lecture 12 HIST 150
Who was Eva Braun?
Adolf Hitler's longtime mistress who he married just hours before both committed suicide in the bunker.
Why is Adolf Hitler unhappy with Italy's invasion of Greece (1940)?
Hitler was worried he Italian troops would not be successful, Thus, German forces will be sent into Greece to complete the conquest.
What is significant about the Arcadia Conference?
It is the FIRST meeting on military strategy between the US and Great Britain to occur after the US enters the war. It was decided on a "Europe First" strategy.
Why is the Doolittle Raid (1942) significant?
It represents America's FIRST strike against the Japanese home islands and was in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor. It also boosted American morale.
Why is the D-Day Invasion [Operation Overlord] (1944) significant?
It represents the turning point of the war in Europe and take back
Why is the Japanese securing of Hanoi (1940) is important?
It secured the northern portion of French Indochina for the Japanese.
Why is the link-up (1945) at the Elbe River between US and Soviet troops important?
It signaled the beginning of the end of the Third Reich
Why is the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) significant?
It ushers in the era of atomic weapons
Why is the Battle of the Bulge (1944 - 1945) significant?
It was Germany's last major offensive against the American forces. It is considered the largest and bloodiest single battle fought by the US in World War II.
Why is the bombing of Rome (1943) significant?
It was an attempt to try and break the will of the Italian people and the let them know that their capital was not invulnerable to Allied bombs.
Why is the liberation of Paris (1944) significant?
It was another major turning point in defeating the Nazi forces and led the way for Allied forces to push eastward into Germany.
Why is the Dumbarton Oaks Conference (1944) significant?
It was here that the United Nations was formulated officially.
Why is the Tehran Conference (1943) significant?
It was here where the decision was made to open a second front against Nazi Germany - Operation Overlord. The Big Three also discussed the post-war fates of Iran and Turkey.
Why is the Wannsee Conference (1942) significant?
It was here where the decision was made to proceed with what would be called the final solution or the Holocaust.
What was Operation Sea Lion and why was it postponed?
It was the planned amphibian assault that was cancelled because the Blitz failed and Britain was still ready to fight them off full force
Why is the German invasion of Poland (1939) significant?
It's the start of world war II
What was the Manhattan Project and why was it important?
America's plan to develop, build, and successfully detonate an atomic bomb
What is meant by island hopping and why was this undertaken?
America's plan to get closer to mainland Japan to launch the bombers
What is significant (or, ironic) about France's surrender (1940) at Compiegne?
For hitler, forcing france to surrender in the exact railway car and location as in November 1918 gave him a chance to exact some revenge. Hitler was devastated when WWI ended. This gave him a chance to get back at the french.
What is the Luftwaffe?
German Air Forces
Why is Operation Barbarossa (1941) significant and why does it FAIL?
Germany invading Soviet Union before the winter sets in, it fails because of timing. The failure spelled the beginning of the end for the Third Reich. This represents the FIRST time the German forces had been defeated in WWII
Why is Winston Churchill significant?
He becomes GB's prime minister at a crucial time. His perseverance is what sees GB through some dark days
Why is Germany's decision to declare war on the United States significant?
To honor their alliance with Japan, Nazi Germany declares war on the United States on December 11, 1941. For Adolf Hitler, this is his death knell. He will now have to FIGHT the United States.
Why do the British invade Madagascar (1942)?
To prevent Madagascar's ports from falling into the hands of the Japanese.
Why does the United States OCCUPY Greenland?
To prevent it from falling into the hands of the Axis power.
What does Harry S. Truman pledge to do upon being sworn-in as US President (1945)?
To see the war through to victory.
What is meant by VJ-Day (1945)?
VJ is Victory over Japan
What is meant by VE-Day (1945) and why is it celebrated on two different days?
Victory in Europe Day. The preliminary surrender was carried out on May 7 at Reims and the formal surrender took place on May 8n in Berlin.
What was Lend Lease and why is it significant?
A US policy providing some of our allies with much needed aid—food, oil, weapons, ect..
Why are the Einsatzgruppen units cumbersome & SLOW?
At first they simply shot the Jews, but this wasted ammunition. They then tried gassing them. The whole process also took a toll psychologically on the SS troops.
Who is David Irving and why is he significant?
