Section 4 Flashcards
What battle was the turning point in the Soviet Union?
Stalingrad.
What caused the turn of the war in the Mediterranean and on the Eastern front?
Stalin proposing the idea of weakening Germany by making them fight on two fronts.
What was the battle of El Alamein? Who was it fought between?
British General was sent to take control of British forces in North Africa– when they arrived Germany had already gotten to El Alamein (Egyptian Village)— British could not go around them- had to attack (frontal attack) –Rommel and his troops eventually defeated
Definition: over 100,000 allied forces landed in Morocco and Algeria– surrounded Rommel’s Afrika Korps and defeated them all. Led by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Term: Operation Torch
Battle of Stalingrad?
1942—Hitler sent his sixth army to take control of oil fields in Caucasus Mountains & to capture Stalingrad (industrial center).
—Led by General Friedrich Paulus
Outcome of battle of Stalingrad?
Soviet Union attacked from outside the city– Trapping Germany inside and cutting off their supplies. 1943– 90,000 German soldiers surrendered to the Soviet Union– Soviets lost over one million soldiers.
What happened to Stalingrad after the battle was over?
99% of the city was destroyed.
1943- Invasion of Italy
Churchill & Roosevelt invade Sicily and take it from German and Italian troops.
What were the effects of the invasion of Italy?
King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy has Mussolini arrested– Italy surrenders.
–Germans take control of Northern Italy and put Mussolini back in charge
Where did the Allies enter in 1944?
Rome
What caused Germany to fall in 1945?
Fighting continuing to occur in Italy.
Describe what happened with Mussolini’s death.
Mussolini’s death: Italian resistance fighters attacked German trucks, inside one of the trucks they found Mussolini pretending to be a German soldier– they shot and killed him and hung his body the next day for everyone to see.
Define Anschluss
annexation of Austria.
Who is Benito Mussolini?
Italian leader: Leader of National Fascist Party.
Who is Adolf Hitler?
German ruler.
Nazism:
German brand of fascism.
Fascism:
Belief in extreme nationalism and allegiance to the state; emphasizing state and leader.
Who saw communist as an enemy?
Fascists.
Mein Kampf:
Book Hitler wrote in prison: explained his beliefs and goals for Germany.
Aryans:
Germanic people.
Lebensraum:
Hitler’s desire to expand German territory.
What was the March on Rome? (1922)
30,000 fascists marched on Rome.
What does II Duce mean?
“The leader.”
What was Hitler also referred to as?
Der Fuhrer.
Who were the Black Shirts?
Enforcers of Mussolini.
What was the Beer Hall Putsch?
Hitler’s failed attempt at seizing power in Munich.
What were the Nuremberg Laws, what are some examples?
Laws depriving Jews of their rights: prohibited them from marrying or having any relationships with Germans.
Appeasement:
Giving into a countries wants to avoid war.
Munich Conference:
Daladier (French) & Chamberlain (British) —Let Hitler invade Czechoslovakia if he doesn’t go further.
Who were the Axis power?
Germany, Italy, Japan.
Franscisco Franco-
Spanish General.
How did WWII start?
Invasion of Poland.
Years of WWII:
1939-1945
What was the non-aggression pact? What did it grant each leader?
Hitler & Stalin.
Hitler: removal of a threat of attack from the East, division of Poland
Stalin: Division of Poland, Finland & Baltic countries– safety from Germany
What was the Battle of Britain?
German Luftwaffe (German air force) begins bombing British cities— Britain fought back and didn’t give up. Showed Britain that Hitler’s attacks could be blocked.
What was the rescue of Dunkirk?
Great Britain rescued Allied powers, 850 ships sent across the English channel, 338,000 soldiers to safety.
What was the comparison between Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union & Napolean’s invasion of Russia?
Harsh winter, scorched earth strategy; prevented enemy from achieving success.
