World War II Test Study Guide
Mein Kampf
"My Struggle" - book by Hitler which describes how he became an anti-semitic and outlines his political ideology in future Germany (used by the Nazi party)
NATO
"North Atlantic Treaty Organization" - a military alliance between several North Atlantic states to safeguard them from the presumed threat of the Soviet Union's Communist bloc (a combination of countries, parties, or groups sharing a common purpose); countries from other regions later joined the alliance
Blitzkrieg
"lightning war" - Hitler used all his forces, such as tanks, planes, and many other Technologies to strike enemies
What was the outcome of the Nuremberg Laws?
1. Lots of Jews fled Germany 2. Remaining Jews were sent to labor camps 3. Genocide
What were the economic problems of the Weimar Republic?
1. Rampant inflation + unemployment 2. Germany did not pay their reparations - France took away the Ruhr Valley as a result of this
How did the Nuremberg laws work out?
1. There was a chart that showed racial classifications 2. Prevented marriage 3. Went back to bloodline 4. German-Jews could not get into politics 5. German-Jews did not have professional jobs 6. Hitler used the Secret State (SS) police
Communism
A form of Socialism advocated by Karl Marx; the creation of a classless society in which all wealth and property would be owned by the community as a whole
Operation Sea Lion
A plan to invade Britain
Dunkirk
A port in France in which over 300,000 Allied troops were evacuated when their retreat by land was cut off by the German advance in 1940
Neutrality Acts
A series of acts passed by the US Congress from 1935 to 1939 the aim to keep the US from becoming involved in World War II
1936-1939 Germany and Italy aid nationalists in Spanish Civil War
Action: -Italy and Germany backs of rebels with supplies, weapons, and troops Reaction: -Soviet Union sent soldiers to fight against fascism alongside the Spanish loyalists -Governments of US, France, and Great Britain remained neutral, but people from these countries fought with the loyalists -Anti-Nazi and Anti-Fascist Italians joined the loyalist cause
Benito Mussolini
An Italian Fascist dictator, also known as El Duce and was the leader of Italy
Nazi-Soviet Pact
An agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939 in which the two Nations promise not to fight each other and to divide up land in Eastern Europe
Totalitarian Government Differences: Fascist & Communist
Fascist Governments: 1. Had some private ownership 2. Had some free enterprise with often severe restrictions Communist Governments: 1. Did not have private ownership
Results of D-Day
Forced Germany to fight the war on two fronts. The Allies took one step closer to reaching Berlin.
Describe the French surrender
France surrendered because the German forces headed south towards Paris and Italy declared war on France while attacking from the south. France felt demoralized - June 22, 1940, forced France to sign surrender documents and Germany then took over northern France. - Germany set up a puppet state in Vichy, but the "Free French" led by Charles de Gaulle, resisted using Guerrilla tactics.
Luftwaffe
German air force
Why did Germans begin to look to extremist leaders?
Germans lost faith in Germany and its traditional ways of government, because the current government did not fix any issues. So, Germans relied on extremist leaders' promises about changing/fixing issues.
How did the US get drawn into World War II? Why were we not already involved?
In 1940, the US banned the sale of war materials, such as iron, steel, and oil to Japan. Japanese leaders saw this move as a threat to Japan's economy and its Asian sphere of influence. So, on December 7, 1941, General Tojo Hideki ordered a surprise attack with Japanese airplanes, to bomb the American Fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. As a result, President Roosevelt declared war on Japan on December 7 and on December 11, Germany and Italy, as allies, declared war on the US. The US was not in the war before because of the Neutrality Acts passed in 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1939 to limit US involvement in future wars. The Neutrality Acts soon ended due to the Lend-Lease Act of March 1941, which let the US sell, lend, or give war items to other nations.
Describe what came out of the Yalta Conference
In February 1945, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin (The Big Three) agreed that Russia would enter the war against Japan, three months after German surrender. Churchill and Roosevelt promised Stalin that the Soviets would take control of the Southern Sakhalin island, the Kuril islands, and an occupation zone in Korea. they also agreed that Germany would be temporarily divided into four zones, to be governed by American, French, British, and Soviet forces. Stalin agreed to hold free elections in Eastern Europe.
