Wwii Terms and Definitions free essay sample

Democracy – a government in which the supreme power is  vested  in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free  elections Communism – a totalitarian system of government in which a single authoritarian  party controls state-owned means of production Propaganda – the spreading of ideas, information, or  rumor  for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person Holocaust – the mass slaughter of European civilians and especially Jews by the Nazis during World War II Genocide – the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group Anti-Semitism – hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group Concentration Camp – a camp where persons (as prisoners of war, political prisoners, or refugees) are detained or confined Pacifist – strongly and actively opposed to conflict and especially war Appeasement – to bring to a state of peace or quiet Non-Aggression Pact – A  non-aggression pact  is a national  treaty  between two or more states/countries agreeing to avoid war or armed conflict between them and resolve their disputes through peaceful negotiations. We will write a custom essay sample on Wwii Terms and Definitions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Sometimes such a pact may include a pledge of avoiding armed conflict even if participants find themselves fighting third countries, including allies of one of the participants. War Measures Act – The  War Measures Act  was a  statute  of the  Parliament of Canada  that provided for the declaration of war, invasion, or insurrection, and the types of emergency measures that could thereby be taken. Total War –Total war  is a  war  in which a  belligerent  engages in the complete  mobilization  of fully available  resources  and population. Battle of Britain – from August to October 1940, the prolonged bombing of S England by the German Luftwaffe and the successful resistance by the RAF Fighter Command, which put an end to the German plan of invading Britain Battle of the Atlantic – the struggle for control of the sea routes around the United Kingdom during World War II, esp 1940-43 Dunkirk – A city of northern France on the North Sea. In World War II more than 330,000 Allied troops were evacuated from its beaches in the face of enemy fire (May-June 1940). Operation Barbarossa – Code name for the surprise German attack on the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, which broke the Soviet-Nazi Non-Aggression Pact and plunged the Soviet Union into World War II. Corvettes – A fast, lightly armed warship, smaller than a destroyer, often armed for antisubmarine operations. D-day – In the  military,  D-Day  is to liberate mainland  Europe  from  Nazi occupation during  World War II. However, many other invasions and operations had a designated D-Day, both before and after that operation. Atomic Bomb – An explosive weapon of great destructive power derived from the rapid release of energy in the fission of heavy atomic nuclei, as of uranium 235. Also called  A-bomb,  atomic bomb,  fission bomb. Blitzkrieg – The classic interpretation of blitzkrieg is that of German  tactical  and  operational  methodology in the first half of the  Second World War  that was often hailed as a new method of warfare. The word, meaning lightning war, in its strategic means is associated with a series of quick and decisive short battles to deliver a knockout blow to an enemy state before it could fully mobilize. The tactical meaning of blitzkrieg involves a coordinated military effort by tanks, mobilized infantry, artillery and aircraft, to create an overwhelming local superiority in combat power, to overwhelm an enemy and break through its lines. Rosie the Riveter – A fictional character created during  World War II  to symbolize women working in the war industries (for example, as riveters in aircraft factories). Rosie was often depicted wearing overalls and work gloves with her hair tied up in a polka-dot cloth. Rations – A fixed portion, especially an amount of food allotted to persons in military service or to civilians in times of scarcity. Internment Camps – A governmental euphemism for a concentration camp, especially a non-Nazi one from before or during WWII; a detention center; a relocation camp. Historical references describe the camps as  internment camps, although others favor the name relocation camps. Others, more critical of this action, refer to them as detention camps or concentration camps.