass”, Violence against the Jews culminated on the night of Nov. 9, 1938
Jewish Refugees Flees
1933-1939, More than 350,000 escaped from Nazi Germany, many countries refused them entry, can’t take more than $4.
Einstazgruppen
SS mobile killing units, sent into Germany to round of Jews, Forced to dig pits that would be their grave once they shot them.
Ghettos
Rounded up and herded into ghettos until the final solution, Late Oct. 1939, Sections of the city, sealed off with brick walls and barbed wire, Police guards, controlled, terrible conditions, 300 ghettos,
Warsaw, Poland
1943, uprising, young group of Jewish leaders organized it, fought Germans for 4 weeks but lost
The Final Solution
Jan. 20th, 1942, complete extermination of the Jews
Concentration Camps
Jews were sent to work slave labor until they died of exhaustion and starvation, food rations
Extermination Camps
exterminated by poison gas and burned in the crematoria
Transportation
Transported to these camps by tightly packed cattle cars, no food, water, and lack of air
Arrival
Clothing and belongings were taken, heads shaved, tattooed numbers
Conditions
Starvation, disease, lice, freezing temperatures, scientific experiments, surgeries without sleeping gas, poisonous gas in showers, bodies burned
Nuremberg Trials
Several Nazi leaders committed suicide, 22 Nazis to trail, Crimes against peace, War Crimes, Crimes against humanity, 12 sentenced to death, 7 life in prison, 3 acquitted in few years, 177 for various crimes
How many killed?
6 million, 2/3
DP
Displaced person camps were made for the Jews who didn’t have a home anymore.
Land of their forefathers
United nations voted for the Jews to return to the land of their forefathers and reestablish a homeland in the land Palestine.
May 1948
Israel declared its independence
War Bonds
Citizens bought war bonds to fund the war and in return the less expensive stamps could be redeemed for a bond.
Factories
Working in factories was very important to helping in the war. Most men entered into the war, so women mostly took over in the factory.
Rosie the Riveter.
Conservation
Rationing was in order for the soldiers to not run out of essential supplies, SAVING, RECYCLING, RATIONING
Ration Cards
Limit their purchases of certain groceries like cheese, meat, butter, sugar, and gasoline.
Ration Coupons
when an item was purchases, the coupon had to be turned in along with it
Victory Gardens
Encouraged growing vegetables at home
Scrap Drives
Collect scrap metals, glass and rubber to use in the war effort.
The Battle of the Atlantic
Get control of the Atlantic ocean meant a higher % of victory. Traveling on boat was dangerous due to U-boats, When American entered the war the battle turned
U-Boats
Submarines
Wolf Packs
U-boats traveling in a group
Enigma
Germany’s code system
Iron Coffins
The Germans submarines, 70% in subs had died.
Operation Barbarossa
The soviet Union and Germany had a non-aggression pact, but Hitler broke it and invaded them. He wanted the resourced in their land. However, when winter came they were not prepared. The Germans had on summer uniforms, had run out of food and supplies, and no shelter. The Germans lost once they surrounded them.
3 Cities taken over
Leningrad, Moscow, Ukraine
Leningrad
Lasted 2.5 years, Blockade around the city, while fighting the citizens starved in the winter with no fuel or food.
Ukraine
Took all the oil, grain fields and industrial might. Soviet leadership suggested they retreat since the capital city was under siege, but Stalin insisted they stay. Soviets were taken prisoner.
Moscow
Wanted to conquer and destroy the capitol.
Scorched earth policy
When forced to withdraw, the Red army should destroy anything the enemy could use
The Battle of Stalingrad
September 1942- February 1943, a turning point for the allies
Strategy
Encircled the city
Intense period
Moved the fighting into the city itself
October 4th
Made a desperate attempt to plea to Hitler for reinforcements.
Men
Soviet Union had more men while the Germans men was dwindling out.
The winter
The German troops had little to no food left and had resorted to eating their horses
Surrender
Paulus surrendered the red army
After surrender
They had to march to Siberia and many died on the way there. Only 5,000 survived after the war.
