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Inernational Exam 1 > WWII Final > Flashcards

WWII Final Flashcards

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1
Q

Erich von Manstein

A

German field marshal; expert in mobile warfare.

Designed Operation Citadel, the offensive at Kursk.

Clashed with Hitler over military decisions.

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2
Q

Operation Citadel

A

German offensive to encircle Soviet forces at Kursk in 1943.

Largest tank battle in history.

Ended in Soviet victory and German strategic failure.

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3
Q

Kharkov

A

Major city in Ukraine; site of four major WWII battles.

Changed hands multiple times between Soviets and Germans.

Important for controlling Eastern Ukraine.

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4
Q

Walter Model

A

German general known for defensive warfare.

Led forces during retreat from the Eastern Front.

Loyal to Hitler; called the “Führer’s Fireman.”

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5
Q

Operation Cobra

A

U.S. breakout from Normandy in July 1944.

Used massive bombing to open German lines.

Helped liberate France from Nazi control.

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6
Q

Dnieper River

A

Major river in Eastern Europe; key strategic line.

Soviets launched huge offensives to cross it in 1943.

Scene of major fighting during German retreat.

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7
Q

Crimean Peninsula

A

Strategic Black Sea region.

Captured by Germany in 1941; retaken by USSR in 1944.

Important for naval control and oil routes.

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8
Q

Ion Antonescu

A

Romanian dictator and Hitler ally during WWII.

Oversaw participation in the invasion of the USSR.

Executed for war crimes after the war.

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9
Q

Kiev

A

Capital of Ukraine; strategic city on Eastern Front.

Captured by Germans in 1941; retaken by Soviets in 1943.

Site of massive encirclement of Soviet troops.

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10
Q

Pas de Calais

A

Narrowest point between Britain and France.

Germans expected the D-Day invasion here.

Heavily fortified but not attacked by Allies.

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10
Q

Normandy Peninsula

A

Region in northern France where D-Day landings occurred.

Site of massive Allied amphibious invasion on June 6, 1944.

Marked the start of Western Europe’s liberation from Nazi control.

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11
Q

Gerd von Rundstedt

A

Senior German field marshal on the Western Front.

Disagreed with Hitler over defense strategy during D-Day.

Dismissed and reinstated multiple times during the war.

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12
Q

Erwin Rommel

A

German general known as the “Desert Fox.”

Led German defenses in Normandy during D-Day.

Implicated in the July Plot and forced to commit suicide.

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13
Q

Dwight Eisenhower

A

Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during WWII.

Led Operation Overlord (D-Day invasion).

Later became the 34th U.S. President.

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14
Q

Bernard Montgomery

A

British general and key Allied commander in Europe.

Led British forces on D-Day and in North Africa.

Commanded at El Alamein and in Operation Market Garden.

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15
Q

Sword Beach

A

Easternmost D-Day landing beach, assigned to British forces.

Secured key towns and linked up with Canadian forces.

Faced strong German defenses, including tanks.

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16
Q

Gold Beach

A

British landing sector on D-Day.

Objective was to capture Bayeux and link with U.S. and Canadian troops.

Heavy resistance, but objectives achieved by nightfall.

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17
Q

Juno Beach

A

Assigned to Canadian forces during D-Day.

Second highest casualties after Omaha Beach.

Crucial in linking British and American forces.

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18
Q

Omaha Beach

A

American landing zone on D-Day with toughest German defenses.

Suffered highest number of Allied casualties.

Eventually secured, allowing U.S. advance inland.

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19
Q

Utah Beach

A

Westernmost D-Day landing beach, assigned to U.S. forces.

Relatively low resistance compared to Omaha.

Linked up with airborne troops inland.

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20
Q

Operation Anvil-Dragoon

A

Allied invasion of Southern France in August 1944.

Aimed to divert German forces from Normandy.

Successful in liberating southern France quickly.

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21
Q

Gothic Line

A

German defensive line in Northern Italy.

Heavily fortified; slowed Allied advance in 1944.

Eventually breached by Allied forces in 1945.

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22
Q

Operation Bagration

A

Massive Soviet offensive in summer 1944.

Destroyed German Army Group Centre.

One of the most devastating defeats for Nazi Germany.

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23
Q

Klaus Stauffenberg

A

German officer who led the July 20 plot to kill Hitler.

Planted a bomb at Hitler’s headquarters.

Executed after the failed assassination attempt.