What were decisions made by the US to help war effort:
FDR says America is “arsenal of democracy”
Lend-lease act: FDR helped Britain with the supplies (by naval ships)
Define blitzkrieg:
“lightning war”– used by Hitler, fast moving airplanes and tanks
-massive infantry forces- takes them by surprise
Define sitzkrieg:
“sitting war” “phony war” After Netherlands, Belgium, & Luxembourg were taken, Hitler had a sitzkrieg.
Vichy:
City in France, controlled by Henri Petain, France puppet gov.
Who was Charles de Gaulle?
French General; resistance leader, set up gov-in-exile in London.
Winston Churchill?
Prime minister of Britain. Rallied his people to resist Germany.
RAF
British Royal Air Force
Erwin Rommel:
German field marshal. “Desert fox.”
Tobruk:
Port city in Libya. British forced Germany to retreat.
Define Cash & Carry:
No credit. Items are paid for on the spot in full and taken with them when bought.
Define Lend-Lease act:
FDR decided to supply Britain with supplies.
Define Atlantic Charter:
Joint declaration between Roosevelt & Churchill; provided free trade- formed the basis for the Allies peace plan
Bombing of Pearl Harbor-
December 7, 1941. Japanese launched surprise attack on Pearl Harbor-sinking almost all US Pacific Fleet. “A date that will live in emphamy.” –US declared war on Japan
Fall of Southeast Asian colonies:
Japan seized control of rich European colonies (massive attacks).—- French indochina, Philippines.
Doolittle’s raid on Japan:
US sent 16 B-25 bombers to Japanese cities— Japaneses was vulnerable to attack.
Battle of Coral Sea:
Japanese and American ships fought w/out seeing each other.— Allies stopped Japan’s southward advance.
Battle of Midway:
Japan wanted to attack Midway, America knew, went & hid and surprise attacked Japan– Turned the tide of war in the Pacific- Japan lost 4 carriers.
Battle of Guadalcanal:
“island-hop” General Douglas Macarthur led troops to attack Guadalcanal. Japanese abandoned. –US starts advance towards Japan.
Isoroku Yamamoto:
Japan’s greatest naval strategist- called attack on US fleet in Hawaii.
Douglas MacArthur:
US General–led Allies in Battle of Guadalcanal, came up w island hopping.
Results of Holocaust:
Hitler’s final plan for Jews was genocide.
Killing squads?
Shot men, women, children in mass executions (Einsatzgruppen).
Auschwitz/Dacau
Concentration camps.
Final Step:
By 1942, Hitler created extermination camps, camps separate weak from strong. Weak killed immediately.
Kristallnacht:
“Night of the Broken Glass.” November 9, 1938. Jewish homes, businesses, everything attacked, 100 Jews killed.
Ghettos:
Separate Jewish areas–designated cities
What does Hitler hope for Jews living in ghettos?
That they will die of disease/starvation. Despite bad conditions– Jews survived. Camps predominated the East.
Final Solution:
Hitler’s final plan for treatment of Jews; genocide.
Einsatzgruppen:
Killing squads.
Effects on civilians back home from the war:
Woman helped out,
Woman’s role in war:
WASPs: air corps
WAVEs: navy
WACs: army
War time decisions made by “Big Three”.
Decide to occupy Germany, Stalin vaguely commits to free election.
Dwight Eisenhower:
President of United States: Led Operation Torch.
Nisei:
A person born in US but ancestors from Japan. 2nd generation Japanese.
Internment camps:
Putting Japanese in prison to prevent them attacking America during war. FDR passed executive order. (110,000).
What was D-Day?
Operation overlord: lands over one million troops in Normandy, Allies gain a foothold in France and liberate it.
What was Yalta Conference?
Big 3 decide to occupy Germany; Stalin vaguely commits to free election.
Postdam Conference:
Germany divided into 4 zones, demilitarized. Stalin can not allow free elections in Eastern Europe. (Communist Party).
Kamikazes:
Japanese aircraft.
