Great Depression, Totalitarianism, and WWII Review

Flashcards about the Great Depression, Totalitarianism, and WWII.

What was the economic cause of the Great Depression?

Speculators drove up stock prices to unrealistic levels leading to a crash.

Why was the Soviet Union less affected by the Great Depression?

The Soviet Union had a planned economy.

Why did WWII begin in 1939 after Hitler invaded Poland?

Due to the failure of the policy of appeasement.

What was the motive behind Japanese imperialism in Asia?

To obtain natural resources for Japanese industry.

Why was Hitler able to take the Rhineland, Sudetenland, and Austria?

Due to the policy of appeasement.

How did the use of radar and sonar help the Allies win WWII?

Helping them anticipate the moves of their enemies.

What did Adolf Hitler pledge to achieve popular support in the early 1930s elections?

To withdraw Germany from the League of Nations.

Why did Totalitarian dictatorships gain power in Europe between WWI & WWII?

New democracies failed to meet the needs of most people.

What was the name of the type of warfare the Germans used, involving planes and mechanized units taking large amounts of land very quickly?

Blitzkrieg.

What was the result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941?

It drew the US into WWII.

Why did the US use island-hopping?

To cut off Japanese forces in the Pacific.

Under what conditions did Japan surrender unconditionally in WWII?

After atomic bombs were dropped.

What was the outcome after the Battle of the Bulge?

The Allies were victorious and advanced into Germany.

What did FDR use to ease the effects of the Great Depression?

The New Deal.

What was the Holocaust?

The systematic murder by the Nazis of the Jews and others who were considered undesirable.

Why are the Nuremberg trials considered an important event in the 20th century?

They established principles of responsibility for human rights violations.

Why was the United Nations formed in 1945?

To mediate and, if necessary, to intervene in international disputes between nations.

Why were thousands of Japanese Americans interned in relocation camps?

Based on their ancestry.

Why were the Allies victorious over Germany in WWII?

The Soviets had the larger army, Americans manufactured more weapons, and Germany faced war on several fronts.