Class Note 3

Question 1

Discontent of Germany (1)

Answer 1

The terms of the Treaty of Versailles were very harsh to Germany. Germany was discontent that it had to bear the sole responsibility of the First World War, Germans wanted to take revenge on the various countries

Question 2

Discontent of Germany (2)

Answer 2

The Germans refused to support the democratic government of Germany as it accepted the harsh treaty, all of the above led to the rise of totalitarianism

Question 3

Discontent of Germany (3)

Answer 3

European countries, especially Germany, had to face post-war economic difficulties. As a defeated country, Germany was forced to pay heavy indemnity and give up many territories, as a result, trade in Germany dropped seriously; unemployment rose sharply and there was serious recession

Question 4

Discontent of Italy (1)

Answer 4

Italy was a member of Central Powers before the First World War. However, it joined the Allied Powers later on as Britain and France

Question 5

Discontent of Italy (2)

Answer 5

However, the victorious powers were discontent with the performance of Italy during the war. Italy failed to get what it wanted at the Paris Peace Conference. Therefore, Italy was very discontent with the settlement made by the various powers

Question 6

Discontent of Italy (3)

Answer 6

The war destroyed the economy of Italy seriously, many people turned to support totalitarianism

Question 7

The Great Depression

Answer 7

After the First World War, the US became very rich

It was the largest creditor and power in the world

USA lent a large sum of money to Britain and France (to pay the war indemnity)

In late October 1929 the stock market in Wall Street crashed and this led to the economic recession

The US stopped making overseas investments, but demanded its debtors to repay their loans

Britain and France asked Germany to pay war reparation

This was how the economic recession in the USA turned into the Great Depression

Question 8

Features of totalitarianism

Answer 8

One party dictatorship

Supremacy of the state

Control of life and thinking

Military rule and foreign aggression

Complete control of the economy

Question 9

Italy’s form of totalitarianism

Answer 9

Fascism (1922-1943)

Question 10

Germany’s form of totalitarianism

Answer 10

Nazism (1933-1945)

Reverse the Treaty of Versailles 
Reunion with Austria 
Germans were the master race of the world 
Other races were inferior
To gain more living space
Create a greater Germany

Question 11

Japan’s form of totalitarianism

Answer 11

Militarism (1942-1945)

Question 12

Fascism in Italy

Answer 12

Mussolini formed a political party in 1921 and led a march to Rome to seize power in 1922, and started invading other countries such as Africa

Question 13

Nazism in Germany (1)

Answer 13

Hitler promoted Pan-Germanism and would like to unite all brilliant Germans. He also adopted genocide policy on the Jews.

Question 14

Nazism in Germany (2)

Answer 14

In 1933, Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany and became the President (leader) in the next year. He abolished the Treaty of Versailles, and started invading foreign countries.

Question 15

Aggressions of Japan, Italy and Germany

Answer 15

Japan Shenyang incident 1931

Italy Invasion of Abyssinia 1935

Germany Rearmament 1935

Germany Re-stationing of army in the Rhineland 1936

Japan Lugouqiao Incident 1937

Japan Italy and Germany The formation of Axis Powers Military alliance (Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis)

Germany Annexation of Austria March 1938

Germany Occupation of Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia 1938-1939

Question 16

Japan Shenyang Incident 1931

Answer 16

No reaction

They were more concerned about the problems of Europe

Question 17

Italy Invasion of Abyssinia

Answer 17

Britain and France requested Abyssinia to cede 2/3 territory to Italy

To prevent Italy from allying with Germany

Question 18

Germany Rearmament 1935

Answer 18

Britain and France felt regretful for this. But Britain allowed the German navy to expand equally to 35% of the British navy

Britain thought that was the sovereign right of Germany. And Hitler promised not to challenge Britain

Question 19

Germany Re-stationing of army in the Rhineland 1936

Answer 19

No reaction

Britain thought that was the sovereign right of Germany. France was not willing to take action alone

Question 20

Japan Lugouqiao Incident 1937

Answer 20

No reaction

they were more concerned about the situation of Europe

Question 21

Japan Italy and Germany The formation of Axis Powers Military Alliance (Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis) November 1937