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24
Warsaw Uprising
1944 Polish resistance attempt to liberate Warsaw. Crushed brutally by German forces. Soviet troops halted nearby, offering no aid.
25
Battle of the Bulge
Germany’s last major offensive in the West, Dec 1944. Took Allies by surprise in Ardennes Forest. Allied victory, but with high casualties.
26
Bastogne
Key town during Battle of the Bulge. Defended heroically by 101st Airborne Division. Surrounded but held out until relieved.
27
Trident Conference
Meeting between Churchill and Roosevelt in May 1943. Planned Italian campaign and D-Day invasion. Agreed on focus of military strategy in Europe and Pacific.
28
Salo Republic
Puppet Nazi state in Northern Italy (1943–1945). Led by Mussolini after his rescue by Germans. Collapsed with Nazi defeat in Italy.
29
Karl Doenitz
Commander of German U-boats; later succeeded Hitler. Led Nazi Germany in final days of the war. Surrendered to Allies in May 1945.
30
J. Robert Oppenheimer
Scientific leader of the Manhattan Project. Directed the development of the first atomic bombs. Later advocated against nuclear arms proliferation.
31
Area Bombing
Strategy targeting entire cities to break enemy morale. Used heavily by the Allies on German and Japanese cities. Caused large civilian casualties - Ex: Dresden, Tokyo
32
Shuri Line
Major Japanese defensive position on Okinawa. Consisted of caves, tunnels, and strong fortifications. Its fall marked a critical U.S. victory in the Pacific.
33
Henry “Hap” Arnold
Head of the U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII. Advocated for strategic bombing and air superiority. One of the architects of the U.S. air strategy.
34
B-29 Superfortress
Long-range bomber used by the U.S. in the Pacific. Dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Had advanced tech like pressurized cabins and remote guns.
35
Mariana Islands
Captured by the U.S. in 1944 (Saipan, Tinian, Guam). Crucial for launching bombing raids on Japan. Tinian was the launch site for the atomic bomb missions.
36
P-51 Mustang
Long-range American fighter plane. Escorted bombers deep into Nazi Germany. Key to achieving Allied air superiority.
37
Battle for Iwo Jima
Fought in early 1945; extremely bloody. Strategic island for U.S. bomber emergency landings. Famous for the flag-raising on Mount Suribachi.
38
Battle for Okinawa
Largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater. Resulted in huge casualties on both sides. Provided a base for the planned invasion of Japan.
39
Kamikaze
Japanese suicide pilots who crashed into Allied ships. Used heavily in battles like Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. Symbolized Japan’s willingness to fight to the end.
40
Harry S. Truman
Became U.S. President after FDR died in April 1945. Authorized the use of atomic bombs on Japan. Oversaw the end of WWII and beginning of the Cold War.
41
Manhattan Project
U.S. secret project to build atomic bombs. Involved scientists from the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Produced bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
42
Los Alamos
Secret U.S. lab in New Mexico for atomic bomb development. Key site in the Manhattan Project. Scientists like Oppenheimer and Fermi worked there.
43
Potsdam Conference
July 1945 meeting of Truman, Stalin, and Churchill/Attlee. Discussed postwar Europe and issued ultimatum to Japan. Increased tensions between the U.S. and USSR.
44
Enola Gay
B-29 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets. Became one of the most well-known aircraft in history.
45
Hiroshima
Japanese city bombed on August 6, 1945. Target of the first atomic bomb (Little Boy). Over 100,000 people killed instantly or from radiation.
46
Nagasaki
Bombed on August 9, 1945, three days after Hiroshima. Target of second atomic bomb (Fat Man). Led to Japan's surrender shortly afterward.
47
Ernest King
U.S. Navy’s top admiral during WWII. Directed naval operations in both Atlantic and Pacific. Advocate for aggressive offensive strategies.
47
Leslie Groves
U.S. Army general in charge of the Manhattan Project. Oversaw all aspects of bomb production and deployment. Worked closely with Oppenheimer
48
Tarawa
Fierce battle in the Gilbert Islands (Nov 1943). U.S. Marines faced tough Japanese resistance. High casualties due to strong defenses and reef barriers.
49
F6F Hellcat
U.S. Navy’s dominant carrier-based fighter. Helped achieve air superiority in the Pacific. Credited with destroying over 5,000 enemy aircraft.
50
Battle of Saipan
Fought in June–July 1944; part of the Mariana Islands. Gave the U.S. airbases to bomb mainland Japan. Civilian mass suicides occurred under Japanese propaganda.
51
Battle of the Philippine Sea
June 1944 naval battle between the U.S. and Japan. Known as the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot” due to U.S. air dominance. Crippled Japan’s carrier air power permanently.
52
Luzon
Largest island in the Philippines; captured by U.S. in 1945. Key to liberating the Philippines from Japanese control. Featured battles like the recapture of Manila.
53
Battle of Stalingrad
Turning point in the Eastern Front (1942–43). Soviets surrounded and destroyed German 6th Army. Marked the beginning of a major Soviet offensive westward.
54
Operation Overlord
Codename for the Allied invasion of Normandy (D-Day). Began on June 6, 1944, with massive amphibious landings. Led to the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.
55
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Largest naval battle in history (Oct 1944). Marked Japan’s last major naval effort. Featured first organized kamikaze attacks.
56
Yamashita Tomoyuki
Japanese general known as the “Tiger of Malaya.” Defended the Philippines in 1945; executed for war crimes. Known for strategic skill and controversial legacy.
57
Brécourt Manor Assault
Famous D-Day paratrooper action by Easy Company (Band of Brothers). Took out German artillery threatening Utah Beach. Demonstrated tactical skill and small-unit leadership.
58
Guadalcanal Campaign
First major U.S. offensive in the Pacific (1942–43). Marked shift from defense to offense against Japan. Featured brutal jungle fighting and naval battles.
59
July Plot
Attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944. Led by Claus von Stauffenberg and other German officers. Failed bombing led to mass arrests and executions.
60
Operation Market Garden
Allied airborne operation in the Netherlands (Sept 1944). Aimed to secure key bridges and end the war by Christmas. Failed due to strong German resistance at Arnhem.
61
Falaise Gap
Final phase of the Battle of Normandy in August 1944. Allies trapped and destroyed German forces retreating from France. Cleared the way for the liberation of Paris.

Inernational Exam 1 (9 decks)

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