WW2 Flashcards
When was the Blitzkrieg?
1939-40
What does Blitzkrieg mean
lightning war
What is the key element of Blitzkrieg
speed and surprise combined with advanced weaponry
What were the main components of Blitzkrieg
Tanks/Infantry
Planes/paratroopers
Artillery
Quick communcation
Where was the Blitzkrieg used
mostly in the continent of Europe
What and why did the Germans take advantage of in Western Europe?
They took full advantage of the roads and rail system to quickly move in tanks and troops
Who was involved in the Blitzkrieg
Heinz Guderian and Gerd Von Rundstedht
Who is General Heinz Guderian
Architect of the Blitzkrieg
Who is General Gerd Von Rundstedht
Commander of the French invasion
Why did Germany invade countries in Europe?
They invaded as a part of the Nazi strategy for Lebensraum, or living space, and to provide Germany with resources
Where was Blitzkrieg first used
Poland
When was Blitzkrieg first used
September 1939
How effective were the Blitzkrieg techniques in Poland?
They were so effective that the main Polish forces were defeated at Warsaw(capital of Poland) and Poland fell in a matter of weeks
Who did Germany invade Poland with?
Soviet Union
How long did Germany stop the Blitzkrieg after the invasion of Poland? What was it called
6 months
Phony War
Where did Germany invade after Poland? When
Denmark and Norway in 1940.
What is the capital of Norway
Oslo
What was Germany’s problem with attacking France?
They needed to get around the Maginot line.
A defensive wall that protected the French borders
How did Germany attack France
They attacked through the Ardennes forest and went around the Maginot line. They were taken by surprise and overrun by the Germans
When did Germany attack France
1940s
When did Germany defeat France and Belgium, invade Holland(Netherlands) and have the British on the run?
Late May 1940
What happened with the British army and evacuation?
The British army was completely surrounded but was miraculously able to evacuate most of the troops at Dunkirk in France
When did the French surrender?
early June 1940
How long was France an occupied country under oppressive German rule?
4 years
What was Germany’s plan to invade Britain called?
Operation Sea Lion
What was Germany’s plan to invade Britain
A sea invasion after the Luftwaffe(German air forces) defeated the RAF(British air forces)
What happened in Britain because of their quick defeat in France?
Prime Minister Chamberlain was forced to resign
Who was Britain’s new Prime Minister?
Winston Churchill. He became a significant leader in WW2 and a strong symbol of British resistance to the Nazis
What was the significance of the Blitzkrieg
It showed the world that a new type of warfare could be very effective and avoid trench warfare
The Blitzkrieg gave Hitler a quick and decisive victory and allowed him to dominate most of Europe for the next 5 years
What kind of posting was Hong Kong considered for the Canadians?
Hong Kong was considered one of the safest and cushiest postings for Canadians.
What was Hong Kong’s connection to Britain?
Hong Kong was a British colony.
How many soldiers did Canada send to Hong Kong?
Canada sent two battalions with 2,000 soldiers to Hong Kong.
How long did the voyage to Hong Kong last?
The voyage to Hong Kong lasted 3 weeks.
What exactly was the Gin drinker’s line?
The Gin Drinkers line was an 18km defensive line built by the British to hold off attacks for 2 weeks.
How long had Hong Kong been under threat of a Japanese invasion?
Hong Kong had been under threat of a Japanese invasion for more than four years.
What did success for the Japanese in Hong Kong depend on?
The Japanese depended on them seizing the high grounds for success.
What was unusual about John Osborn compared to the rest of the Canadian recruits? What did he do and receive for his heroism?
He was a WW1 veteran. He jumped on a grenade shielding everyone from the explosion. He received a Victoria Cross
What geographic significance was the Wong Nai Chung gap?
The Wong Nai Chung gap was geographically significant because it was the most important for strategic positions for controlling access and troop positions. It also divided Hong Kong in 2
What problem occurred for the Canadians at the most crucial stage of the battle in Hong Kong?
The problem that occurred for Canadians at the most crucial stage of the battle was that their leader got killed so they had no commands.
What did the Japanese do to captured prisoners?
The Japanese brought the captured prisoners to a cliff, roped together and would shoot them. They faced brutal torture, forced labor and execution.
Where were prisoners from Hong Kong shipped? What were they used for?
Prisoners were shipped to Japan. They were used for slave labor.
What did the Japanese propaganda film describe the new era of Hong Kong as?
An era of peace and happiness
What did the video describe the aftermath of the Hong Kong disaster for the allies as?
The darkest hour of war
Why did people in BC fear that Japan may target them for invasion?
People in BC feared that Japan may target them for invasion because of the suddenness of the Japanese attacks, the number of their targets and the ease of their victories.
How many people of Japanese descent lived in BC? How did they make their living?
22,000 people of Japanese descent lived in BC. They made their living by working on railways, mines and lumber camps. Later on, they made their living by fishing, market gardening and small businesses.
How were Japanese discriminated against in Canadian society?
The Japanese were discriminated against and targeted by anti-Asian rioting, denied the right to vote, teach, take jobs in the civil service and other professions.
What were the Japanese seen as by most suspicious Canadians?
The Japanese were seen as spies and enemy aliens trying to destroy Canada for Japan.
Under what law did the government put the Japanese into internment camps?
The Government put the Japanese into internment camps under the War Measures Act and Defence of Canada Regulations.
Where were the Japanese internees sent? What did the government do to the Japanese Canadian’s property?
The internees were sent to camps in the interior of British Columbia. The Japanese had to give their property to the government for safekeeping but the government just auctioned off their belongings and properties.
What happened to 4000 Japanese internees after the war?
They were deported to Japan
How many women worked in munitions plants in Canada during the war?
More than 260,000 women worked in munition plants.
What were 2 nicknames given to the new female factory workers?
2 nicknames given to the new female factory workers are “the Bren Girl” or “Rosie the Riveter”
Besides industry, how else did women contribute to the war effort?
Farming
What did Mackenzie King say about conscription at the beginning of the war?
Mackenzie King said that no Canadians would be conscripted and forced to fight against their will.
What national event did King hold to free him from his promise?
The national event that King held to free him from his promise is a plebiscite. He asked Canadians if they wanted to release the government from their pledge on conscription.
How did King confusingly sum up his position on conscription? What effect did conscription have on the nation?
King confusingly summed up his position on conscription by saying “Not necessarily conscription, but conscription if necessary.” The conscription made some people, primarily people from Quebec, angry and riot.
When did the Holocaust happen
1933-1945
Where did the Holocaust happen
Europe
Who were the victims of the Holocaust
Anyone that German thought were lesser than them. “Undesirables” = Jews, Roma(Gypsies), Slavs, Communists, homosexuals, disabled people, Jehovah’s Witnesses
What happened to the victims of the Holocaust
They were murdered by mobile killing units or sent to concentration camps(like Auschwitz, Dachau, Bergen Belsen)
What did victims of the Holocaust do in concentration camps?
They were worked to death.
What was Germany’s “Final Solution” for their Jewish problem
Their final solution was to murder the Jews in death camps with poison gas
Why did the Holocaust happen
Because of hitler’s ideas and hatred of the Jews
What was the significance of the Holocaust
One of the biggest genocides in human history
One of the reasons that Germany lost WW2(it wasted a lot of man power and resources which resulted in no advantage for Germany)
When was the Battle of the Atlantic
1939-1945
Where did the Battle of the Atlantic take place
Atlantic Ocean
Who was involved in the Battle of the Atlantic
British, Canadian and USA Navies against the German Navy
What did Canada do in the Battle of the Atlantic
Supple Britain with food, weapons, troops, etc to keep it alive in WW2
What did the Germans use in the Battle of the Atlantic. What did they do?
They used Uboats to try and sink as many supply ships as possible
What did the allies use in the Battle of the Atlantic? What did they do
They used convoys (groups of smaller ships) protected by smaller ships called corvettes
What is a group of smaller ships called?
Convoys
What are smaller ships called
Corvettes
What did the corvettes do
The corvettes used SONAR(sound waves in the water) called ASDIC to find the subs and blew them up with depth charges or hedgehogs
What is the significance of the Battle of the Atlantic?
The allies won and kept Britain alive in the war.
It was the longest continuous area of conflict in WW2
When did the Battle of Britain happen
1940
Why did the Battle of Britain happen
Hitler wanted to invade Britain by sea(Operation Sea Lion) but he needed to have air superiority over Britain first.
What is the German airforce called
Luftwaffe
What is the British air force called
RAF(Royal air force)
What happened in the Battle of Britain
At first the Germans were successful and destroyed many airbases by bombing but PM Churchill decided to bomb Berlin in response.
Hitler changed the strategy of targeting only airbases and now started bombing cities like London, Liverpool and Birmingham.
This was a bad move and the RAF used radar stations to anticipate German attacks and began to defeat them by shooting down German bombers and their escorts.
What was the bombing of cities called?
Blitz
What were the British planes called?
