Ww2 Flashcards
Where was Adolf Hitler born?
He was born in Austria, Braunau am inn,
1889
What award did hitler get from fighting in WW1?
The iron cross
Why did he hate Jews so much?
He said that they stole German’s food, jobs and houses (he was homeless at one point)
After WW1 what job did Hitler get?
V-man ( a spy who spied on political parties to see if they were dangerous).
How did Hitler find the Nazi party?
When spying on them ( they weren’t dangerous, they only had the equivalent to £4)
What was the Nazi party’s name before Hitler changed it? And when did he change it?
The German Workers’ party
1920
What did Hitler do after spying on the Nazi party?
He joined after a couple of months and began doing speeches and writing articles about the party’s beliefs.
Appeasement means…
to let them carry on
Why did PM Chamberlain appease Germany?
as he didn’t want to start a war
what is Blitzkrieg?
A military tactic used by the Germans to create psychological shock and disorganization in enemy forces
What did the Germans do when attacking?
- Paratroopers drop in behind enemy lines, ahead of the main forces ; the size bridges and key roads and cut telephone lines
- Air Force blow up airfields and comm centers
- Stuka (dive bombers) destroy enemy forces on the ground and blow up enemy strongholds, clearing the way for tanks and ground troops
- tanks, travelling at the speed of 48kph, smash through weak spots in enemy front lines. They are followed by soldiers on foot or in armored carriers
What happened in the battle of dunkirk?
1940 - Britain entered France to be immediately pushed back by the Nazis. The Brits were dying so they called on Operation Dynamo (evacuating troops with fishing boats, ships and warships). From May 26th to June 4th, 800 ships rescued around 200,000 and 140,000 French and Belgian troops.
When did the WW2 start and end?
1939 - 1945
What people did Hitler hate meaning he was….
Jews, Anti-semistic
How long was Hitler sentenced to prison for?
5 years
Who were the ‘storm troopers’?
People that Hitler had to beat up anyone who disagreed with him.
Whilst in prison, what book did he publish and what did he write about in it?
Mein kampf (German for ‘my struggle’)
It expressed how he would make Germany great again
When did Hitler become PM?
January 1933
How would the Nazis be able to invade Britain? and what did they do?
They would have to destroy Britain’s airforce first to then be able to transport their troops across the English channel. They began air raids on military bases in South England and fought the Germans in the skies over Kent during the summer of 1940 (The Battle of Britain).
Why did the USA declare war on Japan and its allies (Germany and Italy)?
Because, in the endof 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the US naval base in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii
Why did Japan attempt to knock out America’s Navy?
And did Japan become victorious?
To gain control of rich lands in the far east.
Yes, they won victory after victory against America.
What were the three major turning points of the war?
The Battle of Stalingrad, The Battle of Midway and El Alamein.
When and why did Italy surrender and who was captured and shot?
They surrendered by the end of 1943 as the British and American invasion of it was in full swing. Italy’s leader, Benito Mussolini, was captured and shot.
When and why did Germany surrender?
They surrendered by April 1945 as British and American forces were moving quickly towards the capital (Berlin) and were freeing villages, towns and countries from Germany’s occupation. They were also being beaten in battle after battle and were running short in food supplies.
Where and when did Hitler kill himself?
30th of April, in a underground bunker in a underground bunker under the streets of Berlin.
What and when was D-Day?
6th June 1944, British, American and other allied troops landed on beaches in Normandy, North- West France. After very brutal fighting on the beaches , they managed to push back the Germans gradually.
Why did the American president decide to drop 2 nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Revenge on the treatment of American soldiers and for the attack on Pearl Harbour, to save America lives, to stop a predicted 1.3 million deaths on American soldiers, to demonstrate American power and to warn the Russians off.
What was the Battle of Dunkirk?
It was when German troops finally invade France and pushed the allied troops back towards the channel trapping them at the coast.
What was operation Dynamo?
It was a huge rescue operation. The plan was to evacuate the troops using warships. However, this wasn’t enough so they requested the ordinary civilians to help the evacuation using their own boats.
Between May 26 and June 4, how many boats saved how many troops?
800+ boats saved around 200,000 British and 140,000 French and Belgian troops from the beaches of Dunkirk.
How would some people remember Dunkirk?
Either a Miracle or a embarrassing defeat.
Who were the few?
The few were the British and Polish pilots who won against the German Luftwaffle in the Battle of Britain
What was Operation Sealion and how would it have a chance of success?
It was the code name for the invasion of Britain (the aim was to get German soldiers on British soil by the end of August 1940).
They would’ve had to destroy Britain’s Airforce as it would’ve been far easier for German ships to transport soldiers across the English channel.
How was the British airforce disadvantaged?
Many of their pilots were part-timers and hadn’t received the same level of training as the German pilots.
The Germans had 824 fighter planes and 1017 bombers (Britain had only 600 to fend them off)
It took Germany 5mins to cross the channel from France and 15 mins for Britain to take off and reach the planes after they were spotted
How were the British airforce advantaged?
Their planes had radar, were faster, had more guns than the German planes and the British were making 550+ planes a month whereas the Germans were only making about 150 a month
How did Britain cover up the fact that they were using radar?
They were saying that they were eating carrots to help seeing in the dark.
What did Hitler decide to do after failing to defeat Britain’s airforce by mid-September?
He started night-time bombing raids to try to force Britain into surrender. (The Blitz)
What were the main British planes in the Battle of Britain?
Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane.
For 4 days in September, what happened?
The government took over transport. All of the buses and trains were moved to transport groups of people away from places most likely to be bombed. (Urban areas to rural areas)
Did the parents have to agree to evacuate their children?
No, it was voluntary but strongly encouraged by the government.
