WWs: WWII Key Vocabulary

Island Hopping

A military strategy used during World War II that involved selectively attacking specific enemy-held islands and bypassing others

Europe First

Military strategy adopted by the United States that required concentrating on the defeat of Germany while maintaining a holding action against Japan in the Pacific.

Kido Butai

Japanese Carrier fleet used to strike Pearl Harbor. Significant because it brought the USA into the war and demonstrated the new emphasis on aviation in naval warfare.

Billy Mitchell Project

A demonstration planned to show how planes could be more efficiently used in naval battles. Originally dismissed, this idea was key to the future of our Navy.

Blitzkrieg

"Lighting war", typed of fast-moving warfare used by German forces against Poland in 1939

Manhattan Project

Code name for the U.S. effort during World War II to produce the atomic bomb. Much of the early research was done in New York City by refugee physicists in the United States.

War Productions Board

The purpose of the organization was to regulate the production and allocation of materials and fuel during World War II in the United States. It rationed such things as gasoline, heating oil, metals, rubber, paper, and plastics.

Open Door Policy

A policy proposed by the US in 1899, under which ALL nations would have equal opportunities to trade in China... One of the reason's why America was eventually attacked by Japan in 1941.

Peripheral Strategy

deal with issues on outside/surrounding main issues (WWII: dealing with North Africa instead of attacking Germany directly)

Manchuria

A northern industrial province in China, invaded by the Japanese in 1931. From here the Japanese would launch an invasion of mainland China beginning in 1937.

Rosie the Riveter

symbol of American women who went to work in factories during the war

Strategic Bombing Campaign

Name given to Western Allied program of using airplanes to bomb German cities and factories

Nuremberg Trials

A series of court proceedings held in Nuremberg, Germany, after World War II, in which Nazi leaders were tried for aggression, violations of the rules of war, and crimes against humanity.

Lend-Lease Act

allowed sales or loans of war materials to any country whose defense the president deems vital to the defense of the U.S

Atlantic Charter

1941-Pledge signed by US president FDR and British prime minister Winston Churchill not to acquire new territory as a result of WWII and to work for peace after the war

Executive Order 9066

2/19/42; 112,000 Japanese-Americans forced into camps causing loss of homes & businesses, 600K more renounced citizenship; demonstrated fear of Japanese invasion

Rationing

A system of allocating scarce goods and services using criteria other than price

Yalta Conference

1945 Meeting with US president FDR, British Prime Minister(PM) Winston Churchill, and and Soviet Leader Stalin during WWII to plan for post-war

Selective Service Act

Law passed by Congress in 1917 that required all men from ages 21 to 30 to register for the military draft

Vichy France

Southern Pro-Nazi French; govern themselves as loyal to nazis; traitors to the Free French in N. France