British historian/author. He has maintained for years that the holocaust never existed. It was all a hoax. He is the leading Holocaust denier in the world today.
What ultimately happens to Benito Mussolini?
Father of fascism and he is arrested. Later, he tries to escape and is caught and executed
Why is the Declaration by United Nations (January 1, 1942) significant?
It became the basis for the United Nations
Why is the liberation of Rome significant?
It becomes the FIRST of many European capitals to be liberated. It had propaganda value too.
Why is the failure of Operation Market Garden (1944) significant?
It ended Allied hopes of finishing the war by Christmas 1944
Why is the Destroyers for Bases Agreement (1940) significant?
It gives Great Britain much needed warships in exchange for rights of the united states to establish air and naval bases on British possessions
Why is the Yalta Conference (1945) significant?
It is away from the fighting. Churchill, FDR and Stalin are making plans for the end of the war. They decide to create the United Nations and the decision was made here to occupy post-war Germany by the allied powers
Who are the Big Three?
Leaders of the USA (Roosevelt), Great Britain (Churchill), and the Soviet Union (Stalin).
What is meant by the term blitzkrieg?
Lightning war
Why were ALL of the death camps built outside of Germany?
Poland was a convenient location. Its remote location was ideal for hiding the genocide from the German people and from the world
What did the 1939 Neutrality Act (United States) stipulate?
That warring nations (like GB and France) could receive arms from the united states provided that they pick them up and pay cash for them - cash and carry
Why did the entrance of American troops in North Africa (1942) anger the Soviet Union and why is this significant?
The Soviets were hoping the US would invade Europe in 1942 and thus, relieve the Soviets - Soviets wanted to get out of war
Why is the Atlantic Charter (1941) significant?
This set the allied goals for a post-war world. It also laid the groundwork for what would become the United Nations
Why is the German defeat at Stalingrad (1943) important?
The battle proved to be decisive for the Soviet Union and fundamentally changed altered the course of the war. The Germans were not prepared.
What was the Blitz?
The bombing of British cities, industrial centers, ect, by Germany's Luftwaffe designed to demoralize the British. It failed
What was the Vichy Government?
The government of france that existed in the non-german occupied portion of the country from 1940 until 1944. It was headquartered at Vichy.
Why was a second bomb dropped on Nagasaki (August 9, 1945)?
The japanese failed to respond to american demands to surrender so a second bomb was dropped on nagasaki
What was decided at Casablanca (1943)?
To accept nothing other than unconditional surrender from the Axis Powers.
Why is the Declaration of Panama (1939) issued?
To aid in protecting convoys heading across the atlantic to GB. It created a zone of protection extending out beyond the americas
What is significant about the Havana Conference (July 1940)?
To assist struggling colonies on the side of the Atlantic, the united states agreed to share in the responsibility of protecting the Monroe Doctrine.
What is meant by the "Phony War?"
The period from september 1939 to may 1940 when there was very little action along the western front
Why was Sicily significant for the pending Allied invasion of Italy?
The plan was to secure Sicily and use it as a staging area for the invasion of Italy.
What was the Holocaust?
The term given for the massive round up and extermination of most of Europe's Jewish population during WWII
Why are the invasions at Salerno (1943) and Anzio (1944) important?
They help the Allies establish beachheads in Italy and prepared the way to liberate Rome and most of Southern Italy.
What role did the German firm I.G. Farben play in the Holocaust?
They produced the Zyklon-B gas used. This was originally developed to kill rodents
Why are the cities of Hiroshima & Nagasaki targeted?
They were both industrial targets that made military supplies for Japanese
Why is the Allied victory at Milne Bay (1942) significant?
This is considered the FIRST battle in the Pacific whereby Japanese forces were decisively defeated by Allied forces.
Why is the Japanese surprise attack (1941) on Pearl Harbor significant?
This plunges the U.S. into war
Why is the Battle of Britain (1940) significant?
This represents germany's attempt to bomb the British into submission with their air forces - the Luftwaffe and to prepare the way for a planned invasion of GB
Why is possession of Okinawa critical?
With possession of Okinawa, Allied forces could build an airstrip that could launch bombers that could reach mainland Japan
The Battles of Coral Sea (May 7 - 8, 1942) & Midway (June 3 - 6, 1942) are significant for what reasons?
turning points of war in the Pacific and push the German line back
