World War Two Flashcards
what were the three theaters of war?
- Europe
- Mediterranean and Africa
- The Pacific
what is fascism?
Political ideology.
- Extreme nationalism
- support imperialism
- Racism- belief in superiority of some races
- Dictator is stronger than Parliamentary democracy
Nationalism
belief in supremacy of the nation
Imperialism
right to rule over other nations
Points of treaty of Versailles
- ALLIES PUNISHED GERMANY
1. RESTRICTED MILITARY to 100 000 volunteers, no air force, limited navy, no manufacture of arms.
2. LOST ALL OVERSEAS COLONIES, territory given to Poland, provinces of Alsace and Lorraine to France
3. RHINELAND OCCUPIED BY ALLIES for 15 years (the industrial area of Germany)
4. Hitler and Nazis able to INSTILL FEAR THAT GERMANY WAS VULNERABLE TO HER ENEMIES.
Reparations
PAYMENTS AS COMPENSATION FOR DAMAGE CAUSED
- Germany to pay for all civilian damage suffered by the allies
- Hitler and Nazis able to use economic crisis to further weaken the government and reinforce idea that Germany was under threat.
Allies
Britain, France and the other states on the winning side of WW1
The League of Nations
Permanent members: Britain, France, Italy and Japan
- falls short of what it is supposed to do; not strict enough
AIM: to prevent wars
- Woodrow Wilson’s idea
Problems with the League of NAtions
- Votes had to be unanimous
- Most people wanted to ‘take action’
- Every member wanted to avoid war
- Didn’t have a military
- America didn’t join
Great depression:
MONEY IS WORTHLESS!
- Early 1920 hyperinflation wiped out value of currency
- Unable to pay reparations
Great Depression in Germany
- 1924-1929: Government recalled currency and issued new notes and coins
- 1929: Beginning of Great Depression
- By 1932, 6 million Germans unemployed
- Hitler used economic crisis to his advantage, promising restoration of German industry, national pride and restoation as world leader
- Portrayed communists and Jews as enemies within causing hardship of the German people
Failure of The League of Nations
- no U.S. backing
- No one willing to stand up against aggressors
- League of Nations is powerless
Appeasement
MAKING CONCESSIONS TO AVOID CONFLICT
- Western democracies were unwilling to risk another war by standing up to fascist aggression
- Hitler able to sign agreements to buy time and demonstrate to the German people that Germany would no longer be pushed around by the Allies
WHAT HAPPENED ON THESE DATES:
- March 1935
- June 1935
- March 1936
- March 1939
- 1 September 1939
March 1935: Hitler announced he had an air force and was introducing conscription
June 1935: Britain agreed to Germany increasing its navy to 35% of Britain’s
March 1936: Germany marched into Rhineland
March 1939: Germany invaded the Sudetenland
1 September 1939: Germany invade Poland and Allies responded with military action
American isolationism
AMERICA REFUSES TO ENTER THE WAR AGAINST GERMANY:
- America had adopted policy ISOLATION to avoid being drawn into Europe’s wars
- Hitler was certain Germany would not have to face the largest military force in the world (the U.S.A.)
Isolationism
The policy or doctrine of isolating one’s country from the affairs of other nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments, international agreements, etc., seeking to devote the entire efforts of one’s country to its own advancement and remain at peace by avoiding foreign entanglements and responsibilites.
Weimar Republic
The democratic system of government in Germany from 1919 to early 1933, so called because its constitution was written in the city of Weimar.
Hyperinflation
such an extreme rise in prices that a currency loses and real value (Germany early 1920’s)
Aryan race
A term used by the Nazis to describe ‘pure-blooded’ Germanic peoples
The Nazi Party
Nazi regime controlled Germany from 1933 to 2945. A fascist party headed by Adolf Hitler. Led Germany to war in 1939. Main ideology: only the strong survive Hated communists and Jews
Lebensraum (living room)
The Nazi ideology that Germany must gain lebensraum for its expanding population by taking land from non-Aryan races.
The Battle of Britain
Hitler- ‘Operation Sea Lion’: air attacks followed by landings of German troops.
On 10 July 1940, the Luftwaffe (German air force) struck convoy ships in the English Channel. It then targeted airfields, military installations, ports and cities, killing 15 000 British civilians
-The RAF fought back- over 500 airmen lost their live, but they denied the Nazis control of the air and the invasion was prevented.
Evacuation of Dunkirk
-340 000 allied soldiers were pushed back to the beaches of Dunkirk, Northern France
.- 800 British boats were able to evacuate most of its troops, as well as many French, Dutch and Belgian soldiers.
