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History > Major Events Of World War 2 > Flashcards

Major Events Of World War 2 Flashcards

1
Q

What were the turning points of world war 2

A
  1. The evacuation from Dunkirk
  2. If Britain had not stood firm, Hitler would have dominated Europe, the USA had not yet entered and Germany might have won or prolonged the war
  3. The USA joins the war on the side of Britain
  4. The USSR has helped the allied cause immensely. Their military is spar-heading the military defeat of Germany in the East.
  5. The USA, Britain, France and allies defeat western German forces
  6. The auto mic bomb brings Japan to a defeat and ends world war 2. It also poses major questions about the future with nuclear weapons.
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2
Q

When was the nazi soviet pact signed

A

In 1939

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3
Q

When did germany and the USSR attack Poland

A

In 1939

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4
Q

What tactic did the Germans use to beat their opponents

A

The blitzkrieg tactic

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5
Q

What other countries were attacked by the USSR and Germans after Poland

A

It was finland, Norway and Denmark

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6
Q

What did the defeats in Norway lead to

A

It led to a lack of confidence in chamberlain, the British prime minister . He resigned in May 1940 and was replaced by Winston Churchill

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7
Q

How did Germany’s blitzkrieg tactics work

A

Germany’s blitzkrieg was designed to avoid stalemate and trench ware fare of world war 1. The objective was to break through enemy lines at the weakest points and then rush forward to spread fear and confusion behind the lines. Pockets of enemy resistance could then be isolated and destroyed. A blitzkrieg attack unfolds in 6 stages

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8
Q

What is the first stages of the blitzkrieg tactic

A
  1. German attackers identify a weak spot in the enemy’s defensive line
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9
Q

What is the second stages of the blitzkrieg tactic

A
  1. Infantry troops create a smokescreen to hide the forces gathering for a breakthrough.
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10
Q

What is the third stage of the blitzkrieg tactic

A
  1. Planes bomb military and civilian targets behind the lines. Paratroopers disrupt communications and slow the movement of enemy reinforcements
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11
Q

What is the fourth stage of the blitzkrieg tactic

A
  1. Tanks break through the weak spot, spreading panic among troops and civilians.
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12
Q

What is the fifth stage of the blitzkrieg tactic

A
  1. Motorised divisions move through the opening and circle back to surround the enemy forces from behind
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13
Q

What is the sixth stage of the blitzkrieg tactic

A
  1. Infantry troops arrive to take care of any remaining areas of resistance
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14
Q

Who replaced chamberlain as prime minister

A

Winston Churchill

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15
Q

What was turning point 1 in world war 2

A

The evacuation from Dunkirk and the fall of France

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16
Q

On which countries did Germany launch their next wave of blitzkrieg

A

Holland, Belgium and France on 10 May 1940

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17
Q

When did Holland surrender

A

15 May

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18
Q

When did Belgium surrender

A

28 May

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19
Q

What option did the British have during the fight at Dunkirk

A

To either evacuate as many of their troops as possible or fight to the bitter end

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20
Q

What is operation Dynamo

A

An operation to evacuate the allied soldiers from Dunkirk

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21
Q

When did operation Dynamo start and end

A

It started 26 May 1940 and ended in 4 June 1940 when the Germans captured Dunkirk

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22
Q

How many soldiers were evacuated from Dunkirk

A

Over 300 000 soldiers were evacuated and this was labelled a success

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23
Q

What did Churchill say after the evacuation form Dunkirk

A

Wars are not won from evacuations

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24
Q

What did they use to evacuate the soldiers from Dunkirk

A

They made use of civilian ships and boats

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25
Q

Where did the evacuation of Dunkirk take place

A

In the Channel between Britain and France

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26
Q

What did Churchill say about the Battle of Britain to motivate the British people to persevere

A

“We will fight them on the beaches, we will fight them on the landing-grounds, we will fight them in the fields and in the streets, we will fight them in the hills; we will never surrender”

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27
Q

What was the of plan hitler devised to invade Britain

A

Opération sea lion

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28
Q

What did operation sea lion entail

A

It entailed heavy bombing of Britain to destroy the Royal Air Force, followed by a major invasion from the sea to conquer the land

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29
Q

What was the German airforce

A

Luftwaffe

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30
Q

How long was the Battle of Britain

A

July to end October 1940

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31
Q

Why did Britain win the Battle of Britain

A
  • The radar: an early air defence warning system
  • ultra: the breaking of the German coding system which allowed them to understand the German radio communications.
  • the help obtained from the US.
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32
Q

What were the major British aircrafts

A

The Spitfires, the hurricanes

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33
Q

What was the major German aircraft

A

The Messerschmitt

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34
Q

Were the Germans successful in their air raids and why

A

Yes the Germans were very successful in their air raids. They knocked out many British airfields do the British were reduced to crisis measures

35
Q

What les Britain to start its bombing of German cities

A

When in one German air raid some bombs fell on London Britain started bombing German cities. I’m retaliation hitler ordered that British cities(Liverpool, London, Coventry) be bombed

36
Q

Why did hitler postpone operation sea lion

A

The bombing of cities in Britain gave the British Air Force a chance to recover and turn the tide of the battle

37
Q

When did operation Barbarossa

A

22 June 1941

38
Q

What was operation Barbarossa

A

The plan to invade Russia during the summer of 1941

39
Q

What was the largest land invasion ever

A

When Hitler attacked the ussr

40
Q

Where did Germany attack in Russia

A

There were three prongs— Leningrad, Moscow and the oil fields which were in the North, centre and south

