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History > Steps to WW2 > Flashcards

Steps to WW2 Flashcards

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1
Q

List the 8 major steps to war and dates

A

1936 - German occupation of the Rhineland
1937 - The bombing of Guernica
1938 - German annexation of Austria (the Anschluss)
1938 - The Munich agreement
1839 - German annexation of rump Czechoslovakia + Prague
1939 - The Nazi-Soviet Pact
1939 - German invasion of Poland
1939 - Br + Fr declare war against Germany

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2
Q

Explain German occupation of the Rhineland

A

Hitler marched troops into the Rhineland and re-militarised it, even though it was forbidden by the TofV and the agreement at Locarno.

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3
Q

Explain the bombing of Guernica

A

During the Spanish civil war, republicans fought against Franco’s nationalists, resulting in violence.

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4
Q

Explain the German annexation with Austria

A

The Anschluss was when Hitler encouraged the Nazi party in Austria to stir up trouble. Schuschnigg was pressurised into holding a plebiscite. Nazi forced the Austrians to vote in favour of the annexation.

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5
Q

Explain the Munich agreement

A

29th September 1938 The agreement was signed by Br + Fr and broke Czechoslovakia up and gave the Sudetenland to Germany

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6
Q

Explain the German annexation of rump Czechoslovakia

A

1939- Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and took the rest of Cz. Germany took control of Prague.

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7
Q

Explain the Nazi-Soviet Pact

A

1939- Stalin, leader of the USSR, felt vulnerable to the capitalist states and made a pact with Hitler.

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8
Q

Explain German invasion of Poland

A

1st September 1939 Soviet forces joined shortly after in eastern Poland as part of the Nazi-Soviet Pact

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9
Q

Explain Br + Fr declaring war on Germany

A

3rd September 1939. They had previously pledged to protect Poland.

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10
Q

What was the right wing government pact called and who was in it?

A

The Anti-Comintern Pact
Germany, Japan and (later) Italy
It was called the Axis alliance

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11
Q

Who was the guy in Czechoslovakia that Hitler ordered to do stuff

A

Henlein, leader of the Sudeten German Party

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12
Q

Causes of WW2

A
  • Hitler went against wishes of his own military commanders (aggressive)
  • TofV angered Germany (revenge) and the military after demobilization (honour)
  • Br + Fr encouraged German expansion by giving appeasement (letting them have a better military)
  • World Depression set off volatile international relations
  • Br + Fr showed that LON was not a threat (failure at Manchuria + Abyssinia)
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13
Q

What does Hitler say in Mein Kampf and imply about future plans?

A
  • States that Jews are poisonous and impure (+infect pure German blood) and blames them for Germany’s defeat and for the TofV
  • He wanted more land; didn’t agree with German boundries
  • Believed that Germans are the dominant power and needed land (Lebensraum)
  • aimed to eliminate all communists from Germany
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14
Q

What were the aims of the Nazi Party?

A
  • Reverse injustices of TofV
  • Expand German borders
  • Create pure Aryan race
  • Persecute ‘undesirables’
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15
Q

How did Hitler seize power?

A
  • He hijacked a local government meeting and announced take over of the Bavarian govn
  • Munich Putsch: Nazi troops began taking over official buildings but the police stopped and arrested them (+ killed 16)
  • The Nazi Party gained support (Wall Street Crash- Germans wanted change)
  • Hindenburg offered Hitler a place as Vice Chancellor but Hitler demanded Chancellor
  • Hitler became Chancellor in 1933 and immediately made himself absolute ruler of Germany using Article 48
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16
Q

How did hitler begin to test the treaty of Versailles?

A
  • He reintroduced conscription to the German army
  • he started rearming secretly
  • he left the disarmament conference
  • the German naval agreement (1935)
  • he marched troop into the Rhineland, while the League were occupied with Abyssinia
17
Q

How did hitler justify his testing of the league and what were the reactions of Britain and France?

A
  • nobody else was disarming so why should Germany stay at a disadvantage
  • Germany could not defend themselves
  • conscription reduced unemployment
  • Germany were under threat after the treaty between the USSR+France

Reactions:

  • Britain wanted Germany as an ally against communists + a trading patten + thought TofV was too harsh anyway
  • France were extremely worried about border, but overestimated the size of the German army and didn’t want to act without Britain’s help
18
Q

How did hitler grow in confidence?

What was the reaction of Britain and France?

A

The Spanish civil war (1936) allowed him to:

  • rearm and justify it with ‘we’re fighting communism!’
  • test out new weapons and fire live rounds outside of Germany

The anti Comintern pact (1936) have him the support of two other countries.

Reactions:
Britain implied they were a passive ally and don’t see hitler as a threat.
France were extremely worried and built the Majonot Line (a line of forts along the border)

19
Q

Who wanted/didn’t want German annexation of Austria when hitler first tried to take control in 1934?

A

HITLER
-pure blood, united as a nation, military gains, gold and iron ore, Lebensraum

AUSTRIA
-economic crisis meant they wanted change, strong nazi party

ITALY
-Austria borders Italy and they were unsure about German expansion, the Stresa Pact meant he was against expansion so Mussolini stopper Hitler in 1934

20
Q

How did hitler take control of Austria?

A
  • In 1938 he was allies with Mussolini so he would not be stopped
  • he encouraged Nazis to cause riots
  • he pressurised Schuschnigg to call a plebiscite (after Br+Fr refused to help)
  • hitler made sure the Nazis forced the Austrians to vote in favour of the Anschluss
21
Q

Why did Hitler want the Sudetenland? How did he make this clear and what did Br/Fr think?

A

MOTIVES

  • He wanted to unite the Sudetenland Germans
  • power stations/ farmland/ coal/ copper mines/ railways

HOW

  • he used Henlein, leader of the Nazis in the Sudetenland, to stir up trouble
  • he claimed the Sudetenland Germans were mistreated
  • he said he was prepared to fight if necessary (going against his generals) and refused all peaceful solutions that were suggested

REACTIONS

  • Br, Fr + USSR had all promised to protect Cz but they Br wanted to avoid war at all costs so there was lots of war tension
  • Chamberlain, Deladier (French PM) and Bonnet (Fr army officer) agreed to give in to Hitler’s demands
  • 29th September 1938: the Munich Conference
22
Q

Consequences of the Munich Agreement?

A

Cz became militarily indefensible
Poland were at a huge threat if Hitler took the rest of Cz
Br+Fr lost credibility
Germany occupied Prague by March 1939

23
Q

Britains actions following Hitler’s occupation of Prague?

A
  • Chamberlin said Britain would give Poland and Romania military support in case of invasion
  • Placed A-A guns in view of the German embassy in London
  • Conscription for 20-21 year olds introduced
  • Production of spitfires + hurricanes extended
24
Q

Was Appeasement a mistake?

A

YES

  • Chamberlin foolishly believed Hitler was reasonable even after his aggressive speeches and his book Mein Kampf
  • Appeasement only encouraged Hitler
  • Germany were only growing stronger every time they gave into demands

NO

  • Chamberlin could not count on support from the British Empire (but still had France…)
  • War with Japan looked more likely
  • Britain could not depend on the USA as the armed spending was very low, the US public were against fighting in Europe and Roosevelt was very anti-war
  • Chamberlin wanted Hitler as an ally against communists

History (10 decks)

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