European History Review Sheet: WWI, Russian Revolution, WWII, Cold War
What were the results of World War II
Human losses: about 55 million dead (including missing). 22 million in the USSR alone. Holocaust resulted in deaths of 6 million Jews and 6 million others. Millions left homeless and millions relocated. Much of Europe lay in ruins: would take years to rebuild the economy. Women played larger role in the war economy than in World War I (gained more rights after the war) The U.S. and Soviet Union emerged as the two dominant powers in the postwar world. Post-war competition for influence in Europe resulted in the Cold War
Describe Lenin's War Communism and New Economic Policy.
Lenin wanted a world communist party. The Comintern (communist international) organization by the Bolsheviks formed to spread communism. *Point was to spread revolution to other countries. Atheism was encouraged NEW ECONOMIC POLICY: To reconcile peasantry with the regime, peasants keep their crops (won't be taken by the state). Let the consumer goods area run freely (free enterprise, laissez-faire economics, etc. Was not communist or socialist, it was a step back from war communist. Lenin said Russia must take a step back to take two step forward in the future (never meant to be permanent). Economically, it worked well. Within a few years, GNP (Gross national product) was back to where it was before World War I. Never acceptable politically to the communist party
Describe the transition from World War to Cold War.
Not actual fighting. By 1948, pro-Soviet governments in Eastern Europe backed by the Soviet Red Guard - "Iron Curtain".mEast vs. West. Superpowers were scattered around the world controlling other nations and funding them.
Why did countries in Europe prefer appeasement to stopping Hitler?
They were scared that another world war would occur. France had already lost a generation of men from world war 1.
What was promised in the Locarno Pact and Kellogg-Braind Pact?
locarno pact, 1925: Germany and other european nations agreed to settle all disputes peacefully provisions were not enforceable Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928 62 Nations signed the treaty proclaiming war is illegal (unless for purely defensive purposes) Once again, the treaty lacked enforcement provisions Hitler later claimed that his aggressive military ventures were for "defensive purposes"
What is the significance of the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact? What was this agreement? Was it kept? Explain.
this says that russia will not attack germany when germany invades poland. and intern give russia half stalin knew not to trust Hitler because of his past Germany invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939. Russia would not attack Germany when it invades other countries. It was not kept as Hitler would attack Russia later in the war
Describe Hitler's expansion in Europe - by country, in order. Why did he start with the places he did? Why wasn't he stopped sooner? At what point did other countries get involved?
Germany reoccupied the Rhineland, 1936 Directly violated the versailles Treaty The league of Nations futility in earlier crises convinced hitler that france and britain would do nothing. France was scared to go to war with Germany without britains aid. Anschluss (March 1938): Germany annexed austria. Hitler demanded that Germany recieve the german speaking province in western Czechoslovakia or else there would be war Czechoslovakia refused It had well-defended boarders along its border with germany and had a france ally Another world war now seemed iminent Germany invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia, March 1939 Hitler double crossed chamblerin Czechoslovakia did not resist the invasion in the space of a year hitler took czech and austria without a war/ German invasion of poland Hitler says that there are people from germany there and they need to go back, then he takes the whole country Hitler makes Deal with stalin, one dictator to another. Countries involved after he marched into Poland.
How did the map of Europe change after WWI? Be specific!
New nations: Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania Russian lands taken by Germany Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia Formed from Austrian-Hungarian Empire Syria, Iraq, Trans-Jordan, Palestine Controlled by French and British mandates From Ottoman Empire
What was the Schlieffen Plan? Was it successful? Explain why/why not.
Schlieffen plan:Germany invades Belgium to defeat france. Not successful. Britain declares war
Explain the causes of World War I
Aggressive nationalism. Germans - proud of military and industry France - wanted vengeance for loss of Alsace-Lorraine Russia - Pan-Slavism; desire to lead and defend all Slavs (will support Serbia) Austria-Hungary - greatly feared nationalism and the division it would bring Turkey - felt threatened by new nations Balkans - 1912: many states attacked Turkey (nationalism movements)
Describe the peace-making process after WWI. What were terms of the Treaty of Versailles? Why is it called a "harsh" peace?
