The Second World War Flashcards
Which state united Germany in 1871?
Prussia - the “scary Germans.”
The state no longer exists.
When and from who did the Poles get independence?
After World War One, from Russia.
Where did the poles gain territory in the 1920?
Western Russia. It brought division in the country as Poland now had a great number of ethnic Russians
What was the Polish Corridor, and what was its significance?
The Polish Corridor was a peace of land given to Poland, as a result of Versailles, which gave them access to the Baltic Sea.
The land was formerly East Prussian, and mostly ethnic Germans. This, in combination with Poland’s takeover of Russian territory won them animosity.
What were the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles for Germany?
They lost large pieces of territory: Alsace and Lorraine to France, Large Prussian territories to Poland. Belgium, Denmark, and Luxembourg gained pieces of territory. Their territories in Africa and the Pacific were divided among the League of Nations.
Article 231: The War Guilt Clause, which made Germany pay for all the losses of the Allied Powers. Germany had to accept it was responsible for the war.
Article 160: Limited the number of German Soldiers to 100,000 for domestic security to stop the spread of Bolshevism. No planes, tanks, or subs were allowed.
Who did Hitler and his followers blame for the World War One loss?
They blamed the mythological “stab in the back” from Jews/socialists who signed Versailles. They didn’t believe the German Army lost the war.
How did Hitler violate Versailles?
He started to rebuild the Luftwaffe, the air force. He brought back conscription a week later when there were no consequences.
Hitler annexes Austria, the Versailles Treaty forbid their unification.
He annexed the Sudentenland, which was the northern parts of Czechoslovakia inhabited by ethnic Germans
What was the Munich Agreement?
The last attempt in a failed appeasement policy that allowed Hitler to annex the Sudentenland. Britain and France didn’t honor their defense pacts with Czechoslovakia.
These areas contained most of their defense, banks, and industries. It was a major blow, and crippled them before Hitler invaded the whole country.
When did Hitler take the rest of Czechoslovakia?
March 1939
What was the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact?
An agreement of non-aggression between Germany and Russia signed on 23 August 1939. It secretly divided The Baltic States, Finland, Poland, and Romania into German and Soviet spheres of influence.
Why did Russia and Germany
agree to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact?
Perhaps because Stalin had recently executed most of his military high command, and needed time to rebuild.
Hitler wanted to avoid fighting a two-front war with Soviets and Britain like Germany did in the First World War.
When did the French and Britain declare war?
Sept 3 1939. They had set a red line against the invasion of Poland. Hitler didn’t believe them because they were in no position to help Poland, and had let him get away with everything before.
Nonetheless, the declaration shocked him and Germany.
What was the Winter War?
Fought between Finland and Russia. Fins were outnumbered 10 to 1, but still gave the Soviets a bloody nose and knocked out some teeth. This made Hitler think perhaps Russia wasn’t so formidable as he thought.
What was the alternate aim of the 1936 Berlin Olympics?
To showcase German rearmament. “Everything was put in the shop window,” but it wasn’t clear is they were ready for a war.
What social good did rearmament do for Germans?
Unemployment had dropped from 6 million to 2 million by 1935.
