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WWII in Europe

Terms

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Reichstag
The Reichstag is both the legislative branch of earlier German governments and the specific building where the legislature met. Destroyed by fire in 1933, it has been rebuilt and now serves as the Parliament Building for a reunified Germany.
Max Schmeling
Schmeling, born in Brandenburg, Germany, won the world heavyweight title via a fourth-round foul against Jack Sharkey on June 13, 1930. On June 19, 1936, he fought the unbeaten American Joe Louis and knocked him out in the 12th round. Adolf Hitler preached about the racial superiority of Aryans and portrayed Schmeling as a symbol of German superiority. As WWII inched closer, the 1938 rematch between Louis and Schmeling had worldwide implications. Adolf Hitler had risen to power in Germany and his persecution of Jews, which ultimately led to the Holocaust, had begun in 1935. By the spring of 1938, Germany had annexed Austria and focused its sites on Czechoslovakia and Poland. The rematch lasted a mere 124 seconds. But its outcome had important implications. Ironically, Schmeling was not an ardent supporter of Hitler and used his influence to save numerous Jews and gypsies during the war.
Allied Forces
The military alliance of the USA, Britain, France, and other countries during WWII
Franklin Roosevelt
Elected President of the US four times, FDR was President during WWII and led the Allied Forces to victory over Adolf Hitler and the Axis Powers
Gestapo
The secret state police under the Nazi regime in Germany, noted for its brutality
Swastika
The "twisted cross" symbol of Nazi Germany
Concentration Camps
Concentration camps were prisons used by Nazi Germany to hold and exterminate Jews, gypsies, and other "undesirables" during WWII.
Eva Braun
A minor movie star in the 1930s, Eva Braun became Hitler's mistress and married him the day before they committed suicide in the underground bunker at the end of WWII.
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, which lasted from December 16, 1944, to January 28, 1945, was the largest land battle of WWII in which the USA participated. More than a million men fought in this battle, including dome 600,000 Germans, 500,000 Americans, and 55,000 British. The Battle of the Bulge was very costly in terms of both men and equipment. Hitler's last-ditch attempt to bring Germany back into winning the war had failed and Germany's final defeat was only months away.
"Blitz" of London
The "blitz" refers to the nearly daily attack of Britain by German air forces during WWII. London was devastated, but British morale remained strong and resolute.
Field Marshall Montogomery
General Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery is probably the best-known British military leader. He had numerous successes during WWII, particularly in northern Africa, but was hesitant to engage the enemy without overwhelming numbers in his favor. His arrogance made him difficult to work with and he was very much disliked by Eisenhower.
Charles de Gaulle
A French military leader at the beginning of WWII, he became a national hero/symbol during the war and President of France at war's end.
Fuehrer
Nazi term for leader (Hitler)
Dwight D. Eisenhower
General Eisenhower was the head of all Allied forces during WWII and had final say on all war plans. His successful leadership was admired by all and led to his election as President of the United States in 1952.
Albert Speer
As Hitler's favorite architect, Speer was in charge of building cities and structures for Hitler and designing new cities envisioned after victory in WWII.
Axis Powers
The military alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan during WWII
Adolf Hitler
A charismatic, Austrian-born demagogue, Hitler rose to power in Germany during the 1920s and early 1930s at a time of social, political, and economic upheaval. Failing to take power by force in 1923, he eventually won power by democratic means. Once in power, he eliminated all opposition and launched an ambitious program of world domination and the elimination of the Jews, paralleling ideas he advanced in his book Mein Kampf. His "1000 Year Reich" barely lasted 12 years and he died a broken and defeated man after his defeat in WWII
Erwin Rommel
Rommel ('The Desert Fox') was the most famous and admired of German generals and was recognized as the most skilled tank commander in WWII. He commanded Hitler's security unit during early campaigns of the war and a stream of successes against Britain's 8th Army earned him the name "The Desert Fox". He was implicated in a plot to kill Hitler in 1944 and was given two choices: face charges of high treason in the People's Court, or commit suicide. If he chose the latter, his family would remain unharmed and he would be given a state funeral. He took poison.
French Resistance
The underground movement of French civilians who fought against Nazi Germans who occupied France during much of WWII. This well organized group killed many Germans and assisted the Allied forces in any way possible.
The Yalta Conference
