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WW2 European Theatre Flashcards

1
Q

How does WW2 start in Europe?

A

Hitler invades Poland

Great Britain and France declare war on Germany

(Hitler is surprised by this)

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2
Q

Blitzkrieg definition

A

Lighting Warfare

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3
Q

Blitzkrieg Phases

A

Phase 1: Air assault

Phase 2: land attack

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4
Q

What is revolutionary about Hitler’s army tactics?

A

He places the tanks in front of the infantry

Uses radio to communicate

First to use paratroopers?

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5
Q

Wehrmacht

A

German army

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6
Q

Why did France fall so quickly to Germany?

A

Their tanks came behind their infantry

German tanks would just blow up all their men

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7
Q

Which General uses blitzkreig for the US?

A

Patton

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8
Q

Phony war

A

8 month period where nothing happened between Germany, Britain, and France

Britain is preparing on the homefront

1940

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9
Q

How did the Phony War end?

A

Hitler launched a full scale Blizkreig attack on Denmark, Norway, Holland, Beligium, and Luzembourg

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10
Q

What is Hitler doing during the Phony War?

A

Enforces Lebensraum and moves Jews to Ghettos

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11
Q

What happens right after the Phony War and Hitler’s first invasions?

A

Italy declares war on Great Britain and France

Italy invades Southern France

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12
Q

What did Mussolini warn Hitler about?

A

Said he wasn’t ready for a land attack yet, but Hitler was insistent

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13
Q

Magniot Line

A

Defensive line in France

Underground network with above ground bunkers

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14
Q

Magniot Line’s weakness

A

Able to go around it in the North

The North was also flat and ideal for attacking

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15
Q

How does Germany take advantage of Magniot line?

A

They sweep through Belgium into North France and headed towards the English Channel

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16
Q

Battle of Dunkirk

A

Entire British army of 338,000 trapped between the Germans and English Channel

British evacuations saved 300,000 men

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17
Q

Significant outcomes of Dunkirk

A

Blitzkreig is born

British lose a lot of supplies

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18
Q

How does the media spin Dunkirk?

A

Some believe that the British media intentionally made the story seem very brave and courageous in order to boast British morale

British morale was greatly boasted after Dunkirk

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19
Q

When do the Germans overtake Paris?

A

June, 1940

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20
Q

What government pops up in France?

A

Vichy

French Nazis

Able to have some autonomy

Gave French Indochina to Japanese

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21
Q

Leader of Vichy Government

A

Henri Petain

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22
Q

Charles de Gaulle

A

French

Head of the underground resistance

becomes President of France after the war

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23
Q

What did Churchill see Italy as?

A

The soft underbelly of europe

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24
Q

Why are the French not allies but treated as victors?

