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US History > WWII Test > Flashcards

WWII Test Flashcards

1
Q

Who was excluded from the League of Nations?

A

United States, Soviet Union, and Germany

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2
Q

What were the 2 causes of WWII?

A
  1. Failure of Collective Security

2. Collapse of the World Economy

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3
Q

When did Hitler become Chancellor of Germany?

A

January 1933

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4
Q

What was the Rhineland and how many years after Hitler took power did he send troops into the zone?

A

Rhineland= de-militarized part of Germany according to Treaty of Versailles
Hitler sent troops in 1936, three years after he became Chancellor

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5
Q

The Treaty of Versailles banned _______ from uniting with _________; Hitler violated this 2 years after marching into the Rhineland in _____

A

Germany; Austria; 1938

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6
Q

Hitler invaded Sudetenland, a part of _________, the same year he invaded the Rhineland in _____.

A

Czechoslovakia; 1938

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7
Q

Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia the year after he invaded the ___________

A

Sudetenland

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8
Q

Who was at the Munich Conference?

A

Nazi Germany, UK (Chamberlain), Italy, France

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9
Q

What were the Allies accused of doing at the Munich Conference?

A

Appeasing Hitler

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10
Q

What did Hitler and Stalin sign in 1939? What was it? What did Russia get?

A

Non-aggression pact; neither would attack the other in event of war; Russia got part of Poland, which Hitler planned to attack soon

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11
Q

Hitler (liked/hated) communism

A

hated

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12
Q

Why did Hitler dislike communism?

A
  1. Communism preached “workers of the world unite;” Hitler believed struggle of the races, not the classes, was essential; Communism on extreme left and fascism on extreme right
  2. USSR were other military titans that could take over Europe
  3. Hitler was paranoid that communists and Jews were responsible for Germany’s problems after WWI
  4. German Communist Party was a threat to the Nazi Party
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13
Q

Why is communism is opposed to nationalism?

A

It is based on the idea that class divisions (e.g. workers versus capitalists) are the most important factor in history and politics. Communists believed that workers of all lands should unite - ignoring their national differences. (“Workers of the world unite!”)

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14
Q

Hitler’s thoughts on communism

A 
In contrast Hitler was a proud nationalist and a racist. He believed that the struggle between different races, not the struggle between different classes, was fundamental.
 Therefore, he would naturally be opposed to the Communist idea that class divisions were more important than national and racial
divisions. He believed that Germans of all classes should unite as one race and nation
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15
Q

Why was the non-aggression pact strategically beneficial for Germany?

A

Germany could invade Poland without fear of Russian intervention

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16
Q

When did Germany invade Poland?

A

1939

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17
Q

What 2 nations did Hitler attack in 1940?

A

France and the Netherlands

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18
Q

When did France surrender to the Germans? Who was last remaining Ally in western Europe?

A

Same year Hitler attacked; 1940; Britain

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19
Q

After _____ surrendered, German air force (______) launched repeated bombing raids on British towns and cities; known as _______

A

France; Luftwaffe; Blitz

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20
Q

Hitler ordered change of tactics; stop bombing _____, start attacking _______; Hitler betrayed ________; known as Operation _________

A

Britain; Russia; Stalin; Barbarossa

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21
Q

Who met at Yalta in 1945?

A

Big Three; Churchill, Stalin, and FDR

22
Q

What was agreed at Yalta?

A

o Military support= Russia agreed to enter war against Japan 90 days after German surrender
o Division of Germany= 4 zones (British, French, US, and Soviet); Berlin located in Soviet area, so it would also be divided into 4 zones; France’s had to be formed out of US’s and Britain’s
o Eastern Europe= Stalin promised free elections in Poland and other eastern European countries; ended up disregarding that and tightening control
o International Organizations= setting up United Nations; Russia was invited and agreed to join; veto power given to Big 5 (US, France, Russia, Britain, China); international war tribunal to try Nazis of their crimes; by Stalin’s request, a council would be established to look into reparations

23
Q

Who went to Potsdam?

A

Britain (Attlee); US (Truman); Russia (Stalin)

24
Q

What was agreed at Potsdam?

A

o German= official control of Germany given to Allies; de-nazification and de-militarization; German reparations outlined
o International organization= legal trials at Nuremburg for Nazi leaders for war crimes
o Japan= declaration issued telling Japan to surrender to face “prompt and utter destruction”

25
Q

UN and Security Council

A

United Nations: charter gave responsibility for global peace to Security Council, which sets agenda, presides at General Assembly meetings, oversees crisis, and has veto power; located in NYC; Ban Ki-Moon current Secretary General

26
Q

What disagreements ensued at Potsdam?

