Key Battles
This 1942 Battle in the Pacific, where the U.S. Navy halted Japan's advance, is often called the turning point of the war in the Pacific.
What is the Battle of Midway?
This U.S. President authorized the use of the atomic bomb against Japan in 1945, shortly after taking office.
What is Harry Truman?
This German cipher machine, used to encrypt messages, was cracked by Allied code-breakers at Bletchley Park.
What is the Enigma Machine?
This 1939 agreement between Germany and the USSR divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence before WWII began.
What is the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact?
This iconic U.S. poster character, often shown flexing her arm, encouraged women to join the workforce during WWII.
Who is Rosie the Riveter?
Fought in late 1944, this German counteroffensive in the Ardennes was Hitler's last attempt to stop the Allied advance in the West.
What is the Battle of the Bulge?
Known as the "Desert Fox," this German general led the Africa Korps in North Africa before being defeated at El Alamein.
Who is Erwin Rommel?
This American bomber dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
What is the B-29 Superfortress?
This 1941 document, signed by Roosevelt and Churchill, outlined goals for the postwar world, including self-determination for all nations.
What is the Atlantic Charter?
This system in the U.S. limited access to goods like food, fuel, and rubber to support the war effort.
What is rationing?
In 1942-1943, this brutal Soviet-German clash on the Eastern Front ended with the encirclement and surrender of the German 6th Army.
What is the Battle of Stalingrad?
This Soviet leader oversaw the brutal defense of the USSR, including the victory at Stalingrad, while enforcing a scorched-earth policy.
Who is Joseph Stalin?
This British invention, a precursor to modern computers, was used to break Enigma codes by simulating rotor settings.
What is the Bombe?
This 1945 conference, held in Crimea, saw the Big Three (USA, USSR, UK) plan the final defeat of Germany and the division of postwar Europe.
What is the Yalta Conference?
This group of Native American servicemen used their language to create unbreakable codes for the U.S. military in the Pacific.
Who are the Navajo Code Talkers?
This 1945 Battle, the last major conflict in the Pacific, saw intense fighting and kamikaze attacks as the U.S. prepared to invade Japan.
What is the Battle of Okinawa?
This American general led the D-Day invasion and later became the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe.
Who is Dwight D. Eisenhower?
This Allied technology, used to detect incoming aircraft, played a key role in the Battle of Britain by providing early warnings of Luftwaffe attacks.
What is radar?
This U.S. policy, starting in 1941, provided military aid to Allies like the UK and USSR before America officially entered the war.
What is the Lend-Lease Act?
This 1944 U.S. legislation provided benefits like education and housing loans to returning WWII veterans, transforming postwar society.
What is the GI Bill?
This 1944 invasion of Normandy, also known as D-Day, marked the largest amphibious assault in history and opened a second front in Europe.
What is Operation Overlord?
The British Prime Minister, famous for his "We shall fight on the beaches" speech, led the UK through much of WWII.
Who is Winston Churchill?
This German tank, introduced in 1942, was heavily armored and feared for its 88mm gun, dominating many battlefields.
What is the Tiger Tank?
This alliance, formed by Germany, Italy, and Japan, was also known as that Pact of Steel before Japan joined in 1940.
What are the Axis Powers?
This 1942 U.S. policy led to the internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, most of whom were U.S. citizens.
What is Executive Order 9066?