WW2 Flashcards
WW2 dates
1 September 1939 to 2 September 1945
What were the origins of WW2?
- The Treaty of Versailles
- The expansionist policies of Germany, Italy and Japan
- The weaknesses of the League of Nations, the peace-keeping body
- The failure of Britain and France’s appeasement policy
What was the Treaty of Versailles?
The condition of the armistice. Germany had to form a new Government. The Weimer Government was formed
What were the Military Restrictions?
- Army limited to 100,000 men
- Banned conscription
- Navy limited to 15,000 men and 6 battleships
- No submarines and airforce
- No heavy artillery, poison gas or tanks
- No troops on the Rhine Land (French Border)
What were the Economic Restrictions?
- Loss of overseas colonies
- Loss of West Prussia, Posen, Upper Silesia, part of East Prussia, Alsace, Prussia and more
- No heavy artillery, poison gas or tanks
- Forbidden to unite with Austria
- Loss of 16% coal sources and 10% land
What is capitalism?
A system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit
What is socialism?
A theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution and exchange should be owned or regulated by the workers
What is communism?
A theory or system of social organization in which all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs
When was the Beer Hall Putch?
November 1923
What was the Beer Hall Putch?
Hitler’s attempt to overthrow the government, which failed.
Hitler was arrested for treason and charged 5 years imprisonment. They bailed him before Christmas
What did Hitler do after his release?
Worked to gain power by legal means
Why did Hitler travel Germany?
To make speeches claiming that the Weimar Republic’s policies caused the Great Depression and that the Jews were responsible for Germany’s problems and that the Treaty of Versailles had been a stab in the back for Germany
What did Hitler believe in?
He believed in racism, that the white people were superior to other races, and that the Jews were a lesser race
What happened in the 1932 elections?
The Nazis had 196 seats and 33% of the total vote. Hitler was made Chancellor
What happened in August 1934 in terms of Germany’s government?
Germany was a one-party state and Hitler was the dictator, where the German army swore oath to Hitler of personal loyalty
What were the trade bans?
League members were not allowed to sell arms, rubber, tin or metals to Italy
Oil sales to Italy continued
What was the main spark of WW2 from Hitler?
Hitler withdrew from the League of Nations, began over turning restrictions on the Treaty of Versailles, announced rearmament and conscription, sent troops into the Rhineland and introduced a four-year plan to get Germany ready for war. In 1938 his troops took over Austria
What was Britain and France’s response?
Appease Germany. The actions in the Rhineland threatened France, but they did nothing. They gave Germany Czechoslovakia. Eventually, they had to end the appeasement and went to war
Why did Japan leave the League of Nations?
The League ordered Japan out of Manhcuria, which Japan had invaded
What was the US President’s response to Japan invading east China and French Indochina?
- Giving loans and military assisstance to China
- Freezing Japan’s assets in the USA
- Placing increasingly severe restrictions on trade with Japan
How did the US enter the war?
When Japan bombed Pearl Harbour on December 7 1941
Why did Australia support appeasement?
They didn’t want to support Britain in a European war
Why did Australians enlist for WW2?
- A desire for adventure
- A sense of duty to protect Australia
- A desire to be part of the military heritage associated with Australia’s efforts in World War 1
Why was this war called a “phoney war”?
There was very little fighting
How was France defeated?
They signed an armistice to give Germany the northern half of the country. Now only Britain remained for Germany’s European enemies
What happened in 1940?
- June - The Soviets occupied the Baltic states
- 10 June - Italy joined the war
- 10 - 21 October - The Nazis waged war on England, known as the Battle of Britain
What is blitzkrieg?
- German forces coordinating aircraft, artillery, infantry, and tanks in short, quick attacks to gain control of territory before enemy forces had time to mobilise, organise defences and retaliate.
What was the Evacuation of Dunkirk?
When German forces surrounded British, French and Belgian troops back to Dunkirk, a big beach. They surrounded them, but halted their advance.
What was Operation Dynamo?
Winston Churchill called on anyone with a boat to make the trip across the English Channel and bring home the Allied troops. They rescued 338 000 soldiers
What was the Battle of Britain?
- Germany’s air force conducted a major bombing campain in Britain
- Its goal was to destroy the Royal Air Force and British air force to prepare to invade Britain
- The destruction would make it much easier to bomb the RAF
Why did Germany lose the Battle of Britain?
- More effective leadership and organisation
- Very good radar communication
- Hurricane and Spitfire fighter planes, which were better suited to the battle conditions than the German’s Messerschmitts
What is the Luftwaffle?
German Air Force
What was the Blitz?
Nightly bombings on London
What was the goal of the Blitz?
- Destroy civilian morale, and force the government to surrender
- Nearly 43 000 civilians died and 1 million homes were damaged.
Despite this, it failed - 8 months later, they abandoned their plan to invade Britain
When was the battle of the Atlantic?
September 1939 to May 1945
What are corvettes?
Speedy, lightly armoured ships. Used to detect U-boats