Allies meet in Paris to discuss peace terms Defeated countries not allowed to send representatives. Dominated by big three (Wilson of US, David Lloyd George of Britain, George Clemenceau of France) Treaty of Versailles: War-guilt clause: placing blame on Germany and its allies for the war. 1st German delegation refused to sign. Eventually signed to avoid occupation. France got Alsace-Lorraine; Rhineland buffed between the two countries. Occupied by allied troops for 15 years Poland independent and got German land German colonies in Africa and the pacific given to League of Nations mandates; administered by France and Britain. Germany forced to pay reparations - $5 billion immediately; 2 years later billed $32 billion plus interest — went toward war damages and pensions for allied widows and families. Reduced German military power. Army no more than 100,000 men. Only 6 ships allowed in navy. No submarines or military plane
What were the particular events leading up to WWI?
Archduke Francis Ferdinand assassinated by the Black Hand in Bosnia. Austria sent Serbia an ultimatum to punish any Serb involved. Austria planned on Serbia rejecting the ultimatum, giving an excuse to attack Serbia. Serbia partially refused the Ultimatum. Rejected a few minor clauses, Austria now had an excuse for war it was looking for
What was the "final" solution? How was it undertaken?
Began in 1941. Formal plan came at Wannsee Conference in 1942. Six death camps built in poland in addition to hundreds of concentration camps. Auschwitz was the most notorious 6 Million jews were killed. 6 Million others were also murdered including political prisoners and many others. Allied forced started to close on these camps and officials started to flee.
What new weapons and strategies were used in WWI?
Biggest War until that point - 10 million die. 1st industrialized, fully modernized War. All major countries mobilized the whole of their country (by the end of the war 31 countries involved). Mass killing because of mobilization. Mass weapons. Artillery pieces huge and modern. Armored tank.
What actions did the Bolsheviks take? Why was there a civil war? Who was on each side? Who was successful and why?
Bolshevik wanted an immediate end to World War I. Germany wanted Russia out of the war. Negotiate at Brest-Litovsk in Poland, March 1918. Germans want huge pierce of Russia for peace. Deprived Russia of 1.3 million square miles of territory with 60 million people in it (Ukraine, Poland, Baltic Provinces) Lenin justifies this because he had to get out of the war to help maintain power (claimed Russia would regain their lands later) Civil War. Reds vs Whites: Bolsheviks vs. Anti-Bolsheviks Whites led by an ex-Russian generals (supported by allies, who were angered by treaty with Germany). Why the whites lose: Not organized No clear objective No idea what a regime would be like if they won Bolsheviks had all the advantages (propaganda, political, military, organization/discipline) Allies withdraw from the war
Describe and assess the effectiveness of the British Blockade, the Marne River, Battle of Tannenburg, Verdun, and Somme River.
British blockade: Britain blocks germany august 1914 Marne river: Germany sets up offensive line of Marne River. France pushes em back. Ends hope of germany defeating france. Germany can't capture france. Stalemate for 4 years. Battle of tannenburg: Germany stops russia at Tannenburg. Defeat for russia. Stops russian advance. US remains neutral. Battle of verdun: (Belgium/French border). France stops German advance. Two million men were engaged. French battle cry: "They shall not pass". German battle of attrition - they hoped to bleed the French army white 8 months of fighting; 1 million casualties for a battle In the end, Germany sustained almost as many casualties as the French; an estimated 328,000 to the french 348,000 Longest and one of the bloodiest battle of World War I (fought on western front) Somme river: Somme River (British and French offensive) Britain gains some German territory. 5 months; over 1 million casualties. Gain 125 square miles. 60,000 died or wounded in just 6 hours
How did the Spanish Civil War help precipitate WWII?
Communism was beginning to spread in europe. Mussolini and Hitler Supported Franco and used the conflict as a testing ground for their military forces. Italy sent 100,000 soldiers to Spain and the italian army gained practical. Help from germany and Italy was a major cause for the fascist victory. Britan and france offically recognized francos government The league of nations once again proved ineffective, this time in helping republican Loyalists against Franco In response to military cooperation in spain, the Rome-Berlin Axis was formed: an alliance between fascist germany
How was the provisional government organized? Why was the provisional government not unsuccessful?
Duma formed a cabinet and set up a temporary government until a National Assembly could be elected and write a new constitution. Civil rights restored; free elections promised. Involvement in World War I continued. The government delayed elections; refused to pass landforms. Peasants began to take land; lots of chaos. July 1917: Alexander Kerensky (moderate socialist) became prime minister of provisional government. Revolutionaries that had been put in prison were released. Soviets were created, councils of workers and soldiers (claimed to represent the masses and the revolution). The radical Bolsheviks soon took control
What happened at Dunkirk that is significant? Why is this important?
