Yet another world war...(World War II) Flashcards
What was the Weimer Republic?
Republic that faced difficulties in a country with no democratic traditions, an economic depression, opposition in extreme parties and a subversion of democracy
What did the Enabling Acts do?
Gave Hitler dictatorial power in Germany (1934) (Helpful hint: think of what the word enabling means!)
What did Mussolini believe?
Labor contracts should be allowed only if the state believed they were in the nation’s best interest.
Who was the leader of the red army?
Trotsky.
Who did Trotsky have more in common with, Lenin or Stalin?
Lenin
What idea from Mein Kampf called for Germany to conquer lands in Eastern Europe to expand Germany’s empire?
lebensraum (living space)
What did Petain do?
He led the conservative-authoritarian government in Vichy France during WWII.
What was the name of wealthy Russian peasants who were hurt by Stalin’s policies?
kulaks
What invention was used by the government to spread propaganda and manipulate mass politics?
radio
What strategy contributed to Germany’s success in military from 1939-1940?
blitzkreig
What leader received help from Germany and Italy in his war against the spanish government?
Francisco Franco
Stalin improved relations between what 2 countries in the late 1930s?
France and Britain
Who improved relations between France and Britain and why?
Stalin; because of their desires for new markets, fear of fascism, and rise of popular front governments.
What was the Munich Conference?
A 1938 conference that represented appeasement, said the Versailles Treaty was unjust, and gave Sudetenland to Germany.
What land was given to Germany after the Munich Conference?
Sudetenland
What was the non-aggression pact?
An agreement that made way for Germany’s invasion of Poland and division of that country with USSR.
What was the full name of the nazis?
National Socialist German Workers
Picasso painted a town being bombed in what war?
Spanish Civil War
What philosophy did Marxist Leninnism/Bolshevism claim?
That a communist society must first be controlled by a group of professional elites.
What were purges/show trials?
Events staged by Stalin in the 1930s to rid his government from old bolsheviks.
What were the czecha?
Secret police that Lenin used to oppress opponents.
What was the Kristallnacht?
a government sponsored outbreak of violence towards Jews in Germany.
Who appointed Hitler as chancellor of Germany before the enabling act?
President Von Hindenburg
What famous words did Chamberlain declare?
“We have peace in our time.”
Who invaded Poland in 1939?
Germany and the USSR.
What was the phoney war?
Called a “sitting war” because both sides prepared for war with no real fighting.
What two countries are attacked when Hitler invades Western Europe in April of 1940?
Holland and Belgium.
What event caused Britain and France to declare war on Germany?
The Invasion of Poland.
After Hitler attacked his country, what leader became one of the “Big Three” Allied leaders?
Stalin
What is D-Day?
Largest Allied attack during WWII and the greatest NAVAL attack in history. It marked the beginning of the end for German occupation of France and Europe.
Who made the decision to use the atomic bomb against the Japanese?
Harry Truman
After the fall of France in 1940, who’s nation was left to fight against the Germans?
Winston Churchill
Who said “This is Britain’s finest hour”?
Churchill
What was the name of the secret nazi police that arrested jews and sent them to concentration camps?
Gestapo
What event led to the US entering the war?
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
What battle was the turning point of the war in the Pacific?
Battle of Midway.
What battle was the turning point of the war for Soviet forces against the invading Germans?
Battle of Stalingrad.
What city did Jews die in as they rose up in rebellion against the nazis?
Warsaw
What is fascism?
Form of government in which individual freedoms are denied and complete power is given to the government.
What countries made up the AXIS powers?
Japan, Italy, Germany. (Think of: JIG)
What countries made up the ALLIED powers?
Great Britain, France, United States, Soviet Union.
Who created the Five Year Plan? What did it result in?
Stalin; emphasized heavy industry and led to a widespread famine.