Spitfires and Hurricanes
What was the significance of the Battle of Britain
The RAF defeated the Luftwaffe and kept Britain alive in WW2
Operation Sea Lion was cancelled
When did Operation Barbarossa happen
1941
Where did Operation Barbarossa happen
Russia
Why did Operation Barbarossa happen
Hitler wanted Russia’s resources, living space and to destroy “Jewish communism”
Where did Germany invade during Operation Barbarossa
Leningrad, Minsk, Moscow in the north and Kiev in the south
Where did Germany capture in Operation Barbarossa? Where were they unable to capture?
Captured Kiev and Minsk
Unable to capture Moscow and Leningrad(Besieged for a year)
What slowed the Germans down in Operation Barbarossa
Russians mounted a massive counterattack and the Russian winter started slowing down the Germans
What happened in 1942 Operation Barbarossa?
Germans tried to take Stalingrad but were slowed down by heavy urban warfare. Once the winter set in, the Germans were worn down and defeated.
How many German soldiers were taken prisoner in Operation Barbarossa
Almost 10,000
When did WW2 start
September 1 1939
Where was the last attempt by Germany to defeat the USSR? Operation Barbarossa
Kursk
What happened in Germany’s last attempt to defeat the USSR? Operation Barbarossa
A massive tank battle where hundreds of German and Russian tanks fought. In the end Germany was defeated by the huge number of new Soviet tanks
Significance of Operation Barbarossa
Massive defeat for the Germans in WW2(huge loss of arms and men)
A bad decision by Hitler that led to their defeat in WW2
Created a 2 front war (the worst scenario for Germans)
When was the Pearl Harbor Attack?
December 7th 1941
Who was involved in the Pearl Harbor Attack
Japan and America
Where did the Japanese attack during the Pearl Harbor Attack
Pearl harbor, a US Naval base
What was Japan’s strategy for the Pearl Harbor Attack
Take out the US Navy in the Pacific so they could expand their empire
What did the Japanese do during the Pearl Harbor Attack
Japan attacked using torpedo bombers launched from aircraft carriers and sank several US ships, destroy parts of the base and kill thousands of troops.
Significance on the Pearl Harbor Attack
Huge victory for Japan and allowed them to expand their empire towards Australia
Provoked the USA to join WW2, Japan’s ally, Germany, also declared war on the USA
When did the Raid on Dieppe happen
August 1942
Who was involved in the Raid on Dieppe
Canada, Britain and some USA troops vs Germany
Why did the Allies want to raid Dieppe?
To gain intel and sabotage the German coastal defenses. They also wanted to take some prisoners and capture the German Enigma coding machine
What happened during the Raid on Dieppe
As the Allies crossed the English channel, they were discovered by a German force.
When they attacked on the beach, they were met with fierce German resistance. Many people were killed and their tanks could not get off the beach. They were forced to withdraw after suffering many casualties. No enigma was captured
How many casualties were there in the Raid on Dieppe
907 killed
2460 wounded
1946 captured
Significance on the Raid on Dieppe
Huge defeat for the allies, especially Canada
Big operation for Canadians but was very badly planed by the British and poorly executed
Major lessons were learned and used later for D-Day
When was the Battle of Ortona?
December 1943
Where did the Battle of Ortona take place
Ortona, Italy
What was Canada in charge of during the Battle of Ortona
Taking the deep water port of Ortona which also opened the road to Rome
What happened in the Battle of Ortona?
Canada faced tough German defenses and had to commit to house to house urban warfare to defeat the Germans. They were forced to blow holes in the walls between the townhouses(called “Mouseholding”)
How did the Battle of Ortona end
Canadians were able to defeat the German force and take the town
How many casualties were there in the Battle of Ortona for Canada
1374 killed and 964 wounded
Significance of the Battle of Ortona
Showed that Canada was an excellent fighting force
Huge victory for Canada but many casualties
When D-Day happen
June 6 1944
Who was involved in D-Day
USA, Britain and Canada vs Germany
What was D-Day?
The Allies’ invasion of the beaches of Normandy
What did the Allies do before D-Day
Sent paratroopers to drop behind enemy lines to disrupt German defenses
What happened in D-Day?
In the morning, battleships pounded the French coast with their guns
The Allies crossed the English channel and attacked the beaches using amphibious landing craft.
What did the Allies do to differentiate the beaches? D-Day
They were codenamed.
Britain attacked at Sword and Gold Beaches
USA attacked at Omaha and Utah beaches
Canada attacked at Juno beach
Which beaches had ferocious German defense? D-Day
Juno and Omaha
How did D-Day end?