FDR, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin met at Yalta, on the Black Sea, in Feb. 1945 to plan the future of Europe after WWII. Their decisions shaped Europe for the remainder of the 20th century.
Hitler Youth
Germany's young men and women who joined the Nazi political party and pledged their allegiance to Germany and Adolf Hitler. The Hitler Youth organization "brainwashed" the children and convinced them of German superiority.
Herman Goering
Reichsmarschall (Marshal of the Empire) Herman Goering had been an ace fighter pilot (with 22 kills) in WWI. He joined Hitler and the Nazi party in 1922 and became a leader of the brown-shirted Stormtroopers (Strumabteilung, hence, "Brownshirts") . In 1933, Goering became the head of the Air Force, or Luftwaffe, the role of which he is most remembered. He also formed and headed the Gestapo.
Rudolf Hess
Seen as the #3 man in the Nazi party, behind Hitler and Goering, Hess is best known for his 1941 flight to Scotland in which he intended to negotiate peace with the British, but resulted in his capture and long term imprisonment and death by suicide at age 92 in 1987.
Neville Chamberlain
British Prime Minister prior to WWII who signed a peace treaty with Germany which promised "Peace in our time." Hitler did not honor the treaty, attacked Britain, and Winston Churchill replaced Chamberlain.
Propaganda
Information or publicity (often deceptive or distorted) put out by an organization or government to spread and promote a policy, idea, doctrine, or cause
Alfred Jodi
As one of Germany's highest ranking generals, Jobl worked closely with Hitler and the Nazi Party. He was the individual who signed the final surrender agreement that ended WWII and was put on trial at Nuremburg for war crimes. He was hanged in 1946.
Winston Churchill
Churchill was British Prime Minister and Minister of Defense during WWII and an award-winning author. He was instrumental in the Allied war effort and is remembered as one of the great war heroes of WWII.
Joseph Goebbels
Goebbels was head of Nazi propaganda and was instrumental in building hatred of the Jews. He attempted to flee Germany at the end of WWII, but committed suicide when captured by Allied forces.
"Operation Barbarossa"
The planned invasion of Russia by German troops. Like Napoleon, Hitler found Russia's harsh winters and dedicated soldiers to be formidable foes and the German army was forced to retreat in 1944.
Martin Borman
As Hitler's personal secretary, Borman had great influence in Nazi Germany. While he was in the bunker with Hitler at the end of WWII, his whereabouts was not known. In 1958 a body was found buried in Berlin and scientific study has proved that it is most likely Borman's.
General George Patton
This American general was one of the most successful and controversial in American military history. He was dedicated, well-trained, intelligent and a brilliant strategist. He was also arrogant, quick of temper, foul-mouthed, and believed in reincarnation. He was briefly relieved of command for slapping a soldier who suffered from battle fatigue, but returned to defeat the Germans in important battles.
Benito Mussolini
Fascist leader of Italy during WWII. By the time Hitler became the Fuehrer of Germany, Mussolini had been "IL DUCE" (Leader) of Italy for more than ten years. He had been successful in improving the Italian economy and bringing stability. It was said, "He made the trains run on time" (by shooting someone if they didn't). His ambition was to regain prestige and power for Italy. Mussolini was an Axis political and military leader and, like Hitler, served in WWI as a young man and dreamed of military glory in a second war. When the Germans surrendered in 1945, Mussolini was arrested. He and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were removed from the jail and lynched, by the local Communist partisans.
V-2 Rocket
A "secret" missile/rocket developed by the Germans near the end of WWII. These rockets were aimed at Britain and caused many deaths.
Leni Riefenstahl
The award winning filmmaker as the director of "Triumph of the Will" and a documentary of the 1936 Olympics. As Hitler's primary filmmaker, she produced movies that effectively promoted Germany and was labeled a promoter of Hitler's propaganda. After serving a time in prison she became an award winning still photographer. She died at the age of 101 in 2003.
Heirich Himler
As Cheif of German police, he was responsible for the implementation of Hilter's "Final Solution," the murder of millions of Jews. He attempted to flee Germany at the end of WWII, but committed suicide when captured by Allied forces.
D-Day
Allied invasion of Europe at Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. This military advance of the Allied forces marked the beginning-of-the-end for Nazi Germany.
Nuremburg Trials
From 1945-1949 trials were held in Nuremburg, Germany, for individuals suspected of war crimes during WWII. Dozens are found guilty and executed or sentenced to prison.
Holocaust
While technically meaning a sacrifice that is totally consumed by fire, the Holocaust has come to mean the systematic murder of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany during WWII.

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