World War Two Flashcards
How did Hitler’s Mein Kampf help set the stage for WWII.
-It said the all Germans should be together and that they needed more living space.
-Encourage the idea that taking over lands was right and needed to happen
What were the first two ways that Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles? What was the Allied response?
-He remilitarized Germany
-Stopped payments to the Allies from WWI
-Nothing
How did Hitler take over Austria?
Using threats of invasions to protect Germans from “mistreatment”
How did Hitler gain control of the Sudetenland?
Using threats of invasions to protect Germans from “mistreatment.” The Allies met Hitler and agreed not to stop him if he invaded.
What was the Munich Conference?
The meeting in Germany in which the French and English agreed to not intervene in Czechoslovakia as long as Hitler promised not to take anything else
What was appeasement, and how did it help Hitler be able to take over Europe so quickly?
Giving in to a threat in order to avoid war. It gave Hitler the ability to take over countries that were smaller without anyone stopping him. It also gave him time to build his massive military before the Allies joined.
Who were the Axis power? What did they have in common?
Germany, Italy, Japan. They were all fascist dictatorships, that had agreed to expand their empires through war
Why was the United States not participating in world affairs?
We had passed laws saying we couldn’t get involved. This was meant to keep us from getting into another war
What was the Non-Aggression Pact?
Agreement between Russia and Germany not to attack each other
What reasons were the for both Russia and Germany to sign the Pact?
German wouldn’t get a 2-front war, and Russia wouldn’t have any war at all
They secretly agreed to invade Poland together to regain territory lost in WWI
What is odd about Hitler and Stalin signing the pact?
Stalin and Hitler hated each other
What was the first country the Nazis took over by force?
Poland
What does Blitzkrieg mean, and how does it work?
Means “lightning war.” Attacking with planes, followed by tanks, followed by troops at the same time, without warning.
What happened at Dunkirk?
The Allied troops were surrounded on a beach, but Hitler allowed them to be rescued by the British Navy and civilians in boats and taken to England. They would later be part of the D-Day invasion.
Why was it a positive for the Allies?
It allowed us to save the troops, who participated in the D-Day invasion a few years later.
How was it also a disaster for them?
They lost all their supplies and weapons. It also basically gave France to Hitler.
Why didn’t Hitler invade Britain?
It is an island, and transporting an entire army by boat was suicide because the British Navy was so good
What was his alternative strategy to deal with them?
Bombing them into surrender during the “Battle of Britain”
What technology helped to save the British?
Radar
Who broke the Non-Aggression Pact?
Germany
What is Pearl Harbor? When was it attacked?
It is a navy base in Hawaii
December 7, 1941
Why did the Japanese attack us?
They knew we would join anyway, and would beat them. This was an attempt to take us out of the war early before we got fully prepared for a war
What was the real target for the Japanese? Were they successful?
Aircraft carriers. No
As we were rebuilding our navy, what was Japan doing?
Quickly expanding its empires
