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World War II key terms and events

Flash cards on the key terms, turning points and events of the Second World War in Europe and the Pacific, with clear one-paragraph explanations.

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The cards, front and back

  1. 1
    Front

    Appeasement

    Back

    The policy, mainly of Britain and France in the 1930s, of making concessions to Nazi Germany to avoid war. The Munich Agreement of 1938 is the best-known example.

  2. 2
    Front

    Munich Agreement (1938)

    Back

    An agreement that allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia was not invited to the talks.

  3. 3
    Front

    Nazi-Soviet Pact (1939)

    Back

    A non-aggression pact signed in August 1939 between Germany and the Soviet Union. A secret protocol divided Eastern Europe between them, clearing the way for the invasion of Poland.

  4. 4
    Front

    Invasion of Poland

    Back

    Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September.

  5. 5
    Front

    Blitzkrieg

    Back

    Meaning lightning war: fast attacks combining tanks, motorised infantry and aircraft to break through enemy lines quickly.

  6. 6
    Front

    Dunkirk evacuation (1940)

    Back

    Between late May and early June 1940, more than 300,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated by sea from Dunkirk in France as German forces advanced.

  7. 7
    Front

    Battle of Britain (1940)

    Back

    An air campaign in which the Royal Air Force defended Britain against the German Luftwaffe. Germany's failure to win control of the air led it to postpone invading Britain.

  8. 8
    Front

    The Blitz

    Back

    The German bombing campaign against British cities from September 1940 to May 1941.

  9. 9
    Front

    Operation Barbarossa (1941)

    Back

    The German invasion of the Soviet Union launched on 22 June 1941, opening the Eastern Front, the largest land war in history.

  10. 10
    Front

    Pearl Harbor

    Back

    Japan attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on 7 December 1941. The United States declared war on Japan the next day.

  11. 11
    Front

    Allies and Axis

    Back

    The Allies were led by Britain, the Soviet Union, the United States and China. The main Axis powers were Germany, Italy and Japan.

  12. 12
    Front

    Battle of Midway (1942)

    Back

    A naval battle in June 1942 in which the US Navy sank four Japanese aircraft carriers. It is seen as the turning point of the Pacific war.

  13. 13
    Front

    Battle of Stalingrad

    Back

    Fought from August 1942 to February 1943, it ended with the surrender of a German army to Soviet forces. It is widely seen as a turning point on the Eastern Front.

  14. 14
    Front

    El Alamein (1942)

    Back

    Battles in Egypt in which British Commonwealth forces stopped and then defeated German and Italian forces in North Africa.

  15. 15
    Front

    D-Day (6 June 1944)

    Back

    The Allied landings in Normandy, France, under Operation Overlord. It opened a major Western Front against Germany.

  16. 16
    Front

    The Holocaust

    Back

    The systematic, state-sponsored murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. The Nazis also murdered millions of others, including Roma, disabled people and Soviet prisoners of war.

  17. 17
    Front

    VE Day

    Back

    Victory in Europe Day, 8 May 1945, when the Allies celebrated Germany's unconditional surrender.

  18. 18
    Front

    Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    Back

    The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 and Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. Japan announced its surrender on 15 August.

  19. 19
    Front

    VJ Day

    Back

    Victory over Japan Day. Japan's surrender was announced on 15 August 1945 and formally signed on 2 September 1945.

  20. 20
    Front

    Nuremberg Trials

    Back

    Military tribunals held from 1945 to 1946 in which leading Nazis were tried for war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against peace.

  21. 21
    Front

    Lend-Lease

    Back

    A US programme from 1941 that supplied Britain, the Soviet Union, China and other Allies with weapons, food and materials.

How to use this template

This deck covers the key terms and events of the Second World War, from appeasement in the 1930s to the Nuremberg Trials. It suits secondary school history students and anyone wanting a reliable overview before reading further. Each card gives a short, accurate explanation, with dates only where they are well established. Use Learn mode to get familiar with the terms, then Test mode so spaced repetition can return to the cards you find hard. The topic includes the Holocaust and the atomic bombings, so study those cards with care and respect for the people affected. Print it double-sided to revise on paper.

Tips

  • Sort the cards into three piles: road to war, turning points and the end of the war. Then learn each pile in date order.
  • For each turning point, practise saying why it changed the course of the war, not just what happened.
  • Keep the European and Pacific wars clear in your head. Midway and Pearl Harbor belong to the Pacific; Stalingrad and D-Day to Europe.
  • Use a map when studying Barbarossa, El Alamein and D-Day so you can picture where each front was.
  • Revisit the appeasement cards when you write essays. Questions on the causes of the war often turn on this policy.

Make it fit

  • Add your own country's part in the war, such as campaigns its forces fought in or events on the home front.
  • For a shorter session, use only the turning points: Battle of Britain, Midway, Stalingrad, El Alamein and D-Day.
  • Add cards on resistance movements, wartime leaders or the war in Asia if your syllabus covers them.
  • For older students, pair each card with a primary source to analyse.

Updated October 28, 2026

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