WWII Unit Test Flashcards
GENERAL CAUSES FOR THE RISE OF DICTATORSHIPS IN THE 1920s AND 1930s
Dissatisfaction with terms of the Treaty of Versailles following World War I
Debt, economic depressions, and mass unemployment
Widespread unrest and instability
Soviet Union
(Russia) Overview
Josef
Stalin
Communist
Totalitarian
state+dictatorship
-Russian Revolution
-desire to quickly modernize industry and agriculture
Italy Overview
Benito
Mussolini
(Prime Minister)
King- limited power
Fascist
Totalitarian
state+dictatorship
-fighting due to economic and social problems
-desire to bring Italy back to its former glory (Roman Empire)
-belief in racial superiority
Germany Overview
Adolf
Hitler
Nazi
(National Socialist)
Totalitarian
state+dictatorship
-anger over Germany’s defeat in WWI and the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
-belief in racial superiority
-economic
depression
Japan Overview
Emperor
Hirohito+Prime Minister
Hideki Tojo
No recognized political party
Military
rule
-economic depression
-desire for more land and raw materials
-belief in racial superiority
USA Overview
Franklin Delano
Roosevelt
(FDR)
Democrat
Representative
democracy
No dictator
Totalitarian state:
a nation in which a single party controls the government and every aspect of people’s lives
What freedoms that we as Americans enjoy do citizens of totalitarian states NOT have?
Freedom of press, religion, assembly, right to a trial by jury, no cruel and unusual punishment, unwarranted searches and seizures, free elections.
Fascism:
a political system based on militarism, extreme nationalism, and blind loyalty to the state and its leader
Explain the Nazi’s idea of the “master race.”
The Nazis believed that Germans were racially superior to other people and it was their destiny to rule them. They especially believed in anti-Semitism, or hatred of Jews. Jews were used as a scapegoat for Germany’s defeat in World War I and all of the problems their country faced in the years afterward
Scapegoat:
someone on whom to blame problems. The Nazi’s blamed Jews for Germany’s loss in World War II in addition to Germany’s economic and political struggles following the war. Pre-existing anti-Semitism in Europe, in addition to anger and resentment about WWII, made this easier for Germans to accept.
What actions were taken against Jews in Germany in the 1930s?
Jews lost many rights under the Nazis. Laws were passed that prevented Jews from attending public school or from working in certain professions. Their homes were attacked and many were arrested and sent to labor camps.
Aggression:
a warlike act by one country against another without cause
Act of Aggression: Japan
Manchuria
1931
League of Nations protested but did nothing
China
1937
none
Act of Aggression: Italy
Ethiopia
1935
Weak response by League of Nations; other countries were suffering through depression
Act of Aggression: Germany
Rhineland
1936
none
Austria
1938
none
Sudetenland
1938
Munich Conference: Britain and France appease or give in to an aggressor in order to avoid war. Germany gets the Sudetenland and promises not to take any more territory.
Czechoslovakia
1939
none
Poland
1939
Britain and France declare war on Germany: WORLD WAR II BEGINS
Axis:
alliance between Germany, Italy and Japan
Neville Chamberlain:
Prime Minister of Great Britain; orchestrated the Munich Agreement with Hitler in 1938 in which Germany received the Sudetenland but had to forgo future territorial acquisition. This is an example of appeasement.
appeasement:
meeting the demands of a hostile power in order to avoid war
blitzkrieg:
German “lightning war” tactics that emphasize coordination of overwhelming force against an enemy
Which countries in Europe were conquered by Germany using this tactic (blitzkrieg)?
Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France.
Describe what is referred to by the “Battle of Britain.” What was the outcome?
Hitler launched an air attack of Great Britain including bombing major cities. Instead of it causing Britons to give up,
it increased their spirit and perseverance. The British people were inspired by their Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.
After months of bombing, Hitler gave up attacking Great Britain. He was never able to conquer the country.
What agreement did Hitler and Stalin come to in August of 1939? How did Hitler betray this agreement?
Hitler of Germany and Stalin of the Soviet Union agreed to not attack each other. They also agreed to take over Poland
and divide it up between the two of them. In 1941, Hitler violated this agreement, launched an invasion of the Soviet
Union and tried to take it over. He feared Stalin and wanted the Soviet Union’s natural resources. The Soviet Union
then began fighting on the side of the Allies.
Scrap Metal Drives:
people encouraged to donate unused metal for the war effort
Rationing-
certain foods & goods were scarce so they needed to be conserved, people used ration books to buy things like meat, wheat, gas
War Bonds -
people bought war bonds or made loans to the government where they would get paid back with interest, this helped the gov’t pay for the war
Victory Gardens -
people at home grew their own food in victory gardens to conserve food for soldiers
SIGNIFICANCE OF HOMEFRONT
INITIATIVES
People at home during the war were critical to the war effort because they saved food & metal. They also purchased bonds to help pay for the war and grew their own food. This is important because all citizens, even those not fighting in the war, were needed to achieve victory in WWII.
Women at home:
Women took on many different jobs and roles to help fill the place of men who were fighting, women in workforce increased by 10%
Rosie the Riveter -
symbol of women in the workforce
Women at war:
Hundreds of women volunteered in the military (Women Army Corp , Navy Reserve etc.)