Answer 21

No reaction

Question 22

Germany Annexation of Austria March 1938

Answer 22

No reaction

Britain thought the Treaty of Versailles was a mistake and the two countries had been one united country before

Question 23

Germany Occupation of the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia 1938-39

Answer 23

They reached the Munich Agreement with Germany

To sacrifice the interests of small countries in return of peace in Europe

Question 24

What is the Appeasement Policy

Answer 24

Appeasement policy means giving someone or some countries what they want in order to prevent war

Question 25

Reasons for the Appeasement policy

Answer 25

Fear of another war Britain and France needed more time to recover their economy Germany had good reasons to expand Should join with Germany to fight against communist USSR

Question 26

What about the US? (1)

Answer 26

Since the establishment of the United States in the late 18th century, it had adopted isolationism. In the 1920s, as long as the international situation did not harm the benefits of the US, it avoided getting involved in the European affairs.

Question 27

What about the US? (2)

Answer 27

The US became very prosperous after the First World War, however, during the 1930s, the US mainly focused on solving the problems brought about by the Great Depression, as the US would like to solve the domestic problems first, so it set aside the international affairs during that period

Question 28

What about the Soviet Union?

Answer 28

The Soviet Union was willing to join British and France in order to fight against Germany at the beginning, but Britain and France adopted appeasement policy which encouraged the expansion of Germany. As a result, Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact with Germany in 1939. They agreed to divide Poland between themselves. The Soviet Union aimed at making the place a buffer zone to ease the pressing threat of national security. However, this lead to the outbreak of the Second World War.

Question 29

Outbreak of the war

Answer 29

In September 1939, Germany started invading Poland, Britain and France declared war to Germany and the Second World War began afterwards

Question 30

Europe camps

Answer 30

Axis Powers Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Finland Allied Powers Britain, France, Soviet Union, Poland, Holland, Belgium, Greece

Question 31

Asia camps

Answer 31

Axis Powers Japan, Siam Allied Powers China, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey

Question 32

America camps

Answer 32

Allied Powers United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Panama

Question 33

Africa and Oceania camps

Answer 33

Allied powers South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Liberia, Australia, New Zealand

Question 34

July 1937

Answer 34

Lugouqiao Incident took place and Japanese troops invaded Beiping

Question 35

November 1937

Answer 35

Japan conquered Shanghai

Question 36

December 1937

Answer 36

The Nanjing Massacre Japanese troops occupied Nanjing, where they killed 300,000 Chinese people

Question 37

September 1939

Answer 37

Germany Invaded Poland When Hitler invaded Poland, the major powers were at war in the west. The Germans employed a tactic known as “Blitzkrieg”

Question 38

April to May 1940

Answer 38

Germany conquered Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Holland and Belgium The same tactic “Blitzkrieg” was used. All these countries had been conquered and the allied armies had been evacuated from Dunkirk to Britain

Question 39

May 1940

Answer 39

The joint forces of Britain and France withdrew from continental Europe as they failed to stop Germany’s military aggression

Question 40

June 1940

Answer 40

Germany launched a new offensive against France, in four days, the French were in hopeless retreat On June 22, Paris fell and France signed an armistice with Germany

Question 41

July to December 1940

Answer 41

German warplanes bombed Britain day and night but failed to make it surrender

Question 42

June 1941

Answer 42

Germany suddenly attacked the Soviet Union

Question 43

7th December 1941

Answer 43

Japan suddenly attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbour and thus the USA formally joined the Second World War

Question 44

Why were the Americans lucky during the pearl harbour incident

Answer 44

Fuel stations, shipyard, maintenance dockyard were not damaged Major US battleships were not anchored

Question 45

8th December 1941

Answer 45

Japan attacked Hong Kong

Question 46

Japanization policies

Answer 46

Food rationing Change of street names Building confiscated by the Japanese Forced repatriation Textbook, newspapers, movies, and radio had to be pro-Japanese Imprisonment of western Introduction of Japanese customs Military notes

Question 47

February to December 1942

Answer 47

Japan occupied many Southeast Asian countries and announced the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere theory

