Final Exam Flashcards
Which European leader led the Congress of Vienna?
Metternich–from Austria
Was Stalin Lenin’s first choice to take his place when he died?
NO (Trotsky was another contender. It is not clear if Lenin really favored him either but we know he did not approve of Stalin.)
What was the Eastern Bloc
It was the eastern European nations that came under the
Communist umbrella during the late 1940’s & 50’s. (It included East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary)
What was the Lebensborn Program?
(Means Fount of Life) The SS started a program to raise Aryan children. Children were born and/or raised in special homes. Some were kidnapped or taken from their families.
Several countries tried to remain neutral during WWI. Which one was forced to participate in the war?
Belgium–invaded by Germany
What is the significance of June 1941 in Russia?
Operation Barbarossa–the German invasion of Russia–began then.
Would Marx be considered a Nationalist?
No, socialists believe people are united by class, not nations.
When was NATO formed and what was it for?
In 1949 the United States joined Britain, France ,Canada, Denmark, and several other nations in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This was essentially a defensive military agreement against
aggression.
What was Lenin’s slogan when he returned to Russia?
Bread, Land, Peace
What did Hitler do in March 1938?
He sent forces into Austria to annex it.
What were 4 underlying causes of WWI?
- disputed territories 2. nationalism 3. imperialism 4. military buildup
What took place at Potsdam after Germany’s defeat?
Allies met again to put the agreements made at Yalta in place. Stalin agreed to declare war on Japan and to join the UN but would NOT allow free elections in the sections of Europe they controlled.
What ideology took the ideas of Darwin about evolution and applied them to people?
Social Darwinism
Who led the occupation of Japan?
US General Douglas MacArthur
What was a factor in leading to the growth of the US and USSR as superpowers?
After W.W. II power vacuum in Europe. Britain, France, and Germany– were left weakened by the war.
Who was Doolittle?
Jimmy Doolittle led the Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, on Saturday, April 18, 1942. It was a bombing campaign which tarketed the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on the island of Honshu during World War II, the first air operation to strike the Japanese Home Islands.
What was the Maginot Line?
It was a massive system of defenses built along the French border with Germany. It did not extend along the border with Belgium because the French thought they would amass their forces there, thinking the Germans would come that way. The defenses were not successful against the Germans in 1940.
Who were the Tuskegee Airmen?
They were a group of AfricanAmerican airmen who flew in the segregated US Army Aircorps during WWII. They usually escorted other fighter planes but they also destroyed some German planes and ships.
What was the Einsatzgruppen?
They were special mobile death squads created by the SS to kill Jews, often following behind the army as they invaded territories.
When did the Armistice ending WWI start?
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 1918 (November 11, 1918 at 11:00 a.m.)
What was important about Okinawa?
The Battle of Okinawa was the last major battle of World War II, and one of the bloodiest. It was fought in April 1945 and was part of the final push toward Japan.
Who was the US President during WWI?
Woodrow Wilson
What was Mt. Suribachi?
It was a mountain on Iwo Jima. The Japanese were able to fire down on the landing Marines from the mountains on the island. Suribachi is important because the US Marines captured it 4 days into the battle and soldiers raising the US flag were captured in a famous photograph.
What was Omori?
It was a Japanese prisoner camp. Some say conditions there were inhumane.
What was the Schlieffen Plan?
It was Germany’s plan to defeat France and Russia in a two front war. The plan was to make a swift invasion and victory in France and then turn all the resources to winning with Russia.
What years was WWI fought?
1914-1918
What is the name of the period in Japanese history where Japan modernized?
Meiji period
What was Kokura?
Kokura was the back up city for the first bomb, which was dropped on Hiroshima. Kokura was supposed to be the target for the second bomb but poor visibility led the bombers to go to Nagasaki instead.
Which German professor said “The Jew is our misfortune”?
Heinrich Treitschke
Who defended European Imperialism on the basis of economic and racist reasons?
Lord Lugard
Why did Roosevelt put an embargo on oil to Japan?
The Japanese had invaded French Indochina and were trying to stop China from getting any imported goods. So Roosevelt stopped exporting any oil to Japan. This led Japan to strike the US at Pearl Harbor.
Did President Wilson want to join WWI after the sinking of the Lusitania?
NO. He was angry and made some demands on the Germans but he kept the US out of the war.
Which side did Japan fight on during WWI?
There were allied with Britain, France, and Russia.
What were three things that caused tensions in post-WWII Europe?
Territory
Natural resources
Human rights.
On what date was Pearl Harbor bombed?
Dec. 7, 1941
What major change did the Industrial Revolution bring?
New sources of power made it possible to make and transport things in new ways. Machines are used to make things that used to be made by hand. Ex. steam power made it possible for textiles to be woven on large looms. Power also made it possible to have new kinds of transportation–steam boats, rail road.
Did Lenin protect the status of the Russian churches?
No, he suppressed religion in the Soviet Union.
What were the 2 sides in WWI–once the fighting started?
Allies vs Central Powers
Allies included Britain, France, Serbia, Russia–also Japan, Italy and later the US
Central Powers included Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria
Don’t confuse these with the alliances from before the war which were the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance–the countries in those were not exactly the same
When did Mussolini come to power in Italy?
1922
Who was the actual assassin who killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, 1914?
Princip–a member of the Serbian Black Hand group.
What was Krystallnacht?
It was 2 days in 1938 where Jewish businesses were destroyed and Jews were attacked.
Who was Eisenhower?
Dwight Eisenhower was the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary forces during WWII and he planned both the invasion of North Africa and D-Day (invasion of Europe).
Who coined the term “Iron Curtain”?
Winston Churchill–it refers to the division between the West and the East in Europe–divided areas controlled by Communism and democracies.
Who was Daniel Inouye?
He was a Japanese American soldier who served during WWII and later became a US Senator.
Who was the Desert Fox?
German General Edward Rommel. commanded the Afrika Corps in North Africa and also tank units in France.
What action led to the US joining WWI?
The Zimmerman Telegram–in it, the Germans promised some US territories to the Mexicans if they would become an ally of Germany
What treaty ended WWI and when was it signed?
Treaty of Versailles–1919
What happened at Normandy?
It was the landing sight for the Allied invasion of France on June 6, 1944.
When was the Lusitania sunk?
1915
What happened at Guadalcanal?
Guadalcanal is an island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese were building an airbase there. The Battle of Guadalcanal was the first major offensive and a decisive victory for the Allies in the Pacific theater. U.S. marines launched a surprise attack in August 1942 and took control of the air base.
When did Russia leave WWI and why?
1917–Russian Revolution started and many soldiers left the front and went home. Lenin got Germany to agree to peace talks.
What was discussed at the Wannsee Conference?
This was a meeting of the German government and military leadership which discussed the Final Solution of exterminating the Jews. It was led by Heydrich.
What happened on April 12, 1945?
Franklin Roosevelt died of a stroke and Truman became president.
Who did Hitler invade in 1939?
Poland
End of World War II witnessed profound changes in the
world–what were they?
Europe and the rest of the world was divided into two spheres, each being dominated by another power (US vs USSR) who offered economic and military aid
European powers which had held colonial lands since Renaissance lost their overseas possessions.
There was a buildup of nuclear weapons
Why was the Battle of the Bulge important?
It was the last major Nazi offensive in December 1944. The Nazis were hoping to cut Allied forces in half and negotiate a truce. Since they lost, they were doomed to defeat in the war.
In 1923, Hitler tried to imitate Mussolini’s success he had with the March on Rome. What was Hitler’s attempt called?
The Beerhall Putsch
