History Flashcards
History
How many nuclear weapons have ever been used during war, when and by whom?
only 2
both by the USA
near the end of World War II in 1945
Who were the nuclear bombs dropped on?
Japanese cities of
Hiroshima and
Nagasaki
What age did the world enter into after the nuclear bombs were dropped?
The nuclear age
What happened to victims directly underneath the nuclear explosions?
they were vaporized instantly.
The heat was so intense that they disappeared into thin air.
How far away from the nuclear explosions did peoples clothes set on fire?
3km
What happened to roof tiles 0.5km away from the nuclear explosions?
they melted
How fast was the wind speed on the ground directly beneath the nuclear explosions?
1600km / hour
What did the force of the wind do during the nuclear explosions?
it flattened most buildings
What type of poisoning did the nuclear explosions release and what were the effects?
nuclear radiation killed 10’s of thousands of people in the cities and the deaths from radiation continued for years after the explosions.
Why have nuclear weapons not been used in warfare again?
Because of the extreme destruction caused from the bombs.
Who did the Allies fight in World War II?
The Axis Powers
Who had the Allied powers defeated by May 1945?
Germany and Italy
What did the Allies decide at the Yalta Conference in February 1945, before the end of the war?
That when Germany was defeated, it would be divided into 4 zones.
France, Britain, America and Russia would each control a part.
What did the Allies do in June 1945?
They divided up Germany and Berlin and took over the government of Germany.
Who moved into Berlin in July 1945?
American, British and French troops
Who controlled the capital city of Germany, Berlin, after Germany was defeated?
Russia
Who represented Britain at the Yalta Conference?
Winston Churchill
Who represented The USA at the Yalta Conference?
Franklin Roosevelt
Who represented Russia at the Yalta Conference?
Josef Stalin
What happened to Roosevelt and Churchill?
Roosevelt dies just before the end of the war.
Churchill was voted out of office.
When was the Potsdam Conference held?
at the end of the war…. 17 July - 2 August 1945
Who were the participants (countries) of the Potsdam Conference?
the Soviet Union
Britain
The United States
Why was the Potsdam Conference held?
To decide how to administer punishment to the defeated Nazi Germany.
Why was their increased tension between the Allies after WWII?
Tension regarding positions of power and trust amongst the leaders.
Britain’s new Prime Minister, Clement Atlee, deeply distrusted Stalin.
USA’s new President, Harry Truman was very suspicious of Stalin’s intentions.
Who replaced Churchill and Roosevelt at the Potsdam Conference?
Clement Atlee (Britain) Harry Truman (USA)
Why did Russian troops not withdraw from the countries in Eastern Europe?
Stalin insisted that his control of Eastern Europe was a defensive measure against possible future attacks from the West.
When and where did the USA test an atomic bomb?
16 July 1945
The New Mexico desert.
How did Stalin know about the atomic bomb?
He had KGB spies that had gained access to the group that made the bomb.
Who was the KGB?
The Russian Secret Police
What is ideology?
A set of beliefs, values and ideas
What great change took place in Russia during World War I?
The Russian Revolution of 1917:
King Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown and a communist government took over.
Russia was renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
What does USSR stand for?
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Who was the leader of communist political party that took over Russia in 1917?
Vladimir Lenin
Which party was Lenin the leader of?
Russia’s communist party, The Bolsheviks
What did Lenin and the Bolsheviks party offer poverty stricken Russians?
Peace, land and bread
When did Russia withdraw from World War I?
1917
When did Stalin take over leadership of the Soviet Union?
When Lenin died in 1924
What kind of leader was Stalin?
A ruthless dictator.
He used extreme violence
From 1917 - 1991, How far did the Russian state stretch?
From the Baltic and Black seas to the Pacific Ocean
It consisted of 15 SOviet Socalist Republics
What was the capital city of the Russian state?
Moscow
What is communist ideology?
- Do not believe in a few rich people controlling all wealth in the country
- Government should rule in the interests of all, not just the rich
- Wealth should be shared equally between all people
- Economy is centrally planned - economic equality
- No one can own private property or make a profit
- State owns all large industries and all sources of wealth
- Communist governments are not usually democratic
Who developed the ideas of communism?