1st mistake in operation Barbarossa
- Thought it would be a quick victory
2nd mistake in operation Barbarossa
Not prepared for the harsh winter
3rd mistake in operation Barbarossa
Supply lines were too far away
4th mistake in operation Barbarossa
Hitler underestimated soviet strength
5th mistake in operation Barbarossa
Hitler refused to retreat in the face of sure defeat
Why was Stalingrad such an important battle?
It turned the tide of war in Europe and marked the beginning of Germany’s collapse.
North African Campaign
June 1940-May 1943, The British were fighting the Italians for control of North African
Control over North Africa
Could protect shipping on the Mediterranean Sea, bring oil through Suez canal
Erwin Rommel
German Field Marshal of WW2
Nickname of Erwin Rommel
Desert Fox
Afrika Korps
Name of the German forces that was led by Rommel in North Africa
Operation Torch
November 1942, America’s first WW2 offensive invasion
American soldiers entered the war where?
North Africa
George Patton
Another commander of operation torch
Dwight Eisenhower
Commander of operation torch
Who commanded the British troops in North Africa?
Bernard Montgomery
The plan called for the invasion of the North African of what?
Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia
May 1943
The German and Italian troops in North Africa surrendered.
Where did the “The Big Three” meet?
Met in Tehran, Iran
When did “The Big Three” meet?
November 28-December 1943
The Names of the three men were…
FDR, Churchill, Joseph Stalin
What was the “The Big Three”
Plan the final strategy against Nazi Germany and discuss the future invasion of Italy. This was their first meeting.
Italian Campaign
Prepared to cross the Mediterranean Sea and knock the Italians out of the war.
“Soft Underbelly”
Weakest portion of the Axis defense, Italy
Tuskegee Airmen
First African American air force in WW2
June 5th, 1944
The allies liberated Rome
What happened to Benito Mussolini
Forced to resign in 1943; going to be assassinated, flee to Switz.
General George Marshall
U.S Army Chief of staff
Dwight Eisenhower
Supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe in Dec, 1943, war planner
D-Day
Operation begins
H-Hour
Hour the operation begins
Operation Overlord
D-Day, June 6th, 1944
What had to be done before they could stop of Hitler?
Had to cross the English Channel to retake France
D-Day place
Beaches of Normandy in Northern France
Atlantic Forts/bunkers
1,670 miles of wall(clothes and stuff) along the Atlantic Ocean from Denmark to Spain. Hitler built this to prepare.
Commander of Operation Overlord
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Omar Bradley
Led the American troops at Normandy
British commander for Operation Overlord
Bernard Montgomery
Erwin Rommel
German commander at Normandy
1st beach
Sword(British)
2nd beach
Gold(British)
3rd beach
Juno(Canadians)
4th beach
O’maha(U.S)
5th beach
Utah (U.S)
Phase 1
Paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines, establish control over bridges and roads
Phase 2
Bombed German defenses
Phase 3
battleships targeted German defenses, landing crafts went on the beaches
Bouncing Betties
Explosive mines on the beach
Andrew Jackson Higgins
Made Higgins Landing Crafts
What happened to the Western front after D-Day?
The whole Western front has been ripped wide open.
The Battle of the Bulge
December 16, 1944-January 28, 1945, Hitler’s last offense
December 16th, 1944
German launched surprise attack
General George Patton
German, “Old blood ‘n guts”, came with reinforcements
February 1945
Last meeting of the “Big Three”
Plans for the end of the war
Divide Germany into 4 sectors
U.S, France, Britain, Soviet Union would all get 1 sector\
Stalin agreed to hold free elections in his regions
FDR argued for the creation of the United Nations
Rhine River
April 1945, U.S was the West and the Soviet Union from the East
April 12, 1945
FDR died from a brain hemorrhage
April 30, 1945
Hitler committed suicide
May 2
The soviets conquered Berlin
May 8, 1945
Victory in Europe, surrender was signed on May 7 in Rheims, France and would take effect the following day
