A-Z of the Second World War

A

Air-raids As soon as the war began in September 1939 a strict system of air raids were used. A siren would sound that let people know a German bombing raid was going to start. People would then take cover in an air-raid shelter. A second siren would sound the all-clear when the attack was over. It was then safe to come out. Over 60,000 people died in air raids in  Britain during the war.

Air-raid shelters. The government issued air raid shelter for people who had a garden. These type of shelters were called Anderson shelters. They cam in kit form for building yourself. They were damp, cold and uncomfortable; but better than being bombed. People who had no garden could get a Morrison shelter This was a heavy duty table with mesh on the side to protect you from flying bricks etc. They were almost no use. Many people who did not have a shelter would use public shelters and in London the Underground stations were used (at first without the governments permission.

This picture shows how people covered their Anderson shelters with vegetables. An example of how the image of keeping the wartime spirit was used.

Anti-Semitism. The hatred of Jews. This was not invented by the Nazis and has been going on for thousands of years. However, Hitler called for the 'Final Solution', where Europe was to be systematically cleared of Jews. From the early days of Hitler's power in Germany Jews had been denied legal status and several laws had been introduced to make them outsiders in their own country.

Appeasement. The policy that Britain followed before the war. Its aim was to avoid war at any cost. Negotiations and giving way on issues that seemed of little importance were typical of this policy. Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister who led this policy tried very hard indeed to get a peace agreement with Hitler. He was criticised after the war for being weak but at the time people were only too grateful for a leader who wanted to keep peace at all costs.

Chamberlain (centre) in Munich with Hitler. Peace at any price?

Battle of the Atlantic. The German's believed that using its U-boats to destroy merchant ships would be a useful way of winning the war. The losses of personnel on the merchant ships made this the most hazardous job in any area of the war.

Atomic Bomb. Used on August 6th 1945 on Hiroshima, the atomic bomb has been said to be the weapon that ended the Second World War. Using the newly discovered use of nuclear fusion, the Americans decided to use this weapon against the Japanese. The first bomb killed 80,000 people and the second on Nagasaki killed over 30,000. The effects of radiation poisoning has meant that the figures now are over 250,000 dead. This weapons use is extremely controversial and some historians say the Americans used it for reasons more concerned with showing Russia how powerful they were rather than simply shortening the war.

The awesome power of an atomic bomb as it produces the mushroom cloud. The death toll of the two bombs used on Japan continues to rise to this day as the effects of radiation persists.

Auschwitz. A major death camp where Hitler had tens of thousands of Jews sent to be killed in his attempt to rid the World of Jews. In all over 6 million Jews died in this plan.

Axis powers. The countries that allied with Germany. These were Italy and Japan. However Spain had very close relations with Germany.