World War 2 Flashcards
Specific Causes
- Terms of the Treaty of Versailles (BRAT)
- Hitler’s aggressive actions
- Failure of appeasement
- Failure of the League of Nations
Intermediate Cause
War 2 begins when the Germans invade Poland on September 1, 1939
December 7, 1941
Attack on Pearl Harbor, USA enters the war
Date
1939-1945
General facts about WW2
Largest war
Deadliest war
Fought on land, sea, and air
Fought mostly in Europe, Africa, Asia
Good war
Why was it a good war
War between good and evil. Cruel dictators wanted to end freedom. Fought for way of life
Nationalism
Extreme pride in one’s country over individual rights
Imperialism
Aggressive land takeovers
Militarism
Aggressive build-up of a military that gains control of the government
Fascism
Political philosophy that exalts nation about the individual, stands for an autocratic government headed by a dictator, Nazism
When was the treaty of Versailles signed?
End of WW2
Who was required to take the blame for WW1 and pay for the damages
Germany, paid all damages in 2010.
BRAT, four main terms of Versailles
Blame-Germany took all of the blame
Reparations-Paid 269 billion
Army- Only allowed small army and 6 naval ships
Territory- Land taken from Germany
How did the Germans feel about the treaty?
Unhappy, Too harsh, Humiliated, Angry
What did Hitler promise to do about the treaty?
“Rip up” the treaty of Versailles
When did Hitler become Chancellor
January of 1933
What did Hitler secretly begin to do?
Building up Germany’s army and weapons
Where did the troops go in March 1936?
Rhineland, the German army was not very strong at this point
Alliance with who?
Italy and Japan
Benito Mussolini
Hideki Tojo
What country did Hitler take over first?
Austria
Anschluss
Union with Germany, Become apart of
What land did Hitler demand back? That also speaks German
Sudetenland
Annex
To join
What aggressive move did Hitler make in March of 1939?
Invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia
Neville Chamberlain
Prime minister of Great Britain
Appeasement
Giving in to someone and providing a little of their demand if their demands are reasonable, maintain peace
Chamberlain’s feelings about the treaty
Treated Germany badly and felt that it was unfair
Leaders that signed the Munich Agreement
Germany, Britain, France, and Italy
Munich Agreement
Sudetenland was returned to Germany, no further territorial claims
Viewed as what
Victory/triumph
Did Hitler keep his word?
No
March of 1939
Invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia
League of Nations
International organization, help keep word at peace
Not all countries joined the League
No U.S
Had no power
Only asked to stop trading
No effective military training
No one taught them
Unable to act quickly
Only met up 4 times a year
Hitler’s rise to power
Promised return to greatness
Dynamic speaking style
Achieve influence over audience
Stressed glory of state
Rights or concerns of individuals not important
Used speeches and promise things he could not promise
Mein Kampf
Devotion to state above citizens
Goal to unite Germans of Europe in a great empire
Believed in racial superiority of Germans he called Aryans
Jews threatened the purity of the Aryans race
Axis Powers
Germany, Italy, japan
Allied powers
Great Britain, U.S, Soviet Union, France, China, Canada
Neutral
Switz, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Turkey
German-Soviet non-aggression pact
Agreement to stay out of Germanys way. In return Hitler promised not to attack and give some land to them.
Immediate Cause of WW2
Germany invades Poland from the West
Blitzkrieg
“Lightning war”, swift, surprise attacks combing infantry, Tanks, aircrafts
The Phony War
Winter of 1939-1940
Long period of quiet time, Hitler did nothing
April and May 1940
Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg all fell to Germany. This was to have access to the Atlantic ocean
France
France had a false sense of security
Thought Germany was going through the Maginot Line. The Ardennes Forest was too rugged for tanks.
Ardennes Forest
In Northern France and Belgium
It was very rugged and thought the tanks, wouldn’t get through it.
Miracle at Dunkirk
Great Britain civilians were called upon to help the soldiers evacuate. Hitler stopped attacking for a moment for an unknown reason. They were cornered and luckily they got most of the soldiers out.