A

They were key in their own survival

The underground resistance

Helped us greatly in D-Day

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25
What is the United Nations at first?
Just a group of nations against the axis powers
26
What do a lot of the signatories on the United Nations provide?
Resources Naval Bases (A lot of south american countries)
27
What was the Allied strategy for the war?
Germany was the main target Germany was the most eminent threat
28
Military theatre
Geographic areas where military operations are performed
29
Campaign
Various military operations performed in order to achieve an overall goal
30
Battle
A fight between two militaries
31
Operation Barbosa and goals
Eastern Europe Germany wants to capture Moscow and defeat communism
32
Challenges of Operation Barbosa
Germans were not prepared for the harsh Russian weather
33
What was Stalin's tactics during Operation Barbosa?
Scorched Earth tactics All citizens must defend all of the Soviet union
34
How did the invasion into the Soviet Union contribute to the Holocaust>
Operation allowed the Einsatzgruppen to follow closely behind the German army and murder the Jews
35
German goal of Stalingrad
To occupy Southern Russia oilfields Protect German left flank
36
Type of fighting at Stalingrad
Street fighting Made it difficult for the Germans to use Blitzkreig
37
Outcomes of Stalingrad
USSR won Began the German retreat Boasted Soviet confidence
38
Characteristics of Stalingrad
Bloody fight because officers have a lot of pressure put on them by Stalin Civilians are trapped in the city
39
Significance of North Africa to Axis
Access to Suez Canal Oil fields in Middle East
40
Significance of North Africa to Allies
Back door into Europe
41
Why at the beginning of the war does Britain stand alone?
USSR in non-aggression pact USA does not want to get involved
42
Operation Sealion
Amphibious invasion of England
43
Defining characteristic of Battle of Britain
Primarily an Air battle
44
German goal of Battle of Britain
To bomb Britain so badly that he can perform a naval attack Needs to gain air superiority over the English channel
45
Luftwaffe
German airforce
46
Royal Air Force's defenses in Battle of Britain
Radar Attacked Luftwaffe before they reached mainland
47
Blitz
Concentrated bombing of London through summer and fall of 1940
48
Why did the Blitz take place?
Revenge for British bombing Berlin
49
Hitler's biggest mistake at Battle of Britian
Thought he could bomb England into submission Doesn't focus on bombing airbases
50
Significant outcomes of Battle of Britain
Unified the British Hitler changes his focus to Russia (Operation Sealion becomes Operation Barbosa) Hitler leaves buzz bombs (ballistic missiles) for English
51
What is the US doing during the Battle of Britain?
Isolation
52
Selective Training and Service Act
Required every man between 21 and 35 to register for the draft Pushed by FDR
53
Land Lease Act
Budgeted for ships, planes, tanks, and supplies to be sent to Britain and the Allies
54
Why did the Land Lease Act come about?
After Dunkirk British needed more supplies
55
Cash and Carry Policy
If a country is at war they need to pay cash and their ships have to carry the goods Saves the US from getting pulled into WW2 like they did WW1 buy selling equipment to countries at war
56
Why does the US get into the war?
We only declare war on Japan
57
Strategic
Military force translated into political and/or military objectives Conferences, goals Theatre
58
Operational
Coordinate the overarching goals of strategy with the specific details of tactics Operation sealion
59
Tactical
Implement operational goals using short term decisions Flanks, battle
60
How do the Allies prepare for Operation Overlord?
gain control of the Atlantic by the use of radar and sonar Constant stream of American troops and military supplies to England Gained air superiority
61
Breadth
Variety Hitler had too much breadth and not enough depth
62
Mistake of Hitler at D-Day
Micromanaged
63
What does Operation Overlord End With
The liberation of France
64
Battle of the Bulge
Germans launched their last major counter attack to split the Allies in half and drive them back to the English Channel
65
How did the Germans gain an upperhand at Battle of the Bulge
Allie were halted by a lack of supplies Troops divided and not concentrated
66
101st Airborne
Protected Bastogne during Battle of the Bulge Patton's 3rd Army came and "saved" them
67
Outcome of Battle of the Bulge
German failure allowed Allies to successfully push into Germany from the West Germany done. Only boys and old men can protect Berlin
68
Siegfried Line
Allies smashed through this German line at the end of the war Crossed the Rhine River and were in Germany
69
What drives Churchill and Roosevelt at the Yalta Conference
Churchill wants to keep Britain an empire, he was also concerned about Poland (free elections) Roosevelt is concerned with Pacific war and Iwo Jima
70
Who replaces Roosevelt?
Truman
71
Hitler's death
Committed suicide in the Fuhrerbunker Russians had the city surrounded
72
V-E Day
Victory Day in Europe Germany officially surrenders to the Allies May 8, 1945
73
Atlantic Conference
Sign the Atlantic Charter (foundation for the UN) Reaction to mistakes of Treaty of Versaille No territorial expansion Self-determination for all people Disarming of all aggressors
74
Who met at Atlantic conference
Roosevelt and Churchill
75
Who met at Casablanca Conference
Roosevelt and Churchill
76
Casablanca Conference
Accept nothing less than unconditional surrender of the Axis powers
77
Who met at Tehran conference
The Big Three
78
Tehran Conference
Leads to planning of Operation Overlord Soviets will enter the war with Japan
79
Who meets at Yalta Conference
Big Three
80
Yalta Conference
Germany divided into 4 military zones Creation of UN Soviets given territory (free elections) War crime trials to be held
81
Who met at Potsdam
Truman Clemet Attlee Stalin
82
Potsdam Conference
Unconditional surrender for Japan Stalin announces there will be no free election in Eastern Europe Trust between USA and USSR falling
83
Turning point of North Africa
El Alamein
84
What happens in North Africa
Italy invades to retake Mediterreanan Hitler sends Rommel in for reinforcements Rommel defeated by Montgomery 130,000 Axis troops taken prisoners
85
What happens to Mussolini after Italy Invasion
He is forced to resign
86
Why did the Allies begin invading Italy
Thought it would remove Italy from the war soft underbelly
87
Importance of Italian Campaign
Upset the balance in France Took Germans away from France
88
Patton in Operation Fortitude
In charge of a Phony army to trick the Germans into thinking that an attack was coming at the wrong place
89
Challenge during Battle of The Bulge
Foul weather and lack of supplies
90
Rommel
Afrika Corps Desert Fox Blitzkreig
91
Montgomery
British El Alamein is his big win
92
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Supreme Allied Commander Spearheaded invasion of Nazi europe
93
Omar Bradley
Concerned with the welfare of his men Well-liked GI General
94
Patton
Battle of the Bulge North Africa Old Blood and Guts Slapped a soldier leading to be in charge of a fake army

20th Century (14 decks)

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