Honors US History II WWII Test

Causes of WWII

1. Treaty of Versailles

2. Hitler becomes Chancellor

3. Fire at Reichstag

4. Nuremberg Laws

5. Kristallnacht

6. Hitler annexes Austria

7. Munich Conference

8. Hitler invades Czechoslovakia

9. Germany invades Poland

Treaty of Versailles

the treaty imposed on Germany by the Allied powers in 1920 after the end of World War I which demanded exorbitant reparations from the Germans

Hitler becomes Chancellor

1933

Fire at Reichstag

1933 - Hitler blamed this event on communists and gave himself an excuse to take COMPLETE POWER of Germany.

Night of the Long Knives (1934)

The arrest and murder of many of Hitler's political opponents

Nuremberg Laws

1935 laws defining the status of Jews and withdrawing citizenship from persons of non-German blood.

Kristallnacht

(Night of the Broken Glass) November 9, 1938, when mobs throughout Germany destroyed Jewish property and terrorized Jews.

Annexation of Austria

took place in March 1938 as an attempt to reintergrate all Germans into a single homeland. Europe's major powers Britain and France did nothing about it

Munich Conference

1938 conference at which European leaders attempted to appease Hitler by turning over the Sudetenland to him in exchange for promise that Germany would not expand Germany's territory any further.

Invasion of Czechoslovakia

1939 - when Germany took over the Sudetenland (western part of Czechoslovakia) after annexing Austria because of claims that many Germans still lived there

Invasion of Poland

September 1, 1939 - Germany invaded, breaking their agreement, so Britain and France declared war, starting World War II

Great Britain and France declare war

September 3, 1939 - due to Germany invading Poland

Destroyers-for-bases agreement

US gives GB ships for "free" and they let the US build naval bases on British colonial territory

Lend-Lease program

Act of 1941 that permitted the US to led or lease arms and other supplies to the Allies, signifying an increasing likelihood of American involvement in WWII

Why didn't the US do more?

Isolationism - A national policy of avoiding involvement in world affairs

Great Arsenal of Democracy

describes the idea that the us must become the producer of war materials

Japanese Internment

Japanese and Japanese Americans were placed in camps beginning in 1942; established by executive order 9066, an act signed by FDR

Pearl Harbor

United States military base on Hawaii that was bombed by Japan, bringing the United States into World War II. Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941.

When did America drop atomic bombs on Japan?

8/6 - Hiroshima

8/9 - Nagasaki

Soviet Reaction to America bombing on Japan

Soviets declare war on Japan

US attitude towards the Holocaust

While the public was outwardly critical of the treatment of jews in Germany, America did not want to accept jewish refugees into the country, and did little to stop the Holocaust or remedy the anti-semitism in the country.

Evian Conference

Hosted in Evian, France in 1938, "addresses" "problem" of jewish refugees

Battle of Britain

An aerial battle fought in World War II in 1940 between the German Luftwaffe (air force), which carried out extensive bombing in Britain, and the British Royal Air Force, which offered successful resistance.

American Neutrality

US reinforces neutrality by passing neutrality acts after WWII begins to ramp up

Neutrality Act of 1935, 1936, 1937

Short-sighted acts passed in 1935, 1936, and 1937 in order to prevent American participation in a European War. Among other restrictions, they prevented Americans from selling munitions to foreign belligerents (nations involved in war).

cash-and-carry

Britain and France could buy goods from the United States if they paid in full and transported them.

spanish civil war

civil war in Spain in which General Franco succeeded in overthrowing the republican government, Hitler helped them because they were similarly against communism/he wanted to prepare for WWII

What countries did Germany blitzkrieg?

Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France

Holocaust

A methodical plan orchestrated by Hitler to ensure German supremacy. It called for the elimination of Jews, non-conformists, homosexuals, non-Aryans, and mentally and physically disabled.

Arguments for/against WWII

for: protecting democracy and aiding Britain and France

against: us is already in a ton of debt from the GD, isolationism policy (not getting involved in Europe's wars)

Arguments for/against atomic bomb

for: would work in intimidating the soviet union, end the war early/prevent an invasion in the US and save american lives

against: would probably kill lots of average japanese civilians

d-day

June 6, 1944 - Led by Eisenhower to liberate Nazi-occupied France/Western Europe, over a million troops (the largest invasion force in history) stormed the beaches at Normandy and began the process of re-taking France. The turning point of World War II.

Adolf Hitler

The leader of the Nazi party in Germany. He won over Germany after the Treaty of Versailles which made Germany have an Unstable Gov + Hyperinflation + middle class becoming poor + abolishing air airforces, basically Germany is unhappy and needs a better leader. He first becomes Chancellor in 1933 then the Fire at Reichstag happened which allowed Hitler to say that "communism is uprising" and the Germans need a government to fight this communism.

Franklin Roosevelt

President during WWII and lead the US through the war

Winston Churchill

military leader during battle of the Bulge, lead the US to victory, Government of UK

Neville Chamberlain

prime minister of the UK, known for his policy of appeasement toward GER

Harry Truman

President after the bombing of Japan. Attended the Potsdam Conference and was President during the Red Scare.

Axis Powers

Germany, Italy, Japan

Allied Powers

Great Britain, France, Russia

Operation Barbarossa

Germany invading/attacking the Soviet Union. This was a failure for Germany since the Soviet Union didn't crumble.

Battle of the Bulge

bloodiest battle during WWII and slowing down the war in Europe.

Yalta Conference

Prez Roosevelt (US), Churchill (GB), Stalