World War Two Flashcards
What significance did the end of World War I represent?
The end of World War I was meant to signify:
- “a war to end all wars.”
- “a world safe for Democracy.”
When did the League of Nations form and what principal purpose did it serve?
The League of Nations was formed at the end of World War I with a goal to maintain world peace.
The United States refused to join the League of Nations in order to maintain its Isolationism.
Define:
Isolationism
Isolationism is a policy enacted by a nation or country that isolates said nation or country from foreign affairs, such as participating in alliances or committing to foreign trade agreements.
After World War I, the United States entered a period of Isolationism to avoid potential military conflict with another nation.
Define:
Neutrality
The United States position of neutrality stems from the isolationist theory. By remaining internationally neutral, America could avoid conflict and potentially war.
What two critical foreign political decisions did President Herbert Hoover make that impacted United States involvement in World War II?
After World War I, President Hoover decided America would be best in a state of isolationism. As a result, the United States did not join the League of Nations.
By isolating themselves from the rest of the world, the United States was able to focus on their own internal issues. Yet, this ultimately gave them a late start to entering World War II.
(The contingency could have meant the surrender of Germany sooner.)***
What two previous diplomatic endeavors put the United States in poor standing with Latin American countries?
Theodore Roosevelt’s Big Stick Diplomacy and William Taft’s Big Dollar Diplomacy aimed to achieve political and economical dominance over Latin America. These gave the United States and unfavorable reputation with many Latin American countries.
(Bold anything?)
Define:
Belligerent
Any nation involved in warfare, defending or attacking, is considered as a belligerent.
This was a key term used in America’s Neutrality Acts to remain impartial towards any nation.
How did President Hoover mend the poor relationship with the Latin American nations?
President Hoover negotiated a withdrawal of troops from Nicaragua and Haiti along with allowing their respective governments to run independently. These actions remained consistent with the isolationist mentality.
This crucial step America took would lead to future beneficial relations with Latin America under Roosevelt’s Presidency. Namely, the Good-Neighbor Policy and the Pan-American Conferences.
The signatories of the ________________ pledged not to use military force as an aggressive means.
Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928
The League of Nations was to interfere militarily only if a country acted as an aggressor.
What rights did America’s Open Door Policy give to other country’s?
The Open Door Policy stated that any country could have access to Chinese territory, so long that no other nation took control over the territory.
Although America’s statement was technically in neutral standing, the policy was directed at Japan.
What did the meetings of the Washington Naval Conference accomplish?
The Washington Naval Conferences began to meet after World War I and was attended by nine nations (including Japan). Their function revolved around policy of the Pacific region. They managed to agree upon a number of treaties which maintained peace in the area.
Japan broke these treaties with the invasion of Manchuria, China in 1931.
What factors caused Japan to attack China’s northern province, Manchuria?
- The American Great Depression effectually caused a depression worldwide, particularly Japan.
- Japan’s sinking economy meant they needed a new way of acquiring raw materials such as oil and iron.
- With a weak government, Japanese militarists took control over the country. Consequently, they attacked Manchuria (for those materials)** **and set up a puppet government in the region.
**Map of area**
Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931 violated which international policies?
The military aggression of Japan into China violated:
- The Washington Naval Conference
- The Open Door Policy
- The Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928
In order to remain in isolationism, the United States signed the ______________ which refused to recognize the legitmacy of any annexed territories.
Stimson Doctrine
This statement was also technically neutral but aimed at Japan.
What was the importance of the incident in Manchuria?
The Manchurian Crisis holds a key indication to the inevitability of World War II.
- After the invasion of Manchuria, the League of Nations failed to fulfill their promise to maintain world peace by not retaliating to the Japanese aggression.
- Little action from the League or Nations discredited their reputation and was no longer taken seriously as a defender of world peace.
- As a result, the Axis Powers felt comfortable making their attacks.
What were the goals of President Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy?
After Roosevelt’s election in 1932, his first promise was to have a “policy of the good neighbor” with all countries in the western hemisphere which acted as a truce between the nations. The policy enforced that the United States would no longer intervene in Latin American political affairs. It also called for hemispheric cooperation and defense (if necessary) against the rising fascist regimes of the Axis Powers if they were to attack.
The Pan American Conferences in Uruguay and Argentina, set up by Roosevelt, reinforced the claims of the Good Neighbor Policy. How else did both Cuba and Mexico benefit from the new found benevolence of the American government?
Cuba: The Platt Amendment, which gave America the right to oversee Cuban foreign policy, was nullified (The U.S. did retain the Guantanamo Bay naval base).
Mexico: Instead of controversy, a compromise was negotiated to share oil refineries earlier seized by Mexico from America.
What was Franklin Roosevelt’s primary concern as the newly elected President?
President Roosevelt was elected in 1932, inheriting the nations economic great depression. His main concern was to re-establish the American economy along with addressing other internal issues.
Roosevelt broke the United States out of Hoover’s isolationism to resume foreign economic trade and connection, potentially benefiting the American economy.
Who was Roosevelt’s first foreign economic agreement with?
In 1933, Roosevelt granted recognition to the Communist Soviet Union in order to open foreign trade and boost the American economy.
In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution took control to form the Soviet Union. The Republican Presidents of the 1920’s, however, refused to recognize the new communist state.
What other foreign economic developments were made by Roosevelt to lift the United States economy out of the Great Depression?
The Philippines: Roosevelt felt that holding onto the Philippine Islands was an unnecessary expenditure. Thus, the Tydings-McDuffie Act granted independence to the islands along with the slow removal of United States troops and regional governors.
Reciprocal Trade Agreements: These agreements stated that any nation involved in trade with the United Stated would receive a gratuitous tariff reduction on imports and exports.
What was the public reaction in the United States to the increasing threat of the Axis Powers to American and world security?
The rise of fascism among the Axis Powers increased the fortitude of isolationists in America, pleading for the government not to enter in foreign affairs and most importantly, not to engage in war.
What was the aim of isolationists in congress?
Isolationist government officials of the Senate and the House of Representatives still held majority in congress and pushed for the United States to remain neutral if another war broke out.
Although the idea of isolationism was declining by the mid 1930’s, the majority of Americans, still, did not want the United States to enter another war. Neutrality was a way to create distance from the uproar Axis Powers overseas.
What was the belief of the Nye Committee and what was their purpose?
The Nye Committee, led by Senator Gerald Nye of North Dakota, held the strict belief that American entrance into World War I was fueled by the greed of bankers and arms manufacturers. The committee had a vital influence on the passing of the Neutrality Acts which kept the United States out of foreign affairs.
What did the various Neutrality Acts, passed in the mid-1930’s, state?
Each Neutrality Act passed limited the United States aid to any countries engaged in war.
Neutrality Act of 1935: Prohibited arms distribution and American travel on belligerent ships.
Neutrality Act of 1936: Prohibited loans to belligerent nations.
Neutrality Act of 1937: Prohibited arms distribution to either side of the participants of the Spanish Civil War.
What message did the America First Committee try to convey to the country?
The America First Committee was an independent organization, formed after the start of World War II, that toured the country to reinforce the dangers of getting involved in another world war.
How did the Neutrality Acts potentially effect the outcome of the Spanish Civil War?
Although the United States heavily favored the loyalists and wanted to support their fight, the Neutrality Act of 1937 prohibited aid to either side.
The Spanish Civil War was fought between defending loyalists of the nation and the aggressors, Franco’s fascist army.
Who was Francisco Franco?
Francisco Franco was a Spanish rebel who supported the ideals of a fascist government. His rebellion attacked Spain’s central government. By 1939, Franco was name “Head of State.”
Franco maintained fascism as his belief, yet had no interest in joining with the other fascists of the Axis Powers.
What were some of the major events that preceded World War II?
Manchurian Crisis: discredited authority of League of Nations, especially with the United States remaining in a state of isolationism.
World Depression: economic downfall conversely led to the rise of fascism.
Resentment: the Axis Powers held a grudge against the Allied Powers after the Treaty of Versailles (ended World War I) placed harsh regulations on Germany.
Which countries agreed to be a part of the Allied Powers?
The first nations to make up the Allied Powers of World War II were France, Poland, the United Kingdom, and all of its British Dominions (Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, and South Africa).
