history test WW2 Flashcards
What caused WW2?
1 : The Treaty of Versailles
#2 . Economic and Political Conditions in Germany after WW1
#3. The Rise of Fascist Leaders (Like Hitler)
#4. Policy of Appeasement
Cause #1.
- Germany was forced to sign the agreement due to blockade around their country
-The terms on germans were harsh and caused bitterness the terms being:
-Germany was made to pay reparations to Britain, France and Belgium for damages caused during the war
-The war guilt clause officially blamed Germany for starting the war
-German military was severely limited, they were allowed no airforce or u-boats
-Germany lost key territory when the map of Europe was redrawn and new counties like Poland and Czechoslovakia were created
- The treaty made a League of Nations to solve disputes and help countries being invaded however the U.S and U.S.S.R didn’t join.
- The Treaty of versailles wasn’t able to solve many problems in Europe and this made any Germans angry and want revenge.
Cause #2. Economic Conditions in Germany after the war
-by 1923, the economy had broken down. The value of the German Mark (currency) fell dramatically, as more money was printed to pay off the reparation, caused by hyperinflation (a dramatic rise in prices)
-there was mass unemployment and violent riots occurred
- The Weimar Republic (the German government) struggled with the economy, and things started to improve, only to be wiped out by the worldwide depression in 1929
- These problems created a situation that was just right for a person with easy and quick answers to arise-like Hitler.
Cause 3: The Rise of Hitler
- 1889 hitler was born in an Austrian town near the German border
- he was an artist but not good enough and could make a living from it
-1921 hitler founded the National Socialist German workers Party (Nazi Party)
-1930-1932 the Nazi made big gains in the German national elections
-1933 hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany. he quickly established a dictatorship, ending elections and making the natzis the only party.
-1934 concentration camps were set up for dissenters and the persecution of the jews began on a large scale
-he blamed germans problems on the jewa and he implemented a plan to rid europe of jews
Cause #4 : Policy of Appeasement
Appeasement: Giving into the demands of a potential enemy
-in dealing with hitler Britain and France practiced the policy of appeasement
-Britain and France stood by and allowed Germany to gain military strength and a quire control of Austria and many more.
-Britain and France felt that appreasement was a sacrifice worth making to avoid another war
The 3 political parties in Germany after ww1 . their beliefs and who supports
Communists: Belifs
- government should be run by the council of workers
-industired and agriculture should be owned by the government rather than private individuals
- the power of the military should be reduced
-workers should be powerful and protected
Supporters:
- factory and agricultural workers and some intellectuals ( teachers, professors) pacifists( those opposed to any form of fighting)
Social Democrat: Belifs
- Government should be run by elected representatives from all parties
- a few key industrials such as railroads should be owned by government
- the terms of the treaty of versailles that limited the size of government should be honored
-the constitution must guarantee the rights
of minority groups and workers
Supporters:
Some workers,professional people, Roman Catholics , some business people
National Socialist (Nazi) :
-Government should be run by the army and wealthy
-industry should continue to be privately owned
- democratic government should be outlawed
-the activities of jews and foreigners should be severely restricted ( since natzi believe there 2 groups were responsible for Germanys economic problems
supporters:
Army, unemployed, big business, farmers, aristocrats
-Blitzkrieg ( all three componentes) , Phony War( whats it called in german? when? what happened?) , Dunkirk( why is it relevant?)
Blitzkrieg : “The lighting war”
- the German air force
- Tank divisions
-The Army - ground troops
Phony War: “Sitzkrieg”
-oct 1939 - mar/april 1940 war without fighting
-germany attempted to take Poland and succeeded but rissia joined to take Poland from the east
dunkirk :
900 rescue ships arrived in dunkirik and rescued solders that waited there
. the french and British were able to be resued because the germans stopped attacking, this was a big loss for hilter because he could have taken out so many soldiers and won over dunkirk
Battle of Britain, Operation Barbarossa, Italian Campaign, Battle of Stalingrad
August to oct 1940 - Battle of Britian :
the german airforce unsuccessfully attempt to capture london by air by bombing london by night
Operation Barbarossa :
Germany attacks its allies, the sovies union, to seize natural resources
The Canadians and the Italian chapaign : 1943
- Canadian, American, and britsh troops advanced on itally
-aim is to stop german forces escaping into itally
-Canadian lead a surprize attack on the southern island of sicily
-push into the mainland is more difficult and in june 1944 the allies take rome
- famous bloody battle of Ortona by Edmonton Regiment
- Canadians remain in Italy until 1945
Battle of stalingrad: 1943
- 1942 Germans savagely try to take stalingrad in USSR for its oil
- Face cold winter but germans refuse to retreat
- by jan 43 2 huge soviet armies surrounded a trap 250,000 germans who disobey hitler by surrendering
- 91 , 000 germans servive
- seen as hitler’s greatest defeat to date , USSR will punish germans back to berlin
- seen as a turning point of the war.
Dieppe-purpose, Canada’s role, results, impac
dieppe- purpose:
- germans were in total control of europe and have attacked russia with murduroud results joe stallin demands that the wester allies do something in order to relive the preasue on russia stallin wants a second front. they want an attack on the coast of France where the germans would have to send equipment from russia and relieving their stress.
- British people also want churhill , their prime minister to open a second front
Reasons for the Raid :
1. to relive the pressure on russia by opening a second front
2. to deceive the germans as to where the main blow would be struck in Europe in 1943
3. to provide a theatre of action for Canadian troops that had been in England for over 2 years
4. to gain experience to launch a major assault.
Objectives in attacking Dieepe :
1. to capture and remove german invasion barges
2. to destroy german defences around dieppe
3. to destroy nearby air installations
4. to destroy radar, rail and harbour facilities , along with gasoline dumps
5. to capture german prisoners
6. to capture secret papers and radar equipment.
Canadas role and result :
Plan by restless Canadian and British troops to test german forces on french coat. to relive pressure on the USSR .
Plan: quick attack, gather info, return to Britain, like a dress rehearsal for future invations
-august 19 1942 - 5000 Canadian troops land
- germans are well prepared
-900 dead , 100 wounded 1900 P.O.W, 2200 soldiers return
- dieppe like another Passiondale?
D-Day-purpose, Canada’s role, impact
D-day purpose-
- the nazi are in control of europe the allies need to get onto the continent in order to open a second front.
- canadians fight on juno beach
- 2:00am paratoopers dropped to protect landing forces
- 2000 bombers pound german defences
- air raids joined by allied warship guns
-first wave of troops pour onto beaches face underweather obsticles, land mines, barbed wire, machine gun fire. - 1 week later - 300 000 troops on shore
- 1 month later - 1 million allied troops with 200 000 vehicles on shore
Result :
- marked the begining and end for hitler and the nazi
- hitler on defence
-Hitler fighting on 2 fronts
The Holocaust-define, why did it occur, who was placed in the camps, extermination vs. death camp, Aryan, anti-semitism
Holocaust- Devastation by fire
Why? :
Because jews were seen as “ sub - humans” and hitler used them as scapegoats for their economic and social problems. he said that jews want to take over germany and eventually the world. he used this lie to turn fear against jews into anger.
The Reich Citizenship act (Nuremburg laws) “ mixed marriges “ were forbidden and voting was denied to jews
1938- pogrom, a official attack on jews of germany
nov 9-10: night of broken glass
jewish shops were distroyed and synagogs were distroyed
1939- nazi begain to exicute jews
1945- germans surrender and war ends
Consentration camps were set up all over germany and poland. “extermination capms” were meant to just execute jews