A

o Stalin’s armies= they were occupying most of central and eastern Europe; expelled 3rd Reich armies, but never withdrew own troops; effectively controlled Baltic States, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania; ppl there were fleeing
o Stalin and Europe (cont.)= Stalin set up communist gov’t in Poland against wishes of Polish ppl; Britain and USA protested, but Stalin said it was a defensive measure against future attack and it was a reward for victorious war
o USA had new POTUS= Truman very anti-communist and wary of Stalin; saw Soviet actions as preparations for Soviet takeover in all of Europe
o USA tested A-Bomb= tested in New Mexico desert; Churchill and Truman agreed weapon should be used; didn’t tell Stalin until later; Potsdam Declaration broadcast to all of Japan day after they told Stalin; it threatened total destruction unless Japanese gov’t surrendered

27
Q

Three courses of actions after war in Europe ended but Pacific War continued

A

a) massive invasion of Japanese islands (a frightening prospect–the Japanese were
fighting hard in the Pacific; imagine how hard they’d fight in their homeland)
*estimated cost of invasion: over 1 million American lives could be lost
b) a naval blockade or continued bombing
c) a demonstration on a deserted island to show the Japanese the awesome power of
the A-bomb

28
Q

Manhattan Project was also known as ________

A

Advisory Committee on

Uranium

29
Q

Who spearheaded Manhattan Project?

A

J. Robert Oppenheimer

30
Q

Why did the Interim Committee not choose any alternatives?

A
  1. They did not want to endear more casualties
  2. They did not want the war to drag on still longer
  3. They did not want to suffer the embarrassment of a failed demonstration
    (Was there also a sense of revenge in America’s mind after Pearl Harbor?)
31
Q

Truman’s decision came down to what two main reasons?

A
  1. invading Japan would result in high casualty figures
  2. the bitterness Americans felt toward the Japanese: “You should do your weeping at
    Pearl Harbor,” said Truman in 1963, “where thousands of American boys are
    underneath the waves caused by a Japanese sneak attack.”
32
Q

This bomb (________) was dropped first on ___________

A

“Little Boy”; Hiroshima

33
Q

This bomb (________) was dropped second on ___________

A

“Fat Man”; Nagasaki

34
Q

How many days later was Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki?

A

3

35
Q

What are the three main elements of fascism? Describe them.

A
  1. Nationalism- nat’l identity; rejects foreign influence
  2. Militarism- a policy which maintains huge standing armies for purposes of aggression
  3. Totalitarianism- the state, usually under the power of 1 person/faction/class, has no limits to its authority and regulates every aspect of public and private life
36
Q

Who led Japan reconstruction efforts?

A

United States

37
Q

Who was placed in charged of Japan’s reconstruction efforts?

A

General Douglas A. MacArthur

38
Q

Japan invaded ________ in 1935, which is a _________

A

Manchuria; region in northern China rich in minerals

39
Q

Congress passed the ____________ in 1935 to keep the US out of European wars

A

Neutrality Acts

40
Q

Mussolini invades ________ in 1935

A

Ethiopia

41
Q

In 1936, ________ and _______ form an ________, becoming the Axis Powers

A

Hitler; Mussolini; alliance

42
Q

German invasion of ________ sets of WWII in the year ________

A

Poland; 1939

43
Q

In 1940, Japan signs an alliance with Germany and Italy, known as the ____________

A

Tri-Partite Pact

44
Q

The __________ ___ _______ was _________, and was first major German failure

A

Battle of Britain; series of air battles between Great Britain and Germany

45
Q

In 1941, the ______ ______ allowed temporarily givving equipment to nations whose defense FDR considered vital to the US

A

Lend-Lease Act

46
Q

In 1941, Japan invades southern __________, which was ruled by _______

A

Indochina; France

47
Q

In 1941, Churchill and FDR issue _________ ________. Describe it.

A

Atlantic Charter; described free and democratic post-war world; self-determination for all nations so ppl could choose their type of gov’t

48
Q

The Pearl Harbor attacks took place on __________

A

December 7th, 1941

49
Q

In 1944, Germans launch a successful counterattack called ___________, which took place in ______ and _______

A

Battle of the Bulge; Belgium and Luxembourg; caused temporary bulge in Allied line of defense

50
Q

What efforts were made to assist the Japanese people?

A

New constitution; emperor becomes figurehead; Parliament gets stronger; most serious problem was the shortage of raw materials required to feed Japanese industries and markets for finished goods. After the UN entered the Korean War, Japan became the principal supply depot for UN forces

51
Q

What happened to Emperor Hirohito during the occupation?

A

He was not persecuted for war crimes

US History (3 decks)

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