Karl Marx
Vladimir Lenin
Leon Trotsky
Communism is a revolutionary movement that promotes…..
the violent overthrow of capitalism
Who did communism become a popular ideology among?
Poor people all over the world.
What do the stars on the American flag represent
The 50 States of The USA
What kind of governing ideology does the USA have?
The USA is a capitalist country
What is the capital city of the USA
Washington DC
What are the countries that are allied to the USA called?
the West
Who does the West include?
the capitalist, democratic countries in Western Europe, including Britain
What is the main ideology behind capitalism?
the belief that there is nothing wrong with some people being very rich, and others being very poor
In capitalist ideology, what does the possibility of making a profit motivate?
people to work harder
Can capitalist own private property?
yes
Does the government control the economy in a capitalist country?
No
What is the meaning of fascist?
Fascism is a form of government which is a type of one-party dictatorship. Fascists are against democracy. … Fascism puts nation and often race above the individual
How are capitalists, although democratic, sometimes fascist?
The rights of individuals who own huge industries and gather great wealth are protected while other people remain very poor.
What was Harry Truman strongly opposed to?
He was opposed to the SOviet Union expanding its control in Europe and other parts of the world.
He wanted the USA to resist communism.
Where did Albert Einstein grow up?
in Germany
What was Albert Einstein award with in 1921?
The Nobel Prize in Physics
How was Albert Einstein involved in the making of the nuclear or atomic bomb?
He was not directly involved, but his scientific theories were used in the development of the first nuclear bomb.
He encouraged the American government to invent the atomic bomb to stop Nazi ideas from spreading.
Why did Einstein leave Europe?
As he was Jewish, he left Europe when Hitler came into power, to escape the Nazis
Where did Einstein go live?
In America
Was the atomic bomb used on Nazi Germany?
No. It was used on Japan
What was the top secret research project to research and produce an atomic bomb called?
The Manhattan Project
What was the code name for the bomb that was successfully tested in the desert in New Mexico?
’’ the gadget ‘’
What happened to the sand under the explosion of the tested bomb?
It turned to glass
Who was the leader of the Manhattan Project?
RObert Oppenheimer
why were the Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki the chosen targets for the atomic bomb?
because they produced weapons of war for Japan
How many people died instantly in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
90 000 and 60 000 respectively
When and why did world war II end?
on 14 August 1945, Japan finally admitted it had been defeated
How did Einstein feel about the nuclear bombs after they had been dropped?
Regret.
He was deeply concerned about humanity and world peace.
He tried to convince world leaders to give up nuclear weapons
What 3 main reasons did the American Government have for dropping the bombs?
- To avoid further casualties
- To keep Stalin out of Japan and frighten or intimidate the USSR
- To frighten the Japanese military leaders into surrendering
What was the argued prediction of deaths per month(mostly in Asia) if the war had continued?
250 000 per month
What is a Purple Heart Medal?
an award given to soldiers who have been killed or injured in the US military
How many Purple Heart Medals did the USA have manufactured in anticipation of casualties from the planned invasion of Japan?
nearly 500 000
How many Purple Heart Medals were still in stock in 2003
120 000
What did the Japanese code of war say?
Never be captured, never break down, never surrender
Japanese fighters were trained to….
fight to the death.
Who was the Japanese Emperor during World War II?
Hirohito
The atomic bomb was more than a weapon of terrible destruction, it was a….
psychological weapon
What were the after effects for Japanese people long after the Nuclear bomb was dropped?
- Thousands of children were orphaned
- Weeks later, people continued to die from burns
- Within the next few years, people died of radiation sickness and cancer
- 50 years later, children were still being born with defects caused by the bomb
How did Harry Truman justify dropping the bomb?
He said dropping the bomb saved lives
What was the first atomic bomb that was dropped called?
Little boy
Who invaded Russia in 1941?
Hitler’s troops
Why did Russia join the the Allies and fight on the same side as the USA?
They had the same enemies, Germany, Italy and Japan
Who developed their own nuclear weapons after WWII by 1949?
Russia
What was the Cold War
The Rivalry between the USA and the USSR after WWII