WWII Test Flashcards
What are the factors leading up to WWII?
- Treaty of Versailles
- Great Depression
- Isolationism
- Totalitarians
- Militarism
How did Stalin rule?
He ruled with an iron fist
What is the Purges?
It is when Stalin removes enemies and undesirable individuals from power through execution of imprisonment
What is Fascism?
The system of government for Italy
Who did Italy invade in 1935?
Ethiopia
What happened to Ethiopia?
Italy invaded this African country in 1935
What does Mussolini want control of?
The Mediterranean
Who is Adolf Hitler?
He was the dictator of Germany. He wanted to be a painter and fought in WWI
What is Hitler upset about after WWI?
- They stripped Germany of colonies & land
- Huge debt/ they had to pay for the war
- Germany had to take the blame for the war
What party was brought up in 1919 that Hitler joined?
Nazi Party
What is Mein Kampf?
Hitler’s book that translates to “My Struggle”
What does Hitler talk about in his book?
- How he will come to power legally
- Wants war to the east
- The Holocaust
How does Hitler come to power?
Hitler runs for president, but he gets 2nd and becomes the Chancellor/2nd in Command. When the president dies, he becomes president. There was a fire and Hitler asks for complete control to find who did it and Reichstag gave it to him.
What does Der Fuhrer translate to?
The leader
What is the Third Reich?
The German period of success
What does Hitler do to pull Germany out of the Depression?
He puts people to work with autobahns, government buildings, and rearming
What is the buffer territory between France & Germany that Hitler militarized in Czechoslovakia?
The Rhineland
What does Lebensraum translate to?
Living space
How did Austria & Germany unite?
Austria had an election and 97% voted in favor of it because they saw how quick Germany pulled themselves out of the Great Depression.
How did Hitler break the Annexation of Sudetenland?
Germany invaded the no violent zone because they needed more living space
What happened at the Munich Conference?
They tried to appease Hitler by giving him Sudetonland
What did Neville Chamberlain say after the Munich Conference?
There is peace in our time
What is the pact between Germany and the Soviet Union?
The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
Who is apart of the Axis powers?
Germany, Italy, and Japan
Who is apart of the Allies powers?
United States, British, Soviet Union, and China
How was Poland invaded?
The Soviets attached from the north and Germany attacked from the south
What is Blitzkrieg?
Lightning warfare
What is lightning warfare?
Blitzkrieg
What is the Phony War?
The six month period where no fighting occurred between France, Great Britain & Germany
How did Germany trick France & Great Britain?
Germany fainted to the North and came through the Ardens Forest. While the fight in the north pushed the French back to Dunkirk, the forces that went through the Ardens Forest cut them off from the other side. Which caused the French to be trapped in Dunkirk
What is the Miracle at Dunkirk?
It is where 340,000 of British and French forces slip across the English Channel to fight another day
How was the Battle for Britain fought and who won?
The entire battle was fought in the sky, British won
What was Germany’s initial objective in the Battle for Britain?
They needed air supremacy
What is the Blitz?
The period of terror bombing
Who is Winston Churchill?
The Prime Minister of Great Britain
Why was democracy removed in Japan?
Many blamed the democratic government for the Great Depression that caused high unemployment, strikes,etc.
What is the Manchurian Incident?
A Japanese owned rail line leading from Korea into Manchurian was attacked. The Japanese used it as justification to take Manchurian. Evidence shows that Japan was behind the attack
What happened when the Japanese invaded China?
The Chinese fought hard, but the Japanese had superior fire power
What is the event where the Japanese brutally killed over 300,000 Chinese civilians?
The Rape of NanJing
While Europe is distracted by war, what does Japan do to European colonies?
Japan seizes European colonies
Why is it important for Japan to have control of the European colonies?
Japan wants resorces
What is the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere?
Liberate Asia of European colonizers
Why does the U.S. remain isolated?
The U.S. remain isolated to focus on the Great Depression. Nothing less than an attack will bring the U.S. into the war
Who are the presidents of the U.S. during the war?
FDR, and Truman
What are the Neutrality Acts?
It is a way for the U.S. to remain neutral. No loans & weapons
What is Cash & Carry?
Any side can get weapons from the U.S. they just need to pay cash and carry them out on their own. They replaced the Neutrality Acts
What is the Lend-Lease Act?
The Britains are almost broke, so the U.S. came up with the Lend-Lease Acts. We lend them the weapons and they pay us back later. “Lend you neighbor a hose if his house is on fire.”
What was the Japanese’s plan at Pearl Harbor?
They intend to cripple the U.S. Navy. While the U.S. rebuilds, Japan would expand. This would deter America from fighting a long bloody battle