Question 48

February 1942

Answer 48

Japan invaded Singapore

Question 49

May 1942

Answer 49

Japan invaded the Philippines

Question 50

December 1942

Answer 50

Japan occupied Hong Kong

Question 51

June 1942

Answer 51

The US defeated Japanese troops heavily at the Midway Island

Question 52

Winter of 1942

Answer 52

The Soviet Union counter-attacked Germany

Question 53

September 1943

Answer 53

Italy surrendered and Mussolini was executed

Question 54

6th June 1944

Answer 54

The Allies landed at Normandy and the date was known in history as the D-Day

Question 55

8th May 1945

Answer 55

Germany surrendered and the battle ended in Europe

Question 56

6th August 1945

Answer 56

The US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima

Question 57

9th August 1945

Answer 57

The US dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki

Question 58

15th August 1945

Answer 58

Japan surrendered

Question 59

Result of WWII (1)

Answer 59

During the Second World War, the US, Britain, Soviet Union held conferences to discuss the post-war settlements in order to restore international order, such as Yalta conference held in February 1945 and the Potsdam held in July 1945

Question 60

Result of WWII (2)

Answer 60

After the Second World War there was the era of Cold War most nations in the world were divided into blocs, including the capitalist bloc and the communist bloc, which made a long time to conclude treaties for the defeated powers after the war

Question 61

Italy after WWII

Answer 61

A peace treaty was signed between Italy and the Allied Powers in July 1946

Question 62

Germany after WWII

Answer 62

Germany and its capital ,Berlin, where divided into four zones which song was occupied by one of the Allied Powers: Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet Union.

Question 63

Japan after WWII

Answer 63

Japan was occupied by the US after the war. The San Francisco peace treaty was signed between Japan and the Allies Power in 1951

Question 64

Impacts of the WWII (1)

Answer 64

The second world war devastated millions of houses, factories, farms, railways and bridges. Moreover, places including Nagasaki, Hiroshima Berlin and so on were totally destroyed ; London and Paris etc. were heavily damaged as well

Question 65

Impacts of WWII (2)

Answer 65

The war cast heavy casualties. During the War, the Germans adopted a genocide policy towards the Jews, killing about 6 millions of them . In 1937, the Japanese killed 300,000 Chinese people.

Question 66

Beginning of the nuclear age

Answer 66

The US invented atomic bomb and it was so powerful that it destroyed the two Japanese cities , Hiroshima and Nagasaki totally. Different countries paid effort on developing nuclear weapons after the war in order to improve their international prestige.

Question 67

Breaking up of colonial empires

Answer 67

There were decolonisation in Asia and Africa, many countries such as Philippines became independent

Question 68

Rise of two superpowers (1)

Answer 68

Germany and Italy were defeated totally in the war ; although Britain and France were victorious countries , many of the their colonies became independent after the War.

Question 69

Rise of two superpowers (2)

Answer 69

The US lost the least because a joined the two Wars late, it even invented atomic bombs during the war which made it become the superpower.

Question 70

Rise of two superpowers (3)

Answer 70

The Soviet Union received large amount of compensation after the war, which made it become a superpower as well.

Question 71

Beginning of the Cold War

Answer 71

After the Second World War, the world was divided into two blocs, the US was the leader of the capitalist bloc and the Soviet Union was the leader of the communist bloc. The Cold War between these two blocs began.

Question 72

Formation of the new peacekeeping body

Answer 72

The United Nations was formed after the Second World War 

Question 73

Militarism in Japan (1)

Answer 73

Japan adopted an expansionist policy after the Meiji Modernisation, during the first world war, Japan expanded its influence to the markets in China and Southeast Asia

Question 74

Militarism in Japan (2)

Answer 74

The economic disruptions caused by the 1929 Great Depression facilitated the rise of totalitarianism and Japan gradually adopted overseas expansion as a mean to save its economy

Question 75

Militarism in Japan (3)

Answer 75

Japanese militarists made plans to invade first the Northeast Provinces of China first then the whole country of China and eventually build a Japanese empire in Pacific region