Dunkirk: Thousands of French and british soldiers were trapped on beaches of northern france/Before Germans came, thousands were rescued by and armada of British vessels Without this thousands would have been slaughtered by germans and would have directly effected these countries as they would lose thousands of men
Describe Stalin's Five-Year Plans and the "Stalinization" of Russia. What was life like under Stalin?
Economic programs to bring about transformation of Russia creating a socialist state. Very costly in lives and freedom 20-40 million people die in this effort. First five-year plan: Rapid industrialization. Collecricazion of agriculture- farmers work the land as a group rather than as individual landowners (farmers can share machinery, etc.). Life under Stalin was hard. Freedoms were very limited. Lots of death and hard work. If you were against him you would be in trouble. Peasants worked hard but got nothing in return. Efforts made to increase education, esp. at university level. State medical care, old-age pensions, insurance plans. Life was greatly censored, tight government control on all the arts, especially literature. Historians were required to glorify Russian heroes (and Stalin). Creation of the "soviet man" - all people working together, developing in Russia. Communist motto, "from each according to his ability; to each according to his needs" was not followed; citizens with special skills and training rewarded. Stalin created the most thoroughly totalitarian state the country had ever seen. Deification of Stalin; he was always right
What were the turning points of WWII? Explain the significance of each.
El Alamein, November 1942: By november, British forces (led by Bernard Montgomery) drove the Germans (led by Erwin Rommel - the "Desert Fox") out of Egypt. German forces were pushed westward across North Africa "Operation torch" (November 1942): Meanwhile, U.S. And British forces landed on beaches of morocco and Algeria and engaged retreating German forces. Rommel's Afrikakorps were surrounded by allied armies and defeated by May, 1943 and removed from Africa while suffering mass casualties and prisoners of war Stalingrad (November 1942- February 1943) Most critical battle of the eastern front First german land defeat in Europe Hitler sought to take Stalingrad en route to taking control of soviet oil fields in the caucasus Mts German armies became surrounded by soviet forces Germans would not surrender, so most of the german army in Stalingrad was killed in battle (300,000 men) After this, the soviets began the 2 ½ year campaign of pushing the German army back to Berlin By February 1945 society armies were outside Berlin D-Day, "operation overlord", June 6, 1944 120,000 troops crossed the English Channel from southern England and invaded France in a land + water assault on Normandy (northern French coast) Western front was established
Explain the reasons for World War II
Failure of collective security and peace. treaty of Versailles (1919) did not create an enduring peace. Severe punishment of Germany caused resentment. League of nations, without the U.S. and USSR, didnt have the will nor the support to maintain peace. During the 1930s, the league of nations stood by while agressive nations like Germany and Italy invaded other countries and violated the provisions of the Versailles Treaty. Paper agreements of the 1920s had a few enforcement mechanisms
Describe the rise of fascist dictators in Italy, Germany, and Spain.
ITALY: Incredibly popular, promised to return Italy to its Roman greatness. He had been a socialist, but rejected that in turn for intense nationalism. (He was not only popular in Italy; the American legion invited him to speak in 1923.) GERMANY: hitler rose through the ranks of the nazi party. Often held speeches and wrote a book lots of nazis liked. Started campaigns and riots. SPAIN: Franco rose to power after civil war. Won the civil war with help from Russia. People looked to him in power after civil war. Needed a strong leader and he was there
How did the Bolsheviks gain support in Russia? Why did they win?
Lots of propaganda. "Peace, Land, and Bread". Immediate end to war/ All land to peasants. All power to soviets (councils) Bolsheviks appealed to practically everyone. Built army. WHY THEY WON:Lenin's leadership. Failures of the provisional government. The impact of the war. Constitutional assembly. Timing of the Bolsheviks. Bolshevik party organization. Bolshevik policy. Armed support. Good propaganda
Who was targeted during Stalin's purges? How many were killed?
Official: Stalin wiped out old Bolsheviks, about 50% of officials in army were shot, they represented a potential threat to Stalin Mass: hundreds of thousands murdered, others sent to concentration camps, where they died. Some provinces arrested 10% of their populaces just because they were told to. 80 Million died
Describe the Battle of Britain. Why is the Battle of Britain significant?
One of the most crucial battles of the war. Hitler Offered Britain peace if it accepted Germany's control of western Europe. British prime minister Winston Churchill, Churchill refused Hitler planned a massive invasion of England. Germany Tried to soften Britain up for a german invasion with massive aerial bombings. Britain used Radar to detect German planes and germany did not have this technology. After almost destroying the RAF, Hitler ordered the bombing of London ("The Blitz"): Fatal Error. RAF recovered and ultimately defeated the Luftwaffe. Battle was signifanct as Britain bounced back and defeated luftwaffe. Britain had a morale boost after battle. Military came back stronger
What were the results of the Cold War? How did Europe change following the Cold War?
