World Wars Test Flashcards
Study WWI and WWII
Define: Militarism
the policy of glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war
Define: Alliances
agreements among countries to work together in a time of war
Define: Imperialism
the competition for colonies and expansion
Define: Nationalism
a deep devotion to one’s nation
What were the MAIN causes of WWI?
Militarism
Alliances
Imperialism
Nationalism
Who was Otto von Bismark?
- chancellor of Germany
- used war to unify Germany between 1864 and 1871
How did alliances help cause WWI?
- Bismark made treaties against France (Russia + Austria-Hungary)
- new leadership lets Russia treaty lapse and ally with France
- Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, dragging other countries into war through the ally system
- Example: Germany had an alliance with Austria-Hungary
How did competition among nations and Imperialism impact WWI?
- competition of imperialism drove countries to war over land
- Example: the nations of Europe competed for colonies in Africa and Asia
- This quest for colonies nearly pushed Europe to war
- Rivalry and mistrust in Europe deepened through competition for overseas empires.
When was WWI fought?
1914-1918
What is the purpose of propaganda?
to influence people to confirm to a certain set of ideals through many different forms of media
What was the “Spark Event” of WWI?
the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand
Which countries were in the Triple Entente? (Allies)
Great Britain, Russia, France
Which countries were in the Triple Alliance? (Central Powers)
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire
What role did technology play in WWI? How did it lead to more deaths?
Ex 1: Poison Gas
- some caused blindness or blisters, others choked
- introduced by Germans, used both sides
- easy way to kill a large group in the trenches, unlike guns or other weapons
Ex 2: Airplanes
- dropped bombs and shoot one another in the sky
- plane use increased greatly during the war
- allowed for war not only on the battlefield but in the sky, bombs were more targeted and widely used
What happened to Germany after WWI?
- forced to pay reparations to allies
- excluded from League of Nations
- anger and unrest among Germans
What happened to Austria-Hungary after WWI?
- several new countries created
- all recognized as independent nations (Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia)
What happened to the Ottoman Empire after WWI?
- Ottoman Turks forced to give up empire, only leaving Turkey
- Allies turned lost Ottoman lands into mandates
- Britain: Palestine, Iraq, Transjordan, Syria
- France: Lebanon
What happened to Italy after WWI?
- economic depression
- Musollini rises to power
- Musollini creates Fascist Italy
What were the conditions set out in the Treaty of Versailles?
- Germany + Russia excluded from League of Nations
- Germany surrenders all overseas colonies in Africa + Pacific
- Limited German army size, no submarines/air force, no manufacturing/importing weapons or war material
- Germany forced to pay Allies billion in reparations
Define: appeasement
giving in to an aggressor to keep peace
Describe how appeasement relates to Munich 1938, Neville Chamberlain, and the start of WWI.
- Mussolini proposes Munich Conference in 1938: Germany, France, Britain, Italy
- Chamberlain believed he could appease Hitler to keep peace, France + Britain allow Hitler to take the Sudetenland so Hilter would agree to respect Czechoslovakian borders
- Hitler doesn’t keep promise, took Czechoslovakia, France + Britain convince Soviet Union to sign nonaggression pact with Germany to reduce aggression
- nonaggression allows Germany to invade Poland without Soviet interference
Define: Fascism
a militant political movement that emphasized loyalty to the state and obedience to its leader
How did Hitler rise to power?
- American loans stopped during Great Depression, scared, Germans turned to Hitler
- Hitler eventually named Chancellor, giving him legal power
- Hitler used fear and propaganda to enforce Fascism in Germany
How did Mussolini rise to power?
- Mussolini promised to rescue Italy be reviving its economy and rebuilding armed forces
- Founded Fascist Party in 1919
- Officially rose to power after thousands of Fascists marched on Rome, demanding Mussolini be in charge
Who was on the Axis side during WWII?
Germany, Italy, Japan
Who was on the Allies side during WWII?
Great Britain, France, Russia, US in 1941
Match the following leaders with their respective nations:
Adolf Hitler
Benito Mussolini
Joseph Stalin
Winston Churchill
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Germany
Italy
Soviet Union/Russia
Great Britain
US
