Module 11 Flashcards
Q: Why were Germany and Russia unhappy with the Treaty of Versailles?
A: It was unfair and hurt their economies.
Q: What happened when some European countries didn’t become democracies after World War I?
A: Dictators came to power.
Q: What was the goal of Stalin’s five-year plans in the Soviet Union?
A: To quickly industrialize the country.
Q: What did Mussolini want for Italy?
A: To rebuild the Roman Empire.
Q: How did the League of Nations react to Japan taking over Manchuria?
A: They condemned it but did nothing.
Q: What was Hitler’s plan for Germany’s land?
A: To expand its territory for more living space.
Q: What event started World War II in Europe?
A: Germany invading Poland.
Q: How did Hitler go against the Treaty of Versailles?
A: He rebuilt Germany’s military.
Q: What was the Munich Pact?
A: An agreement that let Hitler take over Sudetenland without a fight.
Q: What countries did Hitler take over before World War II?
A: Rhineland, Austria, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia, and Poland.
Q: What happened after Poland was invaded?
A: Britain and France declared war on Germany.
Q: What were the Neutrality Acts?
A: Laws to keep the US out of foreign wars.
Q: What did the Spanish Civil War show?
A: It was a practice for Nazi Germany’s military.
Q: How did the world react to Japan’s actions in Nanking?
A: With condemnation but no action.
Q: What happened to the Jewish refugees on the SS St. Louis?
A: They were not allowed to land in the US and had to return to Europe.
Q: What was the “Final Solution”?
A: The plan to exterminate all Jews in Europe.
Q: Who else was targeted in the Holocaust besides Jewish people?
A: Gypsies, Freemasons, homosexuals, and others.
Q: What was Dr. Mengele known for?
A: Conducting experiments on prisoners.
Q: What were the effects of Stalin’s Great Purges and collectivization?
A: They led to millions of deaths and widespread famine.
Q: Why did the United States want to stay out of World War II initially?
A: The U.S. wanted to avoid another war, reflecting a general fear and preference for isolationism.
Q: How did Hitler rise to power in Germany?
A: He rose to power by joining the National Socialist German Workers Party, becoming its leader, and capitalizing on economic woes and nationalistic sentiment.
Q: What was the Battle of Britain?
A: A major air campaign fought over the UK in 1940, marking the first major defeat of Germany’s military during the war.
Q: Which countries did Hitler invade in April of 1940?
A: Hitler invaded Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Q: What was the Vichy government?
A: A puppet government set up by Germany in France after its invasion in 1940.
Q: Why did Italy struggle during World War II?
A: Italy was mismanaged, ill-equipped, and the military was worn out from fighting in Abyssinia and Spain.
Q: What was the outcome of Italian forces in Greece and North Africa?
A: They were defeated in Greece and got bogged down in North Africa.
Q: What happened to Italy in the spring of 1943?
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.
Q: How did Hitler respond to Mussolini’s deposition?
A: Hitler sent German troops to rescue Mussolini, setting him up as head of a new Italian republic in Salò.
Q: What was the fate of Mussolini at the end of World War II?
A: Mussolini and his mistress were captured and executed by Italian Resistance forces.
Q: How is Mussolini remembered in history?
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.
Q: What was Churchill’s view of Mussolini, and what led to Mussolini’s downfall?
A: Churchill saw Mussolini as a bulwark against communism, but Mussolini’s alliance with Hitler proved to be his downfall.
Q: Where was Adolf Hitler’s mountain retreat located?
A: Hitler’s retreat was at Berchtesgaden, in Bavaria.
Q: Who was often the subject of the home movies taken at Hitler’s retreat?
A: Eva Braun, Hitler’s lover, frequently filmed him for home movies.
Q: How did the war’s progression by 1944 affect Hitler’s time at the Eagles Nest?
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.
Q: Despite the daily bombings in Germany, why was Hitler spared from these attacks at his retreat?
A: The Eagles Nest’s location in Bavaria spared it from the daily bombings ravaging most of Germany.
Q: How did Hitler maintain appearances during the war?
A: He continued to meet with heads of state and portray an upbeat, confident leader to the German public.
Q: What was Hitler’s demeanor like in person according to reports?
A: Despite his reputation as an irrational madman, he was reported to be extremely charismatic in person.
Q: How did Hitler use his charisma in the 1920s?
A: He charmed the masses and used his appeal as grist for the Nazi propaganda mill.
Q: What strategic error did Hitler make according to his generals?
A: He began overriding his generals’ decisions and running the war efforts single-handedly.
Q: What effect did managing the war have on Hitler?
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.
Q: What was Hitler’s plan for repelling the Allied landings?
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.
Q: What did Hitler believe the outcome of the war hinged upon?
A: He believed it would come down to one great battle that would determine the future of civilization.
