Neutrality Acts
A series of laws passed by the United States Congress in the 1930s, aimed at preventing the nation from becoming involved in foreign conflicts by prohibiting the sale of arms and lending of money to countries at war.
Appeasement
A diplomatic policy aimed at avoiding conflict by making concessions to another power. Most famously associated with Britain's policy towards Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
America First Committee
An influential political group in the United States that advocated for isolationism and non-intervention in World War II, emphasizing that America should focus on its own defense and interests.
Lend-Lease Act
A U.S. program during World War II that allowed the transfer of arms and other supplies to Allied countries without immediate payment, vital for supporting nations like Britain and the Soviet Union against Axis powers.
Atlantic Charter
A pivotal policy statement issued in August 1941 that defined the Allied goals for the post-war world. It was drafted by the leaders of the United Kingdom and the United States and later agreed to by all the Allies.
Military-Industrial Complex
A term popularized by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to describe the close relationship between a country's military and the defense industry that supplies it, potentially influencing public policy and national priorities.
War Production Board
An agency established during World War II to coordinate the production of war materials and supplies, ensuring that the military had the necessary resources to fight effectively.
National War Labor Board
A federal agency created to mediate labor disputes during World War II to prevent strikes and ensure steady production of war materials. It helped balance the needs of workers and employers.
Fair Employment Practice Committee (FEPC)
Established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941, this committee aimed to prohibit racial discrimination in the national defense industry, marking a significant step towards civil rights.
Double V
A campaign during World War II led by African Americans, advocating for victory over fascism abroad and victory over racism at home, symbolizing the fight for equality.
Zoot Suit Riots
A series of violent clashes in 1943 in Los Angeles, California, between U.S. servicemen and young Mexican Americans and other youths wearing zoot suits, highlighting racial tensions in the United States.
Internment
The forced relocation and confinement of Japanese Americans to camps in the interior of the United States during World War II, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, driven by wartime hysteria and racial prejudice.
Second Front
Refers to the establishment of a new front in Western Europe during World War II, notably the invasion of Normandy (D-Day) in 1944, to ease pressure on Soviet forces battling the Nazis on the Eastern Front.
D Day
June 6, 1944, the day Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in history, landing on the beaches of Normandy, France, marking the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany in World War II.
Island Hopping
A military strategy employed by the Allies in the Pacific Theater during World War II, involving selectively attacking specific enemy-held islands and bypassing others to reach Japan.
Yalta Agreement
A conference held in February 1945 where Allied leaders (Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin) met to discuss the post-war reorganization of Europe and the re-establishment of the nations conquered and destroyed by Germany.
Manhattan Project
A top-secret U.S. government project during World War II that developed the first nuclear weapons, leading to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Holocaust
The systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews and millions of others by the Nazi regime and its collaborators during World War II, representing one of history's most horrific genocides.