World War II Flashcards
Gestapo
The political police force of the Nazi state.
Fascism
Total control over all major parts of society
Franklin Roosevelt
The president during World War 2 , Served 3 terms, and gave the Day of Infamy Speech
Anschluss
Nazi Germany joining back with Austria
Lend-Lease Act
The act that allowed America to lend Greta Britain weapons and other resources
Holocaust
The systematic killing of Jews by Nazis
Nazi-Soviet Pact
The pact that Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed that consisted of the two countries not attacking one another
Blitzkrieg
The army tactic Hitler created that consists of the idea of lightning war/ quick and strong attacks.
Rationing
Setting limits on purchasing certain high-demand items
Maginot Line
The fortified line France made close to Rhineland to protect themselves from Germany
Total War Effort
Military conflict in which both sides are willing to sacrifice anything to win
Stock
A share of a company that people can purchase
Axis Powers
Germany, Italy, and Japan
Jessie Owens & Berlin Olympics
The time when the Olympics were held in Berlin and Jessie Owens won every gold medal
Appeasement
When a person gives the aggressor whatever they want, hoping that they will stop what they are doing at some point
Munich Conference
The agreement of Great Britain, France, and Italy to allow Germany to annex other countries
Spanish Civil War
War fought in Spain which was fought by the Republicans vs the Nationalists
Neville Chamberlin
Agreed to let Germany annex other countries
NY Stock Exchange
Stock Markets crashed and caused bankruptcy throughout the U.S.
Operation Barbarossa
Code name for the German invasion of Soviet Union
Supply & Demand
When a vendor provides the supplies that the customers demands
Unemployment
Loss of a job
Allied Powers
Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union
Benito Mussolini
Italian Ruler who bullied his way to the top
Rome-Berlin Axis
Germany and Italy’s treaty that they would move together in war
Pacifism
Those whose political beliefs kept them from service
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese military launched a surprise attack on the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Battle of Britain
Germany tried to take over Britain however, he couldn’t manage to finish off the army and ultimately lost the battle
Winston Churchill
Led Britain to victory in the Second World War
Great Depression
When the stock market crashed, and poverty increased
Phony War
When Britain and Germany were at a stalemate
Inflation
The rate of increase in prices over a given period of time
Dawes Plan
Germany’s annual reparation payments would be reduced, increasing over time as its economy improved
Explain the causes of World War II (including appeasement) as discussed in class and what happened in the Rhineland, Sudetenland & Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Austria.
The causes of World War 2 were France and Great Britain trying to appease Germany, they allowed Germany to send troops into Rhineland, allowed Hitler to annex Sudetenland/ Czechoslovakia, let Hitler take over half of Poland before actually declaring war, and annexed Austria
How did Germany and Italy use the Spanish Civil War to their advantage?
They used the Spanish civil war to their advantage because they supplied the Nationalists with their new military weapons and technology thus, letting Germany and Italy know whether the weapons are effective or not
Explain how the Nazi’s in Germany & Mussolini in Italy rose to power (reflect on web diagram created in class)
Remember specifics of what each did when they took power
Human rights violations, etc.
How did they each keep their power?
Mussolini came to power by using his writing platform to release his ideas and ultimately gain supporters doing so. This allowed him to gain more and more supporters so he could eventually overthrow the Italian government. However, in doing so he had his supporters attack anyone who did not support him.
Hitler came to power after spreading his ideas across Germany and ultimately telling Germans that it is the governments fault for their circumstances. This caused him to be able to overthrow the German government and become ruler.
Explain why Germany struggled so much as a country after World War I (in addition to below)
Value of Deutsche Mark
Payments for war
Dawes Plan
Effects of Treaty of Versailles
Germany struggled a lot after World War I because after the war they had to give large amounts of land, no longer have an army, and pay millions of dollars in reparations. Moreover, in attempt to pay for they decided that printing money would be the best option however, with so much money laying around it lost its value.
Describe the invasions of France by Germany.
Germany attacked France with their U-boats to cut off the English channel. Then they faked an attack on Rhineland when they were really going through the Ardenne forest , so they could attack from the northern parts.
Explain how Germany and Japan were defeated
Germany was defeated by the Soviet Union as they were repeatedly firebombed in Berlin
Japan was defeated by America as they dropped 2 nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Why did the United States stay neutral at the beginning of World War II?
The United States stayed neutral because they did not have the army to help Great Britain and they were just recovering from the great depression
What were the goals of the Axis Powers?
The goals of the Axis Powers was territorial expansion
How was Japan able to conquer China? Why did Japan look to expand throughout the Pacific?
Japan was able to conquer China because they developed their army and attacked from both land and sea
Be able to explain the differences in the U.S. economy before the war, and after Pearl Harbor. (Great Depression vs manufacturing for war)
When the U.S. was going through the Great Depression the economy was falling apart and was in dire need of help however, during the time of manufacturing for the war everyone came together and played big roles into helping prepare for the war
What was the significance of:
Battle of Bastogne
D-Day
Allied victory at Midway
Stalingrad
Invasion of Italy
Allies conquering Africa
Battle of Britain
Dunkirk
How did the Treaty of Versailles help create a possibility of World War II?
The treaty of Versailles helped create a possibility of World War II because this caused Germany to lose everything which caused them to have resentment to the outside world and ultimately rise up to fight against them
How did World War 2 help bring the United States out of the Great Depression?
World War 2 forced America to fix their economy that was already in shambles and come together to rebuild an army and new war tactics
Why did the U.S. drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima & Nagasaki?
The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki because Japan refused to surrender
How did the Great Depression affect the German, U.S., as well as economies of other nations?
The great Depression affected countries world wide because most countries relied on America for goods and other resources. But when the U.S.’s economy began to fail this left them with nothing and their economies started to fail as well
How and/or why did the stock market crash of 1929 help cause the Great Depression?
The stock market crash helped cause the Great Depression because it helped cause large amounts of bankruptcy, poverty, and unemployment.
Explain the significance and size of the U.S. economy during the 1920s.
The U.S.’s economy was still trying to rebuild after World War 1 and then as things start to get better they get hit with stock market failure. This causes worldwide poverty and unemployment.
Radio communications (Germany)
Radar (Britain)
Enigma Machine (British stole from Germany)
Radio communications helped Germany take over France because of Frances outdated communication system
Radars helped Britain beat Germany because they were able to detect all of their planes and U-boats
The enigma machine that Britain stole from Germany helped Britain beat Germany because it let them decipher Germany’s secret code
How did France look (in terms of government & culture) after the Nazis conquered the nation?
France’s government and culture completely changed as they had to conform to the culture of Germans and ultimately became French Germans
Which Balkan countries were coerced into joining the Axis powers?
Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary
