WWII Test Review - History Flashcards
Mein Kampf
During Hitlers 9 Months in Prison he wrote a book called Mein Kampf about his plan to conquer countries for German Lebensraum (Living Space)
Hitler’s Rise to Power
He joined the German Workers Party, which he renamed Nazi Party when he became Chairman. He created his army called the SA Brown Shirts, which adopts the Swastika and went through many elections in the Reichstag until the Enabling Act was passed after Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany, leading to him gaining dictatorial power
Night of the Long Knives
Hitler purges his party murdering anyone seen as a threat, including President Hindenburg, making Hitler Fuhrer
The Reichs
First Reich - Holy Roman Empire (included Germany and Italy)
Second Reich - German Empire of WWII
Third Reich - The empire Hitler envisioned creating during his rule. He said it would last thousands of years
Hitler Youth
After school program which became mandatory when attendance dwindled which taught German children intellectually, physically and morally about German/Nazi National Socialism
Girls were prepared for Motherhood
Boys for Military
Treatment of Jews Prior to the War
Hitler believed in the “purity” of the “Aryan Race” (Northern Europe), so he banned all art, music and performances influenced by Jewish people and then altered textbooks to portray them as evil.
The Nuremberg Laws
attend a university
teach in any school or university
marry a person who was not of Jewish faith
hold a government job (civil service)
be the author of a book
be a lawyer or a doctor
vote or hold public office
Policy of Appeasement
The allied leaders were hoping that if they just gave Hitler what he wanted he would be satisfied and they could avoid war
Policy of Appeasement (Austria)
Hitler wanted Austria to be a part of Germany as they were mostly German speaking. Austria’s Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg disagreed and held an election which was disrupted by the Austrian Nazis who said that 99.73% of Austrians agreed with Germany
This all denied the Treaty of Versailles but no one did anything
Policy of Appeasement (Czechoslovakia)
Hitler now wanted Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, so he met with the British and French governments, who gave him Czechoslovakia. Hitler staged violent attacks using his own army to make it seem that Czechs were victums of violence and oppresion. Czechs felt betrayed by their allies but were helpless and Hitler soon conquered all of Czechoslovakia making The Allies realize appeasement doesn’t work as Winston Churchill Stated
The Start of WWII
After Czechoslovakia, Hitler made an agreement with the Soviet Union for no aggression so that he could invade Poland without resistance. Britain and France agreed to support Poland however Germany staged fake attacks which showed Poland Invading Germany giving him reason to “Fight Back” He used the Blitzkrieg to defeat Poland and conquer it’s territory
What is the Blitzkrieg
based on speed, coordination and movement meant to hit hard and cause panic/havoc among civilians creating doubt, confusion, distress and paralyzing the government and military forces. Once the target was selected Stuka Dive Bombers came to destroy all rail lines, communication centres, and major rail links to weaken enemies then planes would retreat at the last minute allowing tanks and infantry to come in giving no time for the enemy to recover
Phony War
Seeing the Attack on Poland France and Britain declared war on Germany but they were ill-prepared and couldn’t fight. During this time many countries declared war on Germany but only Germany was fighting and invading Denmark, Norway, Netherlands and Belgium. Time of preparation before the bloodbath to come
The Fall of France
German Senior Officers were planning an invasion of Northern France called the Manstein Plan after one of the officers. It involved using the Blitzkrieg tactic. They avoided the border of Germany and France (Maginot Line) by going through Southern Belgium. They then went over the Ardennes, which France thought would be impossible to get over in tanks, forcing the French Government to surrender Paris. This ended the Phony War
The Miracle at Dunkirk
As the British Navy rushed across the English Channel to help defend France, many became trapped and were forced to retreat to the seaport town of Dunkirk. Britain had few ships to spare, so English fishers, weekend sailors, and ferry captains took their boats across the channel in what was called Operation Dynamo to rescue the British and French troops. They saved 338,226 people, 10 times the expected number
What is Operation Sea Lion
Hitlers Plan for Invading Britain but he needed to control the skies before he could invade so he set out to destroy the Royal Air Force (RAF), Radar Stations, Air Fields, Ports and Factories
The Battle of Britain
Hitler wanted to control the skies over the English Channel, so he sent the Luftwaffe (2500 planes) to battle with the RAF (1200 planes). Despite the large difference in planes, Britain had excellent radars to track Luftwaffe planes before they could bomb a location, and they had the Spitfire, which was the best Interceptor fighter in the world, along with the limits on the flying range of German Planes. However, Germans had lost more than 600 aircraft and the RAF only 260, but the RAF was rapidly losing badly needed fighters and experienced pilots, and its effectiveness was further hampered by the bombing damage done to its radar stations.
Canadian Contribution in the Battle of Britain
Canada was sending Pilots, Radar Personnel, Replacement aircraft, and other supplies. Over 100 flew in the Battle of Britain 200 more in bombing raids and more on ground crew
What were Hitler’s mistakes in the Battle of Britain
When Britain bombed Berlin, which was promised never to be bombed, Hitler became angry and bombed large cities in Britain for 57 days, hoping to weaken resistance 43 000 were killed, and it was called the War of Terror, but all it did was strengthen their resistance and give them time to recover/repair the RAF. German planes almost blackened the sky by the last day, but the RAF was ready and beat the German Air Force, pausing Operation Sea Lion and the Invasion of Britain.