Results were hostility between USSR and USA. Countries were split because of civil wars caused from cold wars. Vietnam war and Korean war. North korea funded by USSR and south by USA. Europe became hostile and an arms race and a space race began. Hostility rose
Why was Hitler unsuccessful in Russia
Soveits destroyed everything before germans arrived. Unable to bear the winter of russia (Finnish winter is harsher).
What is fascism? Why were Italy and Germany vulnerable to fascism?
State supremacy over group or individual. Dictatorship, not democracy (an authoritarian government that is not communist). No freedom of speech. Prefer war and militarism to peace, war brings people together; more war means more government involvement. Aggressive foreign expansion. Vulnerable to fascism because general unhappiness, disappointment with the war (that alone won't cause fascism)**By the end of 1920, the cost of living was eight times higher than it had been in 1914 in Italy. Neither country has a strong history of democracy, both relatively new countries (IT: 1861, GE: 1871). Also, absence of strong leaders, with the exception of Hitler and Mussolini
Describe the decisions made at Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam.
Tehran: Allies agreed to an invasion of Western Europe in 1944 Stalin reaffirmed soviet commitment to enter the war against Japan once Germany had been defeated. Stalin instead on soviet control of Eastern Europe and the carving up of Germany amongst the Allies. Churchill demanded free governments in Eastern Europe and a strong Germany after the war to preserve a balance of power in Europe. Roosevelt acted as a mediator and believed he could work with Stalin to achieve a post-world peace within the construct of the United Nations YALTA: "Big Three" met again. Stalin agreed to a "declaration of liberated Europe" which called for free elections Called for United Nations or meet in U.S. beginning in April 1945. Soviets would have 3 votes in general assembly U.S., Britain, USSR, France, and China to be permanent members of security council. Germany to be divided into occupied zones and a coalition government of communists and non-communists was agreed to for Poland. U.S.S.R. allowed to keep its pre-1939 territory POTSDAM: Stalin, U.S. President Harry Truman and British prime minister Clement Atlee. Issued an ultimatum to Japan for unconditional surrender or it would face utter devastation During the conference Truman ordered the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan. Stalin reversed his position on Eastern Europe stating there would be no free elections. Approvals given for war-crimes trials and the demilitarization and deNazification of Germany. Reparations from Germany could be taken from each respective zone
How was Russia different from Western European nations?
Very undeveloped compared to european standards, compensated by mass of people.
Who led the Bolshevik Revolution? What motivated him to revolt?
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin) led revolution. Hated the czars. Developed a firm belief in Marxism. Russia did not have a large proletariat (industrial workers). Called for an elite group to lead the revolution; set up a "dictatorship of the proletariat". Believed only a revolution could bring needed changes
How can the beginning of WWI be described as a "chain reaction"?
Wilhelm II of Germany supports Austria-Hungary (blank check). Serbia sought help from Russia. Russia asks Austria-Hungary to back off, but Austria-Hungary refuses. Russia mobilizes for war. Germany declares war on Russia. Russia appeals to France. Germany demands France stays out; France refuses. Germany declares war on France. Germany invades Belgium to defeat France. Schlieffen Plan. Britain is angered that Belgium's neutrality was violated. Britain declares war on Germany
Why did the Russian revolution occur
World War I and the revolution were interrelated. Nicholas II was an incompetent leader/ Once the war began, the Duma was pushed out of the way (Nicholas accused them of undermining his authority)/ While he was at the front, Alexandra (his wife) was at home running the country. She was very strong willed, but not too bright. Alexandra chose Rasputin, who claimed to be a holy man, to heal her hemophiliac son. She gave Rasputin whatever he wanted. Rasputin corrupt influence spread all around the government. A group of Russian nobles killed him on December 29, 1916. Transportation broke down. People were starving. March 1917: spontaneous outbreak of fear, frustration, and anger in St. Petersburg because of the war. When rioting got out of control, troops were sent to stop the rioters. But the troops switched sides. It then became a revolution. Nicholas II was forced to abdicate
What is a "Cold War"? Explain the reasons for the Cold War.
a state of political hostility between countries characterized by threats, propaganda, and other measures short of open warfare, in particular. Reasons for a cold war would be to support a nation that shares the same ideals and government as you
