Describe the important terms and people involved with wwII.
- Gestapo: Abbreviation of Geheime Staatspolizei, which means Secret State Police in German. Gestapo were the official secret police for Nazi Germany. They persecuted any enemies of the state at first, but then became more focused on "collecting" Jews and other "undesireables" and sending them to concentration camps or killing them.
- Emperor Hirohito: Emperor of Japan during WWII. Started the Second Sino-Japanese War when he led Japan's invasion of Manchuria. Became part of the Tripartite Pact in 1940, making Japan part of the Axis Powers. Allowed Japan's military to go to war with the US. Had troops occupying many pacific islands. By 1944, victory wasn't probable for Japan, but Japan continued in the war until the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, then Japan surrenderred.
- Hideki Tojo: Was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army, leader of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, and Prime Minister of Japan during most of WWII. Responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor, and therefore the war between the US and Japan. After the war, he was arrested and sentenced to death for Japanese War Crimes and was hanged in 1948.
- Adolf Hitler: Dictactorial leader of the Nazi Party and eventually became Furher of Germany, changing it into a totalitarian fascist state. His efforts were to gain land for Germany and make it "ethnically pure." He started WWII with the invasion of Poland, and the Allied Forces declared war on Germany. He created the Final Solution, which sent "undesirable" people (mostly Jews) to concentration camps to be killed for the ethnic cleansing of Germany. He committed suicide just before Germany surrenderred in 1945.
- Benito Mussolini: Fascist Prime Minister of Italy, he had dictactorial powers but was overthrown in 1943. Promised to fight alongside Hitler and Nazi Germany in any war "against the democracies of the world." However, Italy's army wasn't very good or prepared, so they were quickly defeated by Allied Forces during WWII.
- Joseph Stalin: General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee, gradually accumulated power and became the absolute ruler of the Soviet Union (USSR). Played a major role in defeating Nazi Germany. Got help from the Allied Forces several years into WWII, otherwise Germany had a good chance of winning the war. There was limited cooperation with Allied Forces however.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt: US President 1934-145 and only president elected for 4 terms. He led the US through the Great Depression and the majority of WWII, including Pearl Harbor. When the Allied Forces were close to victory in Europe and the Pacific, Roosevelt suddenly died from a cerebral hemorrage in April 1945. Harry Truman, Vice President, took his place.
- Harry Truman: Became the President of the United States after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945. He led the US through the end of WWII. Under his command, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.
- Winston Churchill: Prime Minster of Great Britian from 1940-1945 (and again in 1951-1955) and led Britain in the fight against Nazi Germany. Originally had the support of France, but it fell to Germany. Churchill was a great speaker and made many inspirational speeches to boost national morale during wartime.
- Charles de Gaulle: A French general who became the President of France's provisional government in 1945, after they were liberated. Afterwards, he established France's 5th Republic, putting himself as acting president.
- Luftwaffe: The German airforce in WWII.
- Kamikaze: Suicide attacks by soldier in the Japanese air force against Allied navy vessels during the Pacific campaign in WWII. Officially named Tokubestu Kogekitai (Special Attack Unit).
- Maginot Line: A defensive line in France to keep German troops out of France. Went all along the border, but was heavily defended on the French-German border and not as well defended on the Luxembourger-French and Belgian-French borders. German forces were, however, able to surpass the defense of the Maginot Line and invade France, leading to it's occupation.
- Appeasement: A diplomatic policy of giving political or material concessions to an enemy to prevent and avoid conflicts that could happen otherwise. Nazi Germany was appeased with the land it lost in WWI before the start of WWII to try and prevent it.
- Blitzkrieg: German word for "Lightning War." A tactic using concentrated firepower to disorganize the enemy, then attacking with mobile forces among the midst of disorientation and panic.
- Island Hopping: A strategy used by the United States to secure small islands in the Pacific and reclaim land controlled by Japan.