The Battle of The Atlantic
Britain needed Canadian supplies, which were transported across the Atlantic they formed convoys which would be guarded by Canadian ships halfway there and then switched with British ships this was to protect them from German U-boats, which travelled in packs of 10 called Wolf Packs. Germany sank 142 Allied ships but by the end of the battle, the Allies were winning as they had improved their crew/sailors along with U-boat detection technologies
Why was the battle of the Atlantic Important
It was the battle between Germany and the Allies for the Atlantic Ocean. If Germany had won, soldiers and supplies would not be able to get from Canada to Britain, which would have most likely led to a loss for Britain and Germany winning the war.
What is Operation Barbossa
Called for three separate army groups assigned to capture specific regions and cities of the Soviet Union
- Army Group North
(Baltics, Northern Russia, Leningrad)
- Army Group Centre
(Smolensk, Moscow, Belarus and Regions of Russia Proper)
- Army Group South
(Ukraine, Kyiv, Steppes, Volga, Caucasus)
By day 17 they had captured all but Moscow but Moscow was destined to fall
Why did Hitler do Operation Barbossa
Hitler wanted to Invade the Soviet Union for the U.S.S.R’s rich natural resources (oil) and did so despite the non-aggression pact
What happened at Pearl Harbour
The US and Japan were trying to sign a peace treaty but Japan was planning a surprise attack Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto planned a surprise attack using fighter planes launched from Japanese aircraft carriers, Japan had not declared war but on Dec 7. 1941 the attack began and within 2 hours the US fleet was destroyed and 1000s were killed
Hundreds of Japanese bombers & fighters attacked the naval base Pearl Harbor. The results were 2,400 Americans dead, nearly 200 aircraft destroyed, and all but 8 battleships were sunk/damaged
The 3 Neutrality Acts of America
1935: prohibited export of “arms, ammunition, & implements of war” to foreign, warring nations
1937: warring nations could get any item except arms
1939: lifted arms embargo, putting all trade with warring nations under terms of “cash & carry” any item could be sold as long as it was immediately paid for
What was the Lend-Lease Policy
They would supply a country with the needed supplies to fight germany but they would not have to pay them back immediately; indirectly helping the Allies → they signed this contract with 30+ countries worth over $50 billion
Why did the US enter the war
After Pearl Harbour, the US declared war on Japan (Dec 8), then 3 days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the states (Dec 11)
Why did Japan Attack the US
They wanted the west colonies natural resources and knew that the US would declare war if they kept invading European colonies
Motivation for Battle of Dieppe
Germany and Italy occupied most of Europe, and Japan attacked American/British Positions in the Pacific and captured the Philippines, Malaya, Singapore, and Sumatra, leaving almost the full weight of the German attack on the Soviets. The Soviets needed relief, so they asked Britain to open a second front.
-> Americans and Canadians were eager for a fight however neither were ready but they did it anyway
What went wrong with the Battle of Dieppe
The way to win was the element of surprise, but the Germans had spotted their enemy ships earlier during the night and were ready with a fortified beach -> the vessel was blown before reaching the beach, and only a few men made it to the town. (The element of surprise was gone)
At the end of the day, 900 were dead, and 2000 had been taken prisoner
What was the governments warplan
- The defence and security of Canada
- the production of food supplies for Britain
- the production of weapons and ammunition for Allied forces
- the training of Allied pilots - development of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)
- development of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)
- development of the Canadian Army
- Wdevelopment of the Merchant Marine to transport troops and war materials.
Wartime Price and Trade Board
there could only be a 10% cost plus to prevent profiteering → He still spent $65 million/week on war supplies so he used Victory Bonds for funding
Rationing
Canadians received a ration book for sugar, butter, meat, tea or
coffee. When they ran out, they could no longer get those items unless off the black market, but that had intense fines. Canadians could only fill up gas once a month. Any excess cheese or butter was sent to Britain and 5-cent nickel coins became zinc since nickel was needed for tank armour coats and steel from washing machines was used for bombers
Children’s War Effort
Children collected paper, metal, rags, rubber and bones; they saved string and foil from cigarette and candy wrappers, and contests were held to see who could make the biggest ball of aluminum foil → All of these items could be recycled into war materials.
They knitted scarves and socks for soldiers, wrote letters to lonely prisoners and planted victory gardens in school baseball diamonds to produce food for the war.
Teenagers were let out of school early to help with the harvest.
Volunteers and the Spirit of Unity
Canadians volunteered to be air raid wardens. They patrolled the coasts to guard against an invasion that never came.
They studied aircraft to serve as “spotters” in a bombing raid. They build public air raid shelters
Wealthy Canadians worked for the government for a dollar a year, The war drew Canadians together in a spirit of unity.