Command Economy
In a command economy, all of the economic decisions are made by the central government. This is another example of Stalin taking total control of the Soviet Union.
Purges
Joseph Stalin used his intelligence services and the secret police to a new level in order to solidify his hold on power and eliminate all enemies. Stalin also vastly increased the foreign espionage [the practice of spying] activities of Soviet secret police and foreign intelligence. Stalin consolidated near-absolute power in the 1930s with a Great Purge. It was justified as an attempt to expel 'opportunists' and 'counter-revolutionary infiltrators.' Those targeted by the purge were often expelled from the party. More severe measures ranged from banishment to the Gulag labor camps to execution after trials.
Leningrad
Now St Petersburg, a city in Northwestern Russia that was the site of a deadly Siege from the Nazis
Stalingrad
Now Volgograd, a city in southwestern Russia that was the site of a fierce battle during World War II
When was the United Nations created?
October 24, 1945 in San Francisco, CA
Describe the German Blitzkrieg
On September 1, 1939, Nazi forces stormed into Poland, revealing the enormous power of Hitler's Blitzkrieg, or "lightning war." The German Blitzkrieg utilized improved tank and air power technology to strike.
Why did Operation Sea Lion fail?
Operation Sea Lion was a plan to invade Britain. Hitler began daily bombings in London and other cities on September 7, 1940, and continued for 57 nights in a row until May 1941. These attacks were called "the blitz." The operation failed because the German planes (Luftwaffe) could not gain air superiority over Britain and British morale was not destroyed.
D-Day
The code name for the day that the Allied Forces invaded France; it was very successful
What event actually set off World War II, and when did it occur?
The invasion of Poland started World War 2 in September 1, 1939
Yalta Conference
The meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin in February 1945 where the 3 leaders made agreements regarding the end of World War II
Anschluss
The union of Austria and Germany, resulting from the occupation of Austria by the German army
What was VE day, and when did it occur?
Victory in Europe day, or VE day was in May 8, 1945, which officially ended the war in Europe, following the German surrender on May 7th.
Nuremberg Trials
Warcrime trials held by the Allies, in which they prosecuted German military leaders, political officials, industrialists, and financers for crimes that were committed during World War II (1945 - 1949)
Lebensraum
"living space" - was a policy of the Nazis to conquer territory in Europe for German use
Kristallnacht
"the night of broken glass" - the Nazis attacked Jewish people in their property
Holodomor
*Collectivization was largely responsible for major famines. One famine, called Holodomor, occurred during 1932-1933 in Ukraine and the Kuban region. Holodomor means "hunger-extermination" in Ukrainian
Battle of Britain
An air campaign waged between the Luftwaffe and the UK. After, Hitler attempted to invade Britain
United Nations (UN)
An international organization established after World War II with the goal of maintaining peace and cooperation in the International community
What happened in Leningrad?
In September 1941, the 2 ½ year siege of Leningrad began. Food was rationed to two pieces of bread a day. More than a million died during the Siege, but the Germans did not occupy the city.
Results of the Battle for Stalingrad
Nazi armies were forced to retreat westward.
Five Year Plans
Stalin thought that the Soviet Union needed to catch up with the rest of the world's industrial output and transportation technology. To do so, he created a series of "Five-Year Plans" starting in the late 1920s. These plans set high production goals for industries like mining, railroads, electric plants and manufacturers. The Five Year plans were successful in increasing the industrial output of the Soviet Union. The country became a world leader in industrial goods.
Describe Germany's eventual defeat in World War II?
The Allies were able to defeat the Axis powers because Germany's geography meant they had to fight 2 fronts at once. Also, Hitler made some poor decisions and underestimated the ability of the Soviet Union. The US productive capacity also factored in. By 1944, the US was producing twice as much as all the Axis powers combined. -Allies cross the Rhine into Western Germany -Soviet troops closed in on Berlin from the East -In Italy, guerillas executed Mussolini -Hitler killed himself, so on May 7th Germany surrendered
Results of the Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain marked the first defeat of Hitler's military forces, when Germany's Luftwaffe failed to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force despite months of targeting Britain's air bases, military posts and, ultimately, its civilian population.
What did the Nuremberg Laws do?
The Nuremberg Laws established a pseudo-scientific basis for racial identification and it got rid of German-Jewish citizenship rights.
What were the Nuremberg trials?
The Nuremberg trials were warcrime trials held by the Allies in Germany. German and Austrian Nazi officials, generals, etc. were tried for " crimes against humanity," and most were found guilty, and received either imprisonment or death. Also, the war crime trials farther discredited the totalitarian ideologies that had led to the war.
The "Big Three"
The three great allied powers - Great Britain, the US, and the Soviet Union. The British prime minister was Winston Churchill. The US president was Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Soviet Union leader was Joseph Stalin.
What were the political problems of the Weimar Republic?
1. Conservatives and Liberals attacked 2. Loss of faith and nationalism/pride for Germany 3. Small political parties made it nearly impossible to form a coalition
How did Hitler violate the Treaty of Versailles?
1. Hitler reoccupied the demilitarized zone in the Rhineland. 2. Hitler re-militarized Germany 3. Hitler did not pay Germany's reparations
Totalitarian Government Similarities: Fascist & Communist
1. Limited individual rights 2. Militaristic Nationalism 3. Rejection of Democracy 4. Belief in Natural Social Hierarchy
"The Blitz"
A German bombing campaign against Britain
Truman Doctrine
A US policy, established in 1947, of trying to contain the spread of Communism
Vichy, France
A city in central France were a puppet state governed unoccupied France and the French colonies
Totalitarian State
A government in which a one-party dictatorship regulates every aspect of citizens' lives
Marshall Plan
A massive aid package offered by the US to Europe to help countries rebuild after World War II
Describe the significance of the 1938 Munich Conference
A meeting with Britain, France, Italy, and Germany, with Chamberlain, Daladier, Mussolini, and Hitler. They made an agreement permitting Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland. However, Hitler broke this agreement by invading the rest of Czechoslovakia.
Munich Conference
A meeting with Chamberlain (Britain), Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), and Daladier (France). In this meeting, they made an agreement permitting Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland.
Warsaw Pact
A mutual defense alliance between the Soviet Union and seven satellites in Central and Eastern Europe set up in 1955. The seven satellites were Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania (Albania withdrew in 1968). The signing of the pact became a symbol of Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe.
Appeasement
A policy of giving in to an aggressor's demands in order to keep the peace. Great Britain and France agreed to Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland in agreement for not taking any additional Czech territory
Cold War
A state of tension and hostility between nations aligned with the US on one side and the Soviet Union on the other, that rarely led to direct armed conflict
"Island-hopping"
A strategy used by the US military to conquer one set of islands at a time. The US Navy attacked islands held by the Japanese in the Pacific Ocean - each island brought the US closer to invade Japan
Collective Security
A system in which a group of nations acts as one to preserve the peace of all
Totalitarianism
A system of government in which one party tries to rule with complete control over every aspect of the lives of its citizen. Totalitarian governments have complete control over: 1. Religion 2. Economy 3. Education 4. Family 5. Media Significance To Soviet/Stalinist History: For example, the first totalitarian ruler you will learn about, Joseph Stalin, was a Communist. He used totalitarianism to make Russia into the first state inspired by Karl Marx's ideas.
Treaty of Versailles
A treaty that ended World War I and blamed Germany for World War 1. Germany was given harsh punishments.
1939 Germany invades Czechoslovakia
Action: -Allies allow Hitler to take the Sudetenland, but this will be Hitler's last territory (Munich Pact/appeasement) -Eventually, Hitler broke The Pact and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia Reaction: -Britain and France still took no action -Britain and France were not willing to go to war to save the land (chose appeasement) -Britain and France were angered and declared that any further attacks would trigger war
1936 Germany sends troops to "Rhineland"
Action: -Challenged the Treaty of Versailles by sending his troops into a demilitarized zone Reaction: -League of Nations was not happy with all of Hitler's violations -Western democracies did little to stop Hitler
1935-1936 Germany Remilitarizes
Action: -Formation of Luftwaffe, or German air force -Required military service -Challenged the Treaty of Versailles Reaction: -There were protests against Germany but Germany didn't do anything -The League of Nations had a formal protest -Western democracies did little to stop Hitler
1938 German Anschluss (union) with Austria
Action: -Hitler pressured Austria to join Germany -Hitler's Army crossed the border into Austria without opposition Reaction: -Germany expanded -Britain and France still took no action
1935 Italy invades Ethiopia
Action: -Italians invade Ethiopia (African nation) under Mussolini Reaction: -Resistance from Ethiopians -Ethiopian King Haile Selassie appealed to the League of Nations for help, but the League of Nations couldn't do anything about it
Sept. 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland
Action: -Nazi-Soviet Pact = non-aggression pact to keep peaceful relations with Germany and the Soviet Union -Hitler use Blitzkrieg tactics to quickly attack Poland -Soviet forces also invaded -Poland was split up because of the Nazi-Soviet Pact deal Reaction: -Britain and France declare war -Britain and France could not do anything to stop the invasion of Poland
Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 1944 to Jan. 1945)
After recapturing France, the Allied Advance became stalled along the German border. Germany staged a massive counterattack in Belgium and Luxembourg. The Allies stop the German advance and threw them back across the Rhine with heavy losses.
Fascism
Any centralized, authoritarian government system that is not communist whose policies glorify the state over the individual and destructive to basic human rights
What was the significance of the events at Dunkirk?
As the Germans invaded France, lots of French soldiers were trapped. So, the British sent all the available Naval vessels, Merchant ships, and even fishing and pleasure boats across the English Channel to get stranded French soldiers off the beach of Dunkirk - even British civilians helped. after, more than 300,000 soldiers were saved.
Describe the alliance system which was in place as World War II began?
Axis powers: Germany, Italy, Japan Allied powers: Russia, France, Britain, and later the US (US joins due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 7, 1941)
Nuremberg Laws
Established legal basis in Nazi Germany for discrimination against Jews and took away their rights
What were Hitler's main motivations for the invasion of the Soviet Union?
Hitler wanted the vast extent of the Soviet Union as a living space to be repopulated by the German people. He also wanted the resources present in the Soviet Union, especially the oil reserves. He hoped to swiftly capture Moscow before the onset of winter, and he expected the Soviet Union to collapse like it did in the first World War.
Describe the establishment of the United Nations
In April 1945, delegates from 15 Nations met in San Francisco to draft a charter for the United Nations (UN). It had a greater role than the League of Nations. Under the UN Charter, each nation has one vote in the General Assembly. A smaller body called the Security Council has greater power, with each of the five member nations: the US, the Soviet Union, Britain, France, and China, able to veto any council decision. The goal was to give these great powers the authority to ensure peace. But, differences among the nation's on the Security Council, most notably the US and the Soviet Union, kept the UN from taking action.
Explain the extent of Total War used during WWII, and offer examples of the direct targeting of civilian populations by all nations involved.
In WW2, all of the countries had citizens participate in production for the war. 1. Factories were changed to build military equipment. 2. Rationing was enforced on the civilian population. 3. Drafts were started. 4. The civilian workforce was mobilized to support war efforts. Because of the mobilization of industry, factories and the workforce, civilians were targets because they were supporting the war efforts... - The United States bombed Japan everywhere, such as Hiroshima and Nagasaki. - Germany bombed Guernica, London, and was responsible for the Holocaust. - Britain bombed Dresden - Russia bombed Berlin. -Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii All these events were responsible for killing thousands of civilians during WW2.
Important Dates
Invasion of Poland/WW2 starts: September 1, 1939 Bombing of Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941 US Entry into WW2: December 7, 1941 D-Day: June 6, 1944 VE Day (Victory in Europe Day)/WW2 ends: May 8, 1945 V-J Day (Victoryover Japan Day): August 15, 1945
Adolf Hitler
Leader of the Nazi party and the Third Reich in Germany; responsible for the Holocaust. Nazism is extremely right-wing.