Surrendered
France surrendered in June 1940
Battle of Britain
July-October 1940
Winston Churchill
Prime minister of Great Britain
English Channel
Narrow, 23 miles wide
Sleeping Giant
Asking the U.S for help or when Japan attacked pearl Harbor
Operation Sea Lion
Airborne assault to take out RAF then amphibious landing on south coat of Britain
RAF
Royal Air Force
Luftwaffe
German air force
British advantage
radar, home turf
German advantages
More planes
Blitz
76 days of continuous bombing
London “Tube”
Air raid shelters during Blitz
If the British Empire and its commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say… this was their _______ ________
Finest hour
Axis Alliance Tripartite pact
Germany: Adolf Hitler
Italy: Benito Mussolini
Japan: Hideki Tojo
September 1939
Poland falls
Operation Dynamo
Evacuation of the allies troops of Dunkirk
Isolationism
The desire to avoid involvement in foreign wars
Isolationists
Republicans and democrats
College students
Most of congress
Hoover
Father Coughlin
Charles Lindbergh
Most Americans
Reasons of Isolationism
- WW1 cost many lives, Fearful
- Burdened by the Great Depression, Focused
- Not “our war”, Foreign war
Neutral
Not aid one side or the other
Neutrality Acts (1935)
Banned the sale of arms, ammunition, or any tools of war to warring nations
Neutrality Acts (1936)
Prohibited loaning money to warring countries
Neutrality Acts (1937)
Made it illegal to transport weapons or passengers to warring nations aboard U.S ships
Cash and Carry
Countries at war could purchase U.S goods as long as they paid cash and picked up orders
Destroyers for Bases
Agreement between U.S and U.K sept. 2 1940, 50 year old destroyer ships to British Navy in exchange for building bases there
Lend Lease
FDR gave a speech to congress in Jan. 1941. We have to make weapons for the countries, become arsenal. Allowed U.S to sent weapons, tanks, ships, airplanes, food, supplies-they don’t need to pay
Arsenal Democracy
Being able to store weapons for nice countries, in order to fight for Europe’s democracy
How the Atlantic Charter happened
Roosevelt and Churchill met secretly on a ship off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada
Atlantic Charter
Thee blueprint of shared goals and aims of the Allies during WW2 in opposing Hitler
Included their vision for the post-war world
FDR Not remaining isolationist
Countries that were free being taken over by Hitler, concerned but Hitler taking over fast
What made the U.S engage in war?
Pear Harbor
Pearl Harbor: When?
7:55 a.m. Sunday morning on December 7th, 1941, lasted under 2 hours
Pearl Harbor: Where?
Oahu, Hawaii
Honolulu (city)
Hicum Field
Ford island
Pearl Harbor: Who?
Japanese vs. U.S
Admiral Yamamoto
Vice-Admiral Nagumo
Pearl Harbor: Why?
Destroy the American Pacific fleet and Navy
Could not fight back from Japan spreading across South Pacific taking territory after territory
Pearl Harbor: Details
USS Oklahoma was hit with Torpedos
Yamamoto made the plans to attack
USS Arizona was hit with a 1,800 lb bomb
By 9:55 it was over
2,887 Americans were killed
deadliest attack until 9/11
A third attack was planned but it never came
Hawaii was not a state at the time
Battleship row (8)
130 naval vessels in harbor
7:49, the signal was given
code was Tora, Tora, Tora (Tiger)
Pearl Harbor: Results
This date will live in infamy
Altered the balance of power
U.S people were united in their determination to go to war
Roused passions for revenge
December 8th, congress approved FDR’s declaration to go to war
2,887 Americans killed, 1,178 wounded, 15 ships sunk, 18 damaged, 300 planes destroyed
9/11: When?
8:46 a.m., Tuesday morning, September 11th, 2001
9/11: who?
Osama bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, 19 hijackers
9/11: Where?
World Trade Center:North Tower, South Tower, Pentagon, Capitol building, white house(never reached the capitol building or the white house)
9/11: What?
The planes hijacked were flights 11 and 175. Flight 11 struck floors 93-99. Flight 175 struck floors 77-85. This way they would take out the symbolic targets. The symbolic targets were the twin towers. About 3,000 people were killed in the attack. Flight 93 fought back and crashed the plane before it could hit the white house. The Pentagon lost 184 civilians. Changed the U.S a lot.Directly led to war on Afghanistan. Trapped many people on the upper floors. Many people jumped out of the windows to escape. The terrorists smuggled knives and box cutters through air-port security.
9/11: Why?
Islamic extremism started by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the assassination of the Egyption president. This extremism turned into anti-American. The U.S supported Israel. In their eyes America had to be stopped. They couldn’t get our military, so they targeted symbolic targets, the Twin Towers.
9/11: Response/results
The attack was seen as an act of war. Americans felt anger and wanted revenge. Americans united and had a sense of patriotism. America’s response was increased defense, increased fear of terrorism, and many administrations and acts were created. The U.S declared war upon Afghanistan and Iraq.