Censorship
Everyone was worried that sensitive information might end up in the enemies hands → nothing was communicated without being approved by the censorship boards
Propaganda
They needed the people’s support to win the war so they convinced people that the war was necessary using persuasion (not the truth) and played with emotions through propaganda
Conscription
Mackenzie King did not want conscription so he went with “home defence” but they were jeered at by those who believed they should fight overseas. In two elections he promised no overseas conscriptions however he asked to be released of this promise in case of emergency and 65% of Canadians agreed. In 1944 16 000 men were conscripted post-D-Day to finish the war and only 2 500 fought before the war ended
Women’s Contribution to The War
Women worked in factories outnumbering men making tanks, planes, ships, and munitions, they sent packages to prisoners of war, visited injured soldiers, and made dressings for injuries would save food/paper scraps for recycling. By 1941 they were permitted to enlist in non-combat roles however some women found themselves faced with combat, 45 000 women enlisted and 244 women won medals for bravery. They lost their rights after the war and didn’t regain them until the 1960s - 1970s
Canadians in Hong Kong
Post Pearl Harbour, Japan attacked Hong Kong (a British colony), fulfilling their plan called HanaSaku - Flowers in Bloom. Every Canadian troop stationed there were killed or taken prisoner, as 30% of them had never even fired a gun, and the Japanese troops were well-equipped and experienced. Canadians were outnumbered 10 to 1, and Hong Kong surrendered in 17 days. 286 died, and 266 died in the camps. There were 50 000 Japanese soldiers and only 14 000 British and Canadian Soldiers
Canadian Prisoners of Japan
They were brutalized and starved living in small crowded barracks. They were used as slave labour to build landing strips and shipyards. They were fed a single serving of rice 3 times a day many fell ill from malnutrition, exhaustion, pneumonia or cholera. Red Cross sent medicine but it was stolen and sold on the black market. Death rates were 6 times higher in these camps than in German Camps
D-Day
5 years into the war they launched their attack called “operation overload” where British, American and Canadian troops would stream across the English Channel to storm the beach of France Normandy. In the days leading up they bombed the beaches and convinced the Germans they were invading Pas de Calais 50km away where they placed a “phantom army” of inflatables so to German planes it looked real. Germany thought the invasion of Normandy was a diversion by the time they realized it wasn’t they were already fighting their way across Northern France. It was a major success.
PS. They put US General Patton (the best General) in charge of the phantom army to make it more convincing
The Invasion on D-Day
June 6, 1944
They had paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines to secure roads and bridges
Then 2000 bombers pounded German Defenses to prepare for the allies to storm the beaches of Normandy
American troops landed on Omaha and Utah beach
British at Gold and Sword Beach
Canada at Juno Beach (15 000+ men)
Where did Canada attack on D-Day
They attacked Juno Beach where they were met with intense German defenses but they managed to continue advancing capturing many towns until reaching the inland creating a stronghold for the allies. They were the only troop to complete their goal on the first day
The Beginning of The End
By the end of the first week, over
300 000 Allied soldiers had landed safely on the beaches of Normandy. With the battle now raging on three fronts, east, west and south, the Germans retreated. Yet they would continue to put up fierce resistance for another year before the Allies could claim victory.
The Battle of Scheldt
Despite Belgium’s liberation in September, Antwerp was a key supply point on the Scheldt River inland on the coast, and Germany still controlled the mouth of the river. The First Canadian Army was given the difficult task of clearing them out.
The battle involved bitter fighting that finally ended in a Canadian victory in late November 1944. This victory cleared the way for the final Allied advance into Germany
The Liberation of The Netherlands
On February 8, 1945, 175,000 Canadians, the largest Canadian assault force in history, joined the Rhine offensive. The Canadian forces successfully drove the Germans out of the Netherlands and chased them into northern Germany. As they liberated the Dutch towns, the Canadians discovered people on the verge of starvation. As Canadian forces freed the Netherlands and marched into Northern Germany, the other Allies converged on Berlin
The End of The War in Europe
Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945, as Soviet Forces entered the city. Things moved quickly over the next few days. On May 5, a ceasefire was declared. On May 7, the German forces surrendered unconditionally, Allied leaders declared May 8 VE Day, Victory in Europe Day. The War in Europe was over
End of the War in The Pacific
(1945) The war had been long and cost the lives of many Americans. The US had claimed back most of the territory taken by the Japan Troops but they didn’t want to invade because Japan wouldn’t surrender and it could lead to more deaths. Albert Einstein told them about the Germans developing the Nuclear Bomb and so they created one themselves. They then threatened Japan with one upon no response they dropped “Little Boy” on Hiroshima. They again demanded a surrender; no reply. A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Then Japan surrendered
Why did The States use the Atomic Bomb
1) To force a surrender
2) The Soviet Union looked like they may take Japan with the plan of conquering it. America wanted to liberate and occupy Japan before this could happen and then allow them to return to being their own country
3) They wanted to save costs
4) stop destroying Japanese cities as they were dropping bombs every day
Where was the second Atomic Bomb supposed to be dropped and why not?
KoKura but it was too cloudy limiting their visibility of the target
