International Relations in the 20th Century Flashcards
How many people died during WWI?
30 million
Name some changes the Fascists and Mussolini made to Italy
○Built autostrada
○Reclaimed Pontine Marshes
○Built new railways
○Began the ‘Battle for Grain’ and the ‘Battle for Births’
During WWI, who were the Central Powers?
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey
What were the Fascist Party known as?
The Blackshirts
What are the 4 main reasons Mussolini rose to power?
- Italy after WWI was in difficulty
- Fear of communism
- The Fascist’s use of violence against communists
- The March on Rome
What were Mussolini’s aims?
To make Italy great again. He wanted to create a new Italian empire (just like Roman Empire)
What were the problem as with the Treaty of Versailles?
- Germany, Austria, Hungary etc were not invited to the talks. This left them feeling resentful
- Despite being on the winning side Italy didn’t get most of the land they were promised
By what year had Mussolini become a dictator? What was he known as at this time?
By 1926 he had become a dictator. He became known as ‘Il Duce’ (the leader)
Where was the HQ of the League of Nations?
Geneva
What was the name of Mussolini’s secret police?
OVRA
What kind of political system was the Weimar Republic?
Democracy
Where and how is it believed Hitler got his anti-Semitism views?
As a young man, Hitler lived in Vienna where he failed to get into art college. He lived as a down-and-out. His anti-Semitism seems to has begun at this point
What were the opinions of the Fascist Party?
They were opposed to democracy, they were anti-communist and pro-dictatorship
What did the propaganda posters portray Mussolini as?
Posters depicted him as strong, capable leader, caring man, genius, athlete and a man of the people
Where and when was Mussolini born?
He was born in Romagna, Italy in 1883
What was the League of Nations set up for?
To keep world peace
Which army did Hiltler fight for during WWI and what medal did he win?
Fought as a soldier in the German army during WWI and attained the iron cross for bravery
What did Mussolini work as before he became a politician?
A journalist, teacher and soldier
What did the Acerbo law state?
That the Party to win the most votes in the next election would win 2/3 of seats in parliament
Who was the leader of the Bolshevik Party around the time of 1917?
Vladimir Lenin
Why did the League of Nations fail?
- USA didn’t join
- Had no army
- Only punishment was economic embargo
What was the name of the treaty Mussolini signed with the pope (at the time) in 1929? What was this pope’s name and what did the treaty say?
He signed the Lateran Treaty in 1929 with Pope Pius XI. This recognised the Vatican as an independent state. They also received financial compensation for land that had been taken from them by the state
What was the last Tsar of Russia called?
Tsar Nicholas II
What did Mussolini found in 1919?
Fascio di Combattimento (Fascist Party)
How was the march on Rome one of the reasons Mussolini rose to power?
○In 1922, Mussolini threatened to march on Rome to take over the government by force
○Prime Minister, Facta, appealed to King Victor Emmanuel III to use the Italian army against the Blackshirts
○However, the King supported Mussolini. He forced Facta to resign and he appointed Mussolini as Prime Minister of Italy
What law did Mussolini introduce in 1923
The Acerbo Law
Where and when was Hitler born?
He was born in Austria in 1889
How was the fact that Italy was in difficulty after WWI one of the reasons Mussolini rose to power?
○Didn’t receive the land promised to them
○Economy was weak, inflation was high and unemployment rose
○These things caused strikes and riots
○All this led to people loosing faith in democracy
During WWI, who were the Allies?
Britain, France, Russia, Italy and the USA
What kind of things do communists believe in?
- Pro-working class
- Anti-private property
- Anti-capitalist
- Anti-church
- Anti democracy
What movement did young Italians have to join?
The Balilla movement
Why did Mussolini set up a secret pilice?
To root out any opposition to the Fascists
When was the October Revolution in Russia?
1917
How was the Fascist’s use of violence against communists one of the reasons Mussolini rose to power?
○Blackshirts often attacked communists and put a stop to strikes and riots
○Led to a surge in popularity for the Fascists and Mussolini
What pact was made between Italy and Germany in 1939?
Pact of Steel
What kind of things do fascists believe in?
- Extreme pride in their country ( extreme nationalists)
- Pro-capitalists
- Pro-army
- Racist
- Anti-democracy
What Italian politician spoke out against Mussolini and openly criticised him?
Giacomo Matteoti
In what year did Italy invade Abyssinia?