Many casualties but the allies took all the beaaches
Significance of D-Day
Massive victory for the Allies
Germany was forced to fight on 3 fronts(Russia, Italy and France)
Signaled the beginning of the end for Germany in WW2
What 3 fronts were the Germans fighting?
Russia, Italy and France
When did the war in the Pacific start?
December of 1941
When did the Japanese spread their empire as far south as New Guinea
Middle of 1942
Where did the Japanese conquer?
Philippines, Indonesia, Malaya(Now part of Malaysia), Singapore and many small islands throughout the Pacific
What did the USA know about their fight in the Pacific about Japan. What was this style of fighting called?
They would have to conquer every single Japanese held piece of land because the Japanese army would never surrender. It was called Island hopping
When was the major turning point in the Pacific War?
June 1942
What was the major turning point in the Pacific War
The USA tricked the Japanese into a huge naval battle
Where did the major turning point in the Pacific war happen
Near the island of Midway
What happened in the major turning point in the Pacific War
The USA defeated the Japanese and sank many aircraft carriers and ships, severely limiting the Japanese navy from helping its ground forces
What were the USA able to do after the Midway battle?
Defeated the Japanese at Guadalcanal island in the Solomon islands
When did the USA assassinate the Japanese General Yamamoto?
1943
How did the US assassinate General Yamamoto
By shooting down his plane
Who did the US assassinate in the Pacific War
General Yamamoto
When did the USA reconquer the Philippines
1945
What happened with the Japanese soldier who kept fighting even after the war?
Hiroo Onada remained in the Philippine jingle until 1974. He surrendered to Ferdinand Marcos the Philippine president
What did the US do after conquering the Philippines?
Kept island hopping but sustained heavy casualties
What did the Japanese do to attack American ships?
“Kamikaze” missions were suicide missions where pilots would fly explosive filled planes into American ships. They inflicted damage but were a failure.
When did the US invade Japan
1945
Where did the Americans invade in Japan
the southernmost islands of Japan, Iwo Jima and Okinawa
What happened in the 2 battles to invade Japan?
High casualty rates because Japanese civilians fought the USA to the death too
What did the US do after seizing the islands close to Japan?
Relentless bombing where several cities were almost completely destroyed and thousands of Japanese people were killed
When did the US use the atomic bomb
August 1945
How long was the end of the war in Europe?
1944-1945
When were the Germans defeated and Mussolini removed from office in Italy?
April 1945
What did Mussolini try to do after being removed from office?
Tried to escape to Spain but captured by Italian partisans who executed him, his mistress and his ministers. Their bodies were publicly displayed which ended the Fascist presence in Italy
What happened to the Germans in Western Europe?
The Germans had been overrun in France and Paris had been liberated. The allies then pushed into the Netherlands
What did the Canadian army do to the Dutch?
They liberated the Dutch(Netherlands and Belgium) from the 5 year German oppression they had suffered. They also played a key role in the Scheldt campaign in the western Netherlands
What happened in the Scheldt campaign?
Canadians faced fierce resistance but were able to defeat the Germans taking the rest of Netherlands
When did the Battle of the Bulge happen
December 1944
What was the Battle of the Bulge
He gambled to defeat the allies by launching a surprise attack through the Ardennes Forest. It did really well at first and the American troops were defeated and taken prisoner. But they managed to reorganize themselves and fought a fierce and bloody counterattack. The Americans overwhelmed the Germans and won the winter battle.
When was Germany on their last legs?
Spring 1945
Why were the Germans on their last legs
Russians were attacking in the East
British, Canadian and Americans in the west
Who took Berlin first? Why?
Russians surrounded Berlin first because they wanted to be the first to capture the city and Hitler.
What did Hitler do while Berlin was being taken?
He stayed in his fortified bunker deep below Berlin and ordered Germany to fight to the last man
What did Hitler do at the end because of the hopeless situation
He committed suicide with his mistress and several other high ranking Nazis
What is VE day? When is it?
May 8th 1945
Victory in Europe day
What did the Allies do with Germany?
Divided it into 4 different occupation zones called the Yalta agreement
Britain in the northwest
America in the south
France in the southwest
Russia in the northeast
A wall eventually divided the city between the communist and democratic zones
Where were high ranking Nazis in the German government and the armed forces put on trial?
Nuremberg where many were sentenced to death
What is Lebensraum?
Living space(Germany taking over land to be bigger)
What is anschluss
Germany and Austria uniting
What was Germany’s ground force
Wehrmacht
What was Germany’s navy?
Kriegsmarine
