Module 11

Question 1

Q: Why were Germany and Russia unhappy with the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 1

A: It was unfair and hurt their economies.

Question 2

Q: What happened when some European countries didn’t become democracies after World War I?

Answer 2

A: Dictators came to power.

Question 3

Q: What was the goal of Stalin’s five-year plans in the Soviet Union?

Answer 3

A: To quickly industrialize the country.

Question 4

Q: What did Mussolini want for Italy?

Answer 4

A: To rebuild the Roman Empire.

Question 5

Q: How did the League of Nations react to Japan taking over Manchuria?

Answer 5

A: They condemned it but did nothing.

Question 6

Q: What was Hitler’s plan for Germany’s land?

Answer 6

A: To expand its territory for more living space.

Question 7

Q: What event started World War II in Europe?

Answer 7

A: Germany invading Poland.

Question 8

Q: How did Hitler go against the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 8

A: He rebuilt Germany’s military.

Question 9

Q: What was the Munich Pact?

Answer 9

A: An agreement that let Hitler take over Sudetenland without a fight.

Question 10

Q: What countries did Hitler take over before World War II?

Answer 10

A: Rhineland, Austria, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia, and Poland.

Question 11

Q: What happened after Poland was invaded?

Answer 11

A: Britain and France declared war on Germany.

Question 12

Q: What were the Neutrality Acts?

Answer 12

A: Laws to keep the US out of foreign wars.

Question 13

Q: What did the Spanish Civil War show?

Answer 13

A: It was a practice for Nazi Germany’s military.

Question 14

Q: How did the world react to Japan’s actions in Nanking?

Answer 14

A: With condemnation but no action.

Question 15

Q: What happened to the Jewish refugees on the SS St. Louis?

Answer 15

A: They were not allowed to land in the US and had to return to Europe.

Question 16

Q: What was the “Final Solution”?

Answer 16

A: The plan to exterminate all Jews in Europe.

Question 17

Q: Who else was targeted in the Holocaust besides Jewish people?

Answer 17

A: Gypsies, Freemasons, homosexuals, and others.

Question 18

Q: What was Dr. Mengele known for?

Answer 18

A: Conducting experiments on prisoners.

Question 19

Q: What were the effects of Stalin’s Great Purges and collectivization?

Answer 19

A: They led to millions of deaths and widespread famine.

Question 20

Q: Why did the United States want to stay out of World War II initially?

Answer 20

A: The U.S. wanted to avoid another war, reflecting a general fear and preference for isolationism.

Question 21

Q: How did Hitler rise to power in Germany?

Answer 21

A: He rose to power by joining the National Socialist German Workers Party, becoming its leader, and capitalizing on economic woes and nationalistic sentiment.

Question 22

Q: What was the Battle of Britain?

Answer 22

A: A major air campaign fought over the UK in 1940, marking the first major defeat of Germany’s military during the war.

Question 23

Q: Which countries did Hitler invade in April of 1940?

Answer 23

A: Hitler invaded Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Question 24

Q: What was the Vichy government?

Answer 24

A: A puppet government set up by Germany in France after its invasion in 1940.

Question 25

Q: Why did Italy struggle during World War II?

Answer 25

A: Italy was mismanaged, ill-equipped, and the military was worn out from fighting in Abyssinia and Spain.

Question 26

Q: What was the outcome of Italian forces in Greece and North Africa?

Answer 26

A: They were defeated in Greece and got bogged down in North Africa.

Question 27

Q: What happened to Italy in the spring of 1943?

Answer 27

A: Allied forces drove Italy out of Africa and landed in Sicily, leading to Mussolini's deposition by the Fascist Grand Council and the king.

Question 28

Q: How did Hitler respond to Mussolini's deposition?

Answer 28

A: Hitler sent German troops to rescue Mussolini, setting him up as head of a new Italian republic in Salò.

Question 29

Q: What was the fate of Mussolini at the end of World War II?

Answer 29

A: Mussolini and his mistress were captured and executed by Italian Resistance forces.

Question 30

Q: How is Mussolini remembered in history?

Answer 30

A: He remains a figure of contradictions: a socialist who turned Fascist, who was both ridiculed and revered, and a family man who had several mistresses.

Question 31

Q: What was Churchill's view of Mussolini, and what led to Mussolini's downfall?

Answer 31

A: Churchill saw Mussolini as a bulwark against communism, but Mussolini's alliance with Hitler proved to be his downfall.

Question 32

Q: Where was Adolf Hitler's mountain retreat located?

Answer 32

A: Hitler's retreat was at Berchtesgaden, in Bavaria.

Question 33

Q: Who was often the subject of the home movies taken at Hitler's retreat?

Answer 33

A: Eva Braun, Hitler's lover, frequently filmed him for home movies.

Question 34

Q: How did the war's progression by 1944 affect Hitler's time at the Eagles Nest?

Answer 34

A: As the war situation worsened with losses in North Africa and the Allied invasion of Italy, Hitler began to hold more strategic meetings at the Eagles Nest.

Question 35

Q: Despite the daily bombings in Germany, why was Hitler spared from these attacks at his retreat?

Answer 35

A: The Eagles Nest's location in Bavaria spared it from the daily bombings ravaging most of Germany.

Question 36

Q: How did Hitler maintain appearances during the war?

Answer 36

A: He continued to meet with heads of state and portray an upbeat, confident leader to the German public.

Question 37

Q: What was Hitler's demeanor like in person according to reports?

Answer 37

A: Despite his reputation as an irrational madman, he was reported to be extremely charismatic in person.

Question 38

Q: How did Hitler use his charisma in the 1920s?

Answer 38

A: He charmed the masses and used his appeal as grist for the Nazi propaganda mill.

Question 39

Q: What strategic error did Hitler make according to his generals?

Answer 39

A: He began overriding his generals' decisions and running the war efforts single-handedly.

Question 40

Q: What effect did managing the war have on Hitler?

Answer 40

A: It took a toll on his nerves, as he barely slept and paid attention to every detail on both the Western and Eastern fronts.

Question 41

Q: What was Hitler's plan for repelling the Allied landings?

Answer 41

A: He hoped to repel the Allies at the Atlantic Wall so he could transfer troops to the Eastern Front to attack the Soviets, potentially turning the tide of the war.

Question 42

Q: What did Hitler believe the outcome of the war hinged upon?

Answer 42

A: He believed it would come down to one great battle that would determine the future of civilization.