41
Q

What policy had the Russians adopted when things were looking desperate for them

A

They had adopted the scorched earth policy in retreating, which meant that crops were burnt, factories destroyed and so on. This meant that the Germans could get very little from the areas through which they were moving

42
Q

Why did Germany decide to break the nazi- Soviet Union pact

A

Because German was a fascist country and Russia was a democratic country. Germany went against any country that worked different to theirs

43
Q

Why were things Turing bad for Germany even though they had initial success at the invasion of the USSR

A
  • winter was approaching in Russia
  • petrol froze in petrol tanks
  • they weren’t wearing the appropriate uniform
  • frostbite
44
Q

What did the Russians when they saw the Germans were struggling form the ferocious winter in Russia

A

They launched a major counter attack from December 1941 (during Russian winter)

45
Q

What did the USA declare herself during the outbreak of world war 2

A

They declared they were neutral, but through the cash and Carry and lend-lease act favoured Britain and France

46
Q

Why did the USA move from being neutral to being a non-belligerent country

A

The USA and especially the President F.D Roosevelt felt much sympathy towards Britain. They felt that they could not allow Britain to lose the war and wished to revise the neutrality act so as to take action against Hitler, because they were horrified at what he was doing.

47
Q

What was the cash and carry clause

A

That allowed nations at war to purchase weapons and other goods from USA as long as they paid cash for them and carried them away in their own ships

48
Q

What was the lend a lease act

A

That allows the USA to loan weapons etc to the allies, if the president thought their defence was essential to that of the USA. Such goods would be returned to the USA after war

49
Q

What eventually brought the USA into the war

A
  • when Japan attacked Pearl harbour

- Germany and Italy declared war on USA

50
Q

Why USA declare war on Japan

A

The Japan had practised a policy of expansion in the Far East from 1931 onwards. The USA had moved her fleet to Pearl harbour in Hawaii in order to keep a better look on the Japanese expansion moves. Japan had to either submit to US authority or challenge by attacking the US fleet. They negotiated for some time before Sunday 7 December 1941 when Japan attacked the US fleet at Pearl harbour without warning.

51
Q

When did USA declare war on Japan

A

On 8 December 1941

52
Q

What countries had Italian colonies dominated

A

Ethiopia and most of east Africa.

53
Q

What were the Italians forced to do when the allies moved up Africa to defeat them

A

They were very unsuccessful and were forced to surrender in Ethiopia and were being pushed back into North Africa.

54
Q

What did the Germans do to help Italy

A

The Germans under general Römmel came to help

55
Q

What did Rommels tactics lead to

A

They lead to the allied forces being pushed back towards Egypt and British losses at Tobruk in 1942

56
Q

Who were the British forces in Africa led by

A

General Montgomery, a flamboyant, energetic and successful commander

57
Q

When was the battle of El Alamein fought

A

From 23 October 1942 to 5 November 1942

58
Q

What happened during the battle of El Alamein

A

The Germans were defeated by the British force under Montgomery

59
Q

Where did much of the bitter fighting occur in Europe from 1942 to 1944

A

Between the USSR and Germany on the eastern front

60
Q

When did the Germans finally surrender against the USSR

A

At the end of 1943

61
Q

What was the largest tank battle of world war 2

A

The battle of Kursk that took place 1943

62
Q

What was D-day

A

Ok 6 June when British, America and other allies launched operation overlord (the largest ever seaborne invasion)

63
Q

What was operation overlord

A

It is whereby the allied invaded Europe.

64
Q

Who led the allies during the invasion across the Chanel and the land at Calais

A

General Eisenhower from the USA

65
Q

And what beaches did the British land

A

At gold, Juno and sword beaches

66
Q

What beaches did the us land at

A

Utah and Omaha beaches

67
Q

What two factors helped the US and the British while they were at the beaches

A

The artificial harbour and PLUTO

68
Q

Why did the British under Montgomery want to push and move quickly as possible into Germany

A

So as to capture Berlin before the Russians. The US under Eisenhower and supported by Roosevelt wanted to consolidate their positions and move more slowly. This last position is we the one that was adopted

69
Q

When did the allies arrive on German soil

A

In 1945

70
Q

When did Eastern and western forces meet and what happen when they did

A

On 25 april 1945 and then by agreement the Russians went in to capture Berlin, which they did, with considerable cruelty.

71
Q

When did hitler commit suicide

A

On 30 April 1945

72
Q

When did the German forces surrender world war 2

A

On victory in Europe day on 8 May 1945

73
Q

When did Japan surrender

A

On 2 September 1945, this brought the war to an end

74
Q

At which battles where the japans defeated

A

The battle of midway, coral sea and Leyte gulf

75
Q

What is kamikaze

A

Suicide pilots. A kind of warfare where planes with explosives were flown by pilots to crash directly into enemy ships

76
Q

What strategy did the US use against Japan

A

The island hopping strategy

77
Q

What was the project called for creation of the atomic bomb called

A

The Manhattan project

78
Q

What was the name of the first atomic bomb dropped

A

The fat man

79
Q

When was the first atomic bomb dropped

A

6 august 1945

80
Q

Where was the first atomic bomb dropped

A

In the city of Hiroshima from the aircraft Enola gay

81
Q

What was the name of the second atomic bomb dropped

A

The little boy

82
Q

When was the second atomic bomb dropped

A

9 august 1945

83
Q

Where was the second atomic bomb dropped

A

On Nagasaki

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