Joseph Stalin
Leader of the Soviet Union; part of the Allies, and established a communist totalitarian state
Describe Allied advances between 1942 - 1944, in the following locations: North Africa, Italy, the Soviet Union, and France:
North Africa: The British, led by General Bernard Montgomery fought Rommel. After the battle of El Alamein in November 1942, the Allies halted Rommel. Allied tanks drove the Axis back across Libya into Tunisia. Later, US general, Dwight Eisenhower took control of a British-American Force in Morocco and Algeria - this trapped Rommel's Army and they surrendered in May 1943. Italy: In July 1943, a British and American Army landed in Sicily and then southern Italy, defeating the Italian forces in a month. Italians later overthrew Mussolini and signed an armistice, which Hitler resisted. For 1 ½ years, Allies pushed slowly up the Italian Peninsula, weakening Hitler's Army by forcing them to fight on another front. Soviet Union: In the Battle of Stalingrad, the Soviets encircled the Germans and November. Trapped, without food or ammunition and no hope of rescue, the German commander surrendered in January 1943. After the battle, the Red Army took the offensive and drove Hitler's Army out of Russia. By 1944, Soviet soldiers were advancing into Eastern Europe. France: On June 6, 1944, known as "D-Day," Allied planes dropped paratroopers behind enemy lines in France and 156,000 Allied troops were ferried across the English Channel. They struggled their way inland and by August, the British-American Army broke through German defenses and began advancing towards Paris. Other Allies sailed from Italy to land in southern France. In Paris, French Resistance forces rose up against the Germans, who later retreated. In a month France was free.
New Economic Policy
Policy proclaimed by Vladimir Lenin in 1924 to encourage the revival of the Soviet economy by allowing small private business and farming using markets instead of communist state ownership. His idea was that the Soviet state would just control "the commanding heights" of the economy like major industry, while allowing ordinary citizens to operate business and property ownership as normal. Joseph Stalin ended this in 1928 and replaced it with greater state ownership, collectivization, and a series of Five-Year Plans. ------------------------------------------------------- A recovery followed under Lenin's New Economic Policy, which allowed a degree of market flexibility within the context of socialism, but Stalin stopped the NEP after Lenin's death. Under Stalin's direction, the NEP was replaced by a system called a Command Economy.
Francisco Franco
Spanish General; organized a revolt in Morocco, which led to the Spanish Civil War. He was also the leader of the Nationalists, a fascist, right-wing conservative group. He was supported by Hitler and Mussolini and won the civil war after 3 years of fighting
Collectivization
Stalin's government also controlled the agricultural economy. The Five Year Plans used a policy called "forced collectivization" which was intended to increase agricultural output from large government-owned farms created through the integration of smaller private farms Farm owners and peasants had to give up their land, tools, and even homes, and work on the new collectivized farms instead. It was meant to bring the peasantry under more direct political control, to facilitate the collection of taxes and provide more food for people living in Soviet cities. Collectivization also led to: 1. A drastic drop in living standards for many peasants 2. Violent reactions by the peasantry that was heavily suppressed by the Red Army.
Results of the Yalta Conference
The February 1945 Yalta Conference was the second wartime meeting of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During the conference, the three leaders agreed to demand Germany's unconditional surrender and began plans for a post-war world. Stalin also agreed to permit free elections in Eastern Europe and to enter the Asian war against Japan.
Results of the Battle of the Bulge
The Germans lost so many experienced troops and equipment that there was no way their army could launch another attack on Allied forces.
Describe the Nazi-Soviet Pact
The Nazi-Soviet Pact was a non-aggression pact, which bound Hitler and Stalin to peaceful relations. They both agreed to not fight if the other went to war and wanted to divide up Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe between them.
How and when was The Nazi-Soviet Pact nullified?
The Nazi-Soviet pact was nullified in June 1941. Hitler nullified the pact by invading the Soviet Union and Operation Barbarossa (named after Frederick Barbarossa).
Describe the end of the war in the Pacific
US Marines landed at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, and victory marked the beginning of an "island-hopping" campaign. Soon, the American forces, led by General Douglas MacArthur, gradually advanced towards Japan. By 1944, the US Navy was blockading Japan and bomb Japanese cities and industries. the British pushed back Japanese forces into the jungles of Burma and Malaya. later, Allied scientist conducted the Manhattan Project. In July 1945, they successfully tested the first atomic bomb in Alamogordo, New Mexico. President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb in Japan. On August 6, 1945, an American plane dropped the bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. on August 8, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan invaded Manchuria. Finally, on August 15, Emperor Hirohito forced the government to surrender.
