World War II

World War II was the largest war in history. It is essential that every student learn basic facts about this important event.

Glossary

• Appeasement - British and French political strategy of ceding territory to Hitler in return for his promise that he will not ask for any more.
• Anschluss - 1938 invasion and annexation of Austria by Germany
• Armor - Tank units
• Blitzkrieg - "Lightning war". German tactics including rapid penetration with tanks, dive-bomber attacks, and disruption of Allied rear areas
• D-Day - First day of Allied invasion of Normandy, featuring paratroop drops and amphibious beach assaults
• Gestapo - Nazi secret police, known for torturing their victims
• Holocaust - Organized murder of six million Jews by Germany.
• Lebensraum - breathing space, rationale for German land conquests in the east.
• Luftwaffe - German air force
• Munich Agreement - Treaty where Great Britain and France gave up part of Czechoslovakia in an act of appeasement.
• Operation Market Garden - Allied attempt to invade Holland, capture intact bridge across the Rhine, and end the war by Christmas 1944
• Operation Overlord - Allied invasion of Normandy, starting with D-Day.
• Operation Torch - Allied invasion of North Africa (landings in Tunisia and Algeria)
• Panzers - German tanks
• Stukas - German dive bombers fitted with sirens to sound scary as they make their attacks
• Sudetenland - Mountainous region in northern Czechoslovakia with a local German majority
• V-E Day - May 8, 1945. Germany surrendered. Victory in Europe.
• V-J Day - August 15, 1945. Japan surrendered. Victory over Japan.
• S.S. or Schutzstaffel - elite German army units personally loyal to Hitler. Ideologically motivated, and involved with many war crimes including the Holocaust
• U-boat - German submarine
• Wannsee Conference - January 1942, Nazis decide to exterminate the Jews.
• Wehrmacht - the German army (not including the SS)