Allied forces: Alliances of countries in military opposition to another group of nations. Twenty-eight nations made up the Allied and Associated powers in World War I. In World War II, the Allied powers included Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union.

Armistice: Truce.

Battle of the Bulge: Battles surrounding the last German offensive (1944-45) during World War II. Allied forces moving toward Germany from France following the DDay invasion were stalled by bad weather along the German border. Germans launched a counteroffensive to divide American and British forces. Germans created a "bulge" in the Allied lines, but they were halted and then withdrew.

Bureaucracy: A government or big business set up to be run by bureaus, or departments, that strictly follow rules and regulations and a chain of authority.

Central Intelligence Agency: A U.S. government agency charged with accumulating information on...