WW2 Exam

The Treaty of Versailles

Signed on 28/6/1919 by Italy, Germany, France, the UK, & the US to end ww1

The conditions of the Treaty

Blame = Germany takes sole blame for the war

Reparations = Germany pays 6.6 billion pounds for war damages

Army = Germany couldn’t have more than 100,000 men in their army

Territories = Germany gives away Alsace-Lorraine, Eupen, Malmady, North-Schleswig, Posen, & Sudetenland. The Rhineland is demilitarised.

Germany’s depression

Started during 19/1929, when the stock market crashed due to hyperinflation. Banks went bankrupt, & Germans were poor & homeless. They were mad & wanted revenge.

The Beer Hall Putch

Hitler jumps on a table to yell, “the national revolution has begun!” & takes 3 leaders to a seperate room where he tells them that if they don’t comply he will kill them all, then himself. Then he gives a speech to the others in the bar, turning them into supporters, however he leaves too early, losing many of them. The next day, he takes them to take over the city hall where 20 die in a gun battle & Hitler is taken to court. He is imprisoned for only the minimum time despite committing a serious crime as his judge agreed with Hitler’s Anti-Semitistic ideas. In jail, he writes Mein Kampf, leading him to become super popular & liked by the time he leaves.

Hitler becomes Chancellor

In 1933 & immediately introduces laws that give him infinite power by criminalising opposition, trade unions, & negative media about him. Germany also becomes increasingly aggressive to other countries & minorities, specifically Jews.

The night of the long knives

In 1934, Hitler arrests & kills >85 people that he thought might try to overthrow him & threatens those that were getting suspicious of Hitler’s ideas.

The night of the broken glass (Kristallnacht)

In 1938, there was a pogrom against Jews where Nazis destroyed Jewish properties & humiliated them, leading many to commit suicide or leave.

The Nuremberg Laws

Were introduced in 1935.

Reich citizenship = Only ‘pure’ Germans (not Jews) could be citizens & meant that Jews couldn’t vote & spread the concept of the Aryan race.

Protection of German blood & honour = Bans interracial breeding.

The creation of Anschluss

On 3/1938, Germany takes over Austria.

The Munich Agreement

In late 1938 all the European Powers had a meeting with Hitler to avoid the incoming takeover by giving him Sudetenland if he doesn’t take anything else.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

Hitler & Joseph Stalin sign it so that Britain & France can’t form an alliance with the USSR. It meant that neither could attack each other & they also agreed to invade Poland & divide it.

WW2 starts

On 1/9/1939, Germany invades Poland.

The beginning of war in the Pacific

18/9/1931 - Japan invades Manchuria

1937- Sino-Japanese war

13/12/1937 - Rape of Nanjing

22/9/1940 - Japan invades Indochina

7/12/1941 - Bombing of Pearl Harbour

8/2/1941 - Fall of Singapore

25/12/1941 - Fall of Hong Kong

8/12/1941 - Japan invades the Philippines

19/2/1942 - Bombing of Darwin

21/7/1942 - Kokoda Campaign

When is France defeated?

17/6/1940

The evacuation of Dunkirk

On 6/1940, Nazis surround the French on a beach but Hitler doesn’t trust that the situation is that good so he tells everyone to wait. In the meantime, the British come on boats & save them.

What does it mean?

• France is invaded but the French juussttt manage to survive, stopping Germany from winning

• Vichy France (about ½ of France that’s friendly to Hitler & supports Nazis but weren’t technically German)

• Britain was alone & next

The Siege of Torbruk

Also during 6/1940, Italy enters the war on Hitler’s side & they plan to conquer Egypt through Libya, Italy. In early 1941, Australian troops lead a British counterattack into Libya, taking Bardia, Benghazi, & Torbruk. In 1942, Nazis give up.

The battle of Britain

From 10/7/1940(operation sea lion)-5/1941 Britain & Australia were able to successfully defend Britain until Germany was focused on Russia & no longer cared for Britain.

Operation Barbarossa

On 5/1941, Germany, Italy, & Japan invade Russia & by 11/1941, they get close to the capital, Moscow, but a harsh winter prevents them from taking it.

Direct attacks to Australia

19/2/1942 - 1st time Japan bombs Australia

7/7/1942 - Japanese soliders arrive in Paupa New Guinea & the Kokoda track

30/8/1943 - Australia wins

The Manhattan Project timeline

1939 - Was formed out of fear that Nazis were experimenting with nuclear weapons.

7/1945 - Trinity, the 1st bomb was successfully tested.

6/8/1945 - Hiroshima’s bombed.

9/8/1945 - Nagasaki’s bombed.

2/9/1945 - Japan surrenders.

More info

• >130,000 unknowingly helped make the bombs in a small community in a secluded desert, similar to a cult.

• Einstein played a crucial role in making it.

• About 155,000 Japanese immediately died.

• >14,000 extremely injured.

• 70% of Hiroshima’s buildings were destroyed.

• By 1950, about 200,000 had died from long-term side effects.

• America & the Soviet Union were planning to destroy Japan with the extremely costly, Operation Downfall.

• The Japanese were planning to fight until the end for their Emperor, who was seen as a God.

• Japan was gonna surrender in 6 days before they got bombed.

Reichstag Fire Decree

28/2/1933 & suspends democratic rights.

Education Act

25/2/1933 & ≤5% of each school’s students could be Jewish. Students were taught corrupt Nazi curriculum like the Aryan Race & inferiority of Jewish people.

Sterilization Law

14/7/1933 & those that Hitler thought had a disability were sterilized so that they couldn’t reproduce.

Press Censorship Law

4/10/1933 & Jews couldn’t be journalists & anything published was in the Nazi’s favor.

Jewish Name Law

From 17/8/1938, Jews had to have ‘Jewish names”.

Anti-Jewish Economy Law

From 12/11/1938, Jews couldn’t own a business.

Euthanasia Decree

1/9/1939 & >250,000 people that Hitler though had a disability were euthanised.

Jewish badges in Germany

From 1939-1942 depending on place, Jews had to have an obvious form of identification.

Death Penalty for helping Jews

5/9/1942 & anyone hiding or helping Jews were murdered.