1935
Under whose leadership did Fascism begin in Italy?
Benito Mussolini
Name three terms the Big Three forced Germany to accept after WWI
- Pay reparations
- They lost land
- Rhineland demilitarised
- Germany had to reduce its army
- Germany had to accept that they caused WWI
What are the three types of dictatorship?
Communist
Fascist
Military
When did WWI begin and end?
1914 - 1918
Dictatorship
In a dictatorship, the country is led by a single ruler or party
How was the fear of communism one of the reasons Mussolini rose to power?
○During the time of unrest in Italy after WWI, communism grew rapidly
○Many people (rich etc) began to fear communism
○So they turned to the Fascist Party (Because the Fascist Party said they would destroy communism in Italy)
Who was the Treaty of Versailles negotiated by?
‘The Big Three’ -> Woodrow Wilson (USA), David Lloyd George (UK), Georges Clemenceau (Fr)
What happened in the world in 1929?
The world plunged into the Great Depression because of the Wall Street Crash
What are the three different types of political systems?
- Monarchies
- Democracy
- Dictatorship
What happened after the war that led to the Weimar government being so unpopular?
In 1919 the Weimar government accepted the humiliating terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Many Germans blames the democratic government for the loss of the war and accepting the harsh terms of the peace treaty
Which German leader abdicated in 1918? What happened to Germany after this?
Kaiser Wilhem abdicated in 1918 and the Weimer Republic was established
Where did Hitler go after the war?
Munich
What group was Hitler employed to spy on after the war?
German Worker’s Party
What did Hitler rename the German Worker’s Party as?
National Socialist German Worker’s Party (NSDAP) - Nazi Party
What two groups did Hitler set up for protection against Communists?
The SA (stormtroopers) and SS (schutzstaffel)
What ideas for Germany were contained in Mein Kampf?
- Create a master race
- Anti-Semitism
- Lebensraum
- Destroy Treaty of Versailles
- Anti-coommunism
What was lebensraum?
Hitler’s plan to conquer countries in Eastern Europe to give his master race ‘living space’
What happened to Germany after the Wallstreet Crash?
○Caused America to call back their loans and, as Germany was borrowing money from America, it plunged Germany into a serious economic recession
○Unemployment soared
○Hyperinflation
○The support for the government declined and people began supporting the extreme parties Nazis and Communists
In what year did the president of Germany appoint Hitler as Chancellor? Who was this President?
The president of Germany Von Hindenberg appointed Hitler as chancellor in 1933
How did Hitler make himself dictator of Germany?
By destroying all opposition
What did Hitler use the burning of the Reichstag building as an excuse for?
Banning the Communist Party and arresting its members
What was the Enabling Act?
A law Hitler passed that allowed him to Rule by Decree (pass any law he wished). He used this power to ban all political parties (except the Nazis)
What wasthe Night of the Long Knives?
The night when the leader of the SA, Ernst Röhm, and his SA were killed. Some were arrested
What did Hitler become known as when President Von Hindenberg died?
Hitler became the sole leader of Germany and became known as ‘Der Führer’ - the leader
What was Hitler’s motto?
‘Ein Reich, Ein Volk, Ein Führer’ or ‘One Empire, One People, One leader’
Who controlled law and order in Nazi Germany?
Law and order was controlled by the SS and Hitler’s secret police - the Gestapo. They killed or sent people to concentration camps
What was Hitler’s secret police called?
The Gestapo
Who was the SS led by?
Heinrich Himmler
Who was Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda?
Josef Goebbels
Who organised the annual Nuremberg Rallies?
Josef Goebbels
What group did German boys have to join in Nazi Germany?
The Hitler Youth Movement
What group did German girls have to join in Nazi Germany?
The League of German Maidens (BDM)
What are German motorways called?
Autobahnen
What did the Nuremberg Laws say?
○Jews couldn’t be German citizens
○Jews were forbidden to marry non-Jews
○They were later forced to wear a yellow Star of David
What was Kristallnacht?
‘The Night of the Broken Glass’. As punishment for a Polish Jew killing a German, large scale attacks occurred on Jews. On the night of November 9th, 1938, Jewish property was attacked and many synagogues burnt down
What was the Final Solution?
Hitler’s plan to completely eliminate Jews
From when did the Final Solution occur?
During WWII, from 1942 onwards
What was one of the most Famous WWII concentration camps?
Auschwitz in Poland
Other than Jews, who else were murdered by Nazis?
The handicapped, gypsies and homosexuals
How many Jews were killed as part of the Final Solution?
6 million
What were Hitler’s foreign policy aims?
- Wanted to destroy the Treaty of Versailles
- Wanted to unite all German speaking people
- Wanted to create lebensraum in the east for his new master race
Isolationism
America’s policy of staying out of European affairs around the time Hitler started becoming more powerful and taking over parts of Europe
Appeasement
A policy followed by Britain and France. They thought if they gave Germany what it wanted (break the Versailles Treaty and unite all German Speaking people) Hitler wouldn’t start a war
What series of events led to the outbreak of WWII? (road to war)
- Rearmament + Remilitarisation of the Rhineland
- Anschluss with Austria
- Sudetenland
- Munich Agreement
- Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia
- Hitler’s invasion of Poland
How did rearmament and the remilitarisation of the Rhineland lead to the outbreak of war? (road to war)
In 1935 Hitler publically introduced conscription and the Luftwaffe was formed.
While the world was busy with Italy attacking Abyssinia, Hitler sent his troops to the Rhineland.
Britain and France did nothing
How did an Anschluss with Austria lead to the outbreak of war? (road to war)
This fulfilled Hitler’s aim of uniting German speaking people. He sent his army into Austria and won.Britain and France did nothing
How did the Sudetenland lead to the outbreak of war? (road to war)
Hitler wanted to take over this German-speaking part of Czechoslovakia. The Czechs appealed for help
How did the Munich Agreement lead to the outbreak of war? (road to war)
Britain and France agreed to let Hitler take over Sudetenland but not the rest of Czechoslovakia
How did Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia lead to the outbreak of war? (road to war)
Hitler broke the Munich Agreement by invading the rest of Czecoslovakia. Appeasement had failed
How did Hitler’s invasion of Poland lead to the outbreak of war? (road to war)
Britain and Frannce agreed to help Poland if Hitler invaded it. This did not stop Hitler who invaded Poland on 1 September 1939 with Russia’s (Stalin’s) help. On the 3 September Britain and France declared war on Germany. WWII had begun
When did WWII begin?
3 September 1939
What was the name of the pact between Hitler (Germany) and Stalin (Russia) signed in 1939? What did this pact say?
The ‘Hitler-Stalin PAct’ or the ‘Ten Year Non-Agression Pact’
They promised not to attack each other for 10 years. They also agreed to divide up Poland between them.
What war tactic was Germany using when they invaded and occupied Poland in in 1939?
Blitzkrieg
What is Blitzkrieg?
It is a war tactic that involves:
•Phase 1 - Drop bombs, destroying forts, airfield, bridges etc
•Phase 2 - Tanks ‘mop up’ any remaining resistance
•Phase 3 - Infantry - foot soldiers occupy and control the new territory
What was the Phoney war?
The name given to a period of time from Germany’s Blitzkrieg attack on Poland on 3 September 1939 to April 1940, where no fighting took place. Britain and France used this time to mobilise their army and prepare for the war
When was The Fall of France?
In June 1940, the German’s occupied Northern France and the Vichy Regime was set up in Southern France under Marshal Patain
When did Winston Churchill become prime minister of Britain?
1940
What was Operation Sealion?
Hitler’s plan to invade Britain by sea
Who did Hitler need to defeat first if Operation Sealion was to go ahead?
The RAF (Royal Airforce)
What was the Battle of Britain?
A battle of the skies, between the Luftwaffe (G) and The RAF (Br)
What was the Brit’s advantage in the Battle of Britain?
The Brits had radar, which gave them an advance warning of German attacks
At first, where were Hitler’s attacks concentrated during the Battle of Britain?
The first phase of German attacks concentrated on RAF airfields and radar stations
Why did Hitler decide to bomb British cities instead of airfields? Did this change in tactic work out in the end for Hitler?
Because he thought if cities were badly damaged, the British people would pressure their government to surrender to the Germans. Instead they were inspired by Churchill’s speeches and were determined to never surrender. And this bombing of cities proved to be a big mistake for Hitler as it gave the RAF time to replenish their stock of planes and radar equipment
Who won the Battle of Britain?
RAF
How many explosive bombs were dropped on London during the Blitz? (between September 1940 and June 1941)
Over 50,000
What strict rule was imposed to make it more difficult for the Luftwaffe to find their targets during the Blitz?
Strict blackouts were imposed. Shutters were placed over windows leaving the city in darkness
Who were APR wardens?
Air-raid precaution wardens patrolled the streets during an air-raid, directing emergency services to badly hit areas
What was an Anderson Hut?
A type of air-raid shelter. These were built from corrugated iron and were sunk into the ground. The roof was covered with earth
Where did people living in the city centre shelter during an air-raid?
Under a Morrison/ table shelter or in their nearest tube station
Where did people living in the suburbs shelter during an air-raid?
In an Anderson hut
Why did Hitler want to conquer the USSR?
Hitler wanted to conquer the USSR as part of his policy of lebensraum and his promise to destroy Communism
When did Hitler invade the USSR? Why pact did he break when he did this?
Even though he signed the Ten Year Non-Aggression Pact with stalin, Hitler invaded the USSR in June 1941
What three armies did Germany attack the USSR with?
- Northern Army/ Army Group North
- Central Army/ Army Group Centre
- Southern Army/ Army Group South
Where did the Northern Army/ Army Group North go?
Went to Leningrad and sieged it for 900 days. Many died of starvation but Germany failed to capture it
Where did the Central Army/ Army Group Centre go?
Went to Moscow. However, German soldiers were unprepared for the Russian winter. Their tanks froze and soldiers got frostbite
Where did the Southern Army/ Army Group South go?
Went south to oil fields. Many got involved in the Battle of Stailingrad
Who was Russia’s most acclaimed military commander of WWII?
Marshal Zhukov
What was the most important battle of Operation Barbarossa?
The Battle of Stalingrad
Who was the commander of Army Group North, who invaded Stalingrad?
General von Paulus
When did General von Paulus surrender in the Battle of Stalingrad?
February 1943
What happened in December 1941?
Pearl Harbour was bombed by Japan - So the USA entered the war (President at this time was Franklin D Roosevelt)
When did Italy join WWII?
1940
What canal did Italy try to gain control of in WWII?
Suez Canal
Who was the Desert Fox?
General Erwin Rommel (Germany)
Who were the British in command of in 1942?
General Montgomery
Who won the Battle of El Alamein?
The British
What was Operation Husky?
Us and British troops launched Operation Husky in 1943 - Invasion of Italy
When was D-Day?
June 1944
What was Operation Overlord?
The Allies plan to invade France by landing on the Normandy Beaches. Once they liberated France, they marched into Germany
What was the Wall Street Crash, 1929
This was when all the major banks in the USA collapsed in 1929 and it led to the Great Depression.
What was the Battle of the Bulge?
○German and Allied troops fought in the Ardennes, in Belgium
○Eventually the Allies one and marched towards thr
What was the Yalta Conference?
○A meeting attended by Allied leaders - Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt
○They agreed to divide up Germany when the Allies won the war
○They planned to set up the United Nations
Where is the HQ of the UN?
New York City
How did the WWII end in Europe?
With the Fall of Berlin
○Red Army entered Berlin, defended by the Hitler Youth Movement. They easily defeated the Germans
○Hitler committed suicide and his successor surrendered
○The war in Europe ended on 7 May, 1945 (VE Day)
What pushed the Japanese to finally surrender in WWII?
The Japanese finally surrendered after the Americans, under the orders of President Harry Truman, dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
By what date was WWII over?
By August 1945
When WWII broke out, Italy was/wasn’t prepared to fight
When WWII broke out, Italy wasn’t prepared to fight
When did Mussolini decide Italy should join WWII?
In the middle of 1940, when Hitler was on a winnings streak
When did the Allies invade Italy?
1943
How was Mussolini executed and what happened to him after he died?
He was shot an left hanging in Milan (1945)
What are the results of WWII?
i) 55 million people died
ii) Buildings were destroyed
iii) Economic difficulties
iv) USA and USSR became ‘superpowers’
v) UN was established
Where are the headquarters of the UN?
New York City
How many Russians died in WWII?
20 million
What were the four neutral countries in WWII?
Switzerland, Ireland, Sweenen and Portugal
Why did the allies win WWII?
- British Empire, USA and USSR were too powerful for Germany to beat
- USA and USSR produced far more planes and tanks than the Germans
- Italian forces needed to be rescued by German Army, which led to the delay of Operation Barbarossa - causing them to get caught in the Russian winter
