WW2 Prewar Events Flashcards
When did the Second Italo-Ethiopian War begin and end?
October 1935 – May 1936
What was the result of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War?
Military occupation of Ethiopia and its annexation into Italian East Africa
What did the Second Italo-Ethiopian War expose about the League of Nations?
Its weakness as a force to preserve peace
Which countries supported imposing sanctions on Italy for the invasion of Ethiopia?
The United Kingdom and France
How did Italy respond to sanctions during the Italo-Ethiopian War?
Sanctions were not fully enforced, and Italy continued the invasion
Who led the Nationalist rebels in the Spanish Civil War?
General Francisco Franco
Which countries supported the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War?
Germany and Italy
Which country supported the Spanish Republic during the Civil War?
The Soviet Union
What was the significance of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War?
They were foreign volunteers who fought against the Nationalists
When did the Spanish Civil War end?
April 1939
What was Japan’s strategy in East Asia during the late 1930s?
To dominate the region, starting with the invasion of China
What incident led to Japan’s invasion of China in 1937?
Marco Polo Bridge incident
What was the outcome of the Battle of Shanghai in 1937?
Shanghai fell to the Japanese after three months of fighting
What atrocity occurred after the fall of Nanking in 1937?
Mass murder of tens or hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians and disarmed combatants
What was the first major victory for Nationalist Chinese forces in 1938?
The Battle of Taierzhuang
What tactic did Chinese forces use in June 1938 to stall the Japanese advance?
Flooding the Yellow River
What was the Soviet response to Japanese aggression in the late 1930s?
Signing a non-aggression pact with China
What was the outcome of the Soviet-Japanese border conflicts?
Japan was defeated at Khalkin Gol in 1939
When did Japan and the Soviet Union sign a Neutrality Pact?
April 1941
What was the focus of Japan’s doctrine of Nanshin-ron?
Expansion southward, leading to war with the United States and Western Allies
What did Germany annex in March 1938?
Austria
What was the Munich Agreement?
A pact that conceded the Sudetenland to Germany in exchange for a promise of no further territorial demands
What territories were ceded to Hungary and Poland after the Munich Agreement?
Additional parts of Czechoslovakia and the Trans-Olza region
What action did Germany take in March 1939?
Invasion of the remainder of Czechoslovakia
