World War II Flashcards

Grade 8 · Social Studies · Flashcards

Essential WWII terms, events, people, and turning points for Grade 8 Social Studies.

Flashcards

Axis Powers

Germany, Italy, and Japan — the alliance that fought against the Allies in WWII

Allied Powers

US, Britain, Soviet Union, France and other nations that fought against the Axis

Adolf Hitler

Fascist dictator of Nazi Germany whose aggression triggered WWII in Europe

Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)

Japanese surprise attack on the US naval base in Hawaii — brought America into WWII

D-Day (June 6, 1944)

Massive Allied invasion of Normandy, France — the largest seaborne invasion in history

Holocaust

Nazi Germany's systematic genocide of approximately 6 million Jews and millions of others

Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43)

Decisive Soviet victory over Germany on the Eastern Front — a major turning point in the war

Battle of Midway (1942)

US naval victory over Japan in the Pacific — shifted momentum away from Japan

Manhattan Project

Secret US program that developed the atomic bomb, led by J. Robert Oppenheimer

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Japanese cities hit by US atomic bombs on August 6 and 9, 1945, leading to Japan's surrender

V-E Day (May 8, 1945)

Victory in Europe Day — Germany's unconditional surrender

V-J Day (September 2, 1945)

Victory over Japan Day — Japan's formal surrender, ending WWII

United Nations

International organization founded in 1945 after WWII to promote peace and cooperation

Fascism

Extreme nationalist, authoritarian ideology that rose in Germany and Italy before WWII

Blitzkrieg

Germany's 'lightning war' strategy using fast-moving tanks and aircraft to overwhelm enemies quickly

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