The Unites States and the Soviet Union finally joined the Allied Powers in 1941, two years after the break out of World War II.
Who were the “Big Three” of the Allied Powers of World War II?
The “Big Three” of the Allied Powers were:
- Great Britain (Winston Churchill)
- The Soviet Union (Joseph Stalin)
- The United States of America (Franklin Roosevelt)
Define:
Fascism
Fascism is a form of radical government focused on internal industrialization and mobilization of an army. The group is lead by a supreme ruler and dictator of all political scopes. Political violence and war renew a sense of nationalism.
Fascist government took rise with the downfall of the world economy after World War I. Germany, Italy, and Japan resorted to fascism and eventually signed and agreement as allies known as the Axis Powers.
Who were the participating countries of the Axis Powers?
The Axis Powers were:
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
Who was Adolf Hitler?
Adolf Hitler is most known for his rise to authority in Germany prior to World War II. He became Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and dictator over the controlling fascist Nazi Party. Nicknamed as “Führer” or “leader,” Hitler began a quest for European domination which quickly developed into World War II. In addition to his ruthless war tactics, he also aimed to exterminate the Jewish population with the use of his infamous concentration camps in the Holocaust.
Adolf Hitler led the _________ Party to power in Germany.
Nazi
Nazism was an ideology, originating in the 1920’s, fueled by Hitler’s propaganda, risen to power in 1933. Their beliefs were extremely anti-Semitic and anti-establishment.
**Nazi Flag pic**
Who was Benito Mussolini?
Nicknamed “Il Duce” or “The Dictator,” Mussolini rose to power using his uncanny ability to speak, write, and use propaganda to take control of Italy with a fascist regime. Mussolini had a thirst for war and domination and was most successful with his invasion of Ethiopia. Mussolini was revered until his reputation withered during the World War II years.
Explain the German rise to power.
The Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler, gained popular advantage in Germany through propaganda. Hitler’s promise to get Germany back to full strength was a promising proposition. His ideas for war would help boost a dead economy and would re-establish an overall dying nation. By 1933, Hitler had gained enough support to claim himself dictator of Germany.
One of the reasons Hitler was so successful with his military attacks was because he used a new style of offense know as _________, which utilized a heavy air attack and a fast moving ground infiltration..
“Blitzkrieg” or “Lightening War”
This was the staple of the Nazi army and the domain of attack.
Explain how Benito Mussolini claimed dominance over Italy.
Mussolini’s fascist ideologies quickly gained momentum with the support of war veterans and those who were afraid of communism. Similar to Hitler, Mussolini believed strongly in military dominance, hoping to follow in the footsteps of Caesar and the Roman Empire. In 1922, Mussolini’s March on Rome sacked the capital where he claimed his authority.
Why did Japan feel the need to go rogue and take control over much of east Asia?
By taking control over East Asia, Japan could have free access to raw materials such as oil, iron, and tin. These key ingredients were integral for military industrialization. In addition, these resources meant Japan could be largely self-sufficient.
After World War I, Japan, along with the rest of world, suffered an immense economic depression. Militarists assumed control over the Emperor’s throne and used the power to act aggressively.
Define:
Kamikaze Pilots
“Kamikaze” translated “Divine Wind,” described Japanese pilots sent on a suicide mission, ordered by the Japanese Emperor, to bomb and crash their planes into enemy vessels.
In the years directly preceding World War II, the Axis Powers began to mobilize their armies and make small yet efficient attacks on the world. In order to avoid conflict, democracies such as England and France adopted a policy of ___________, this allowed Hitler and Mussolini to get away with small acts of aggression.
Appeasement
The United States, remaining neutral, also adopted the policy.
What two acts of aggression from Germany were placed under the policy of appeasement?
Rhineland, 1936: This region between France and Germany was deemed demilitarized according to the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler disobeyed the rule and mobilized troops in the area. The invasion disobeyed the Treaty of Versailles.
Sudetenland, 1938: Hitler believed that the Sudetenland (in Czechoslovakia) rightfully belonged to Germany because the native language there was German. The secession was disputed yet, the land was taken unopposed with the approval of Great britain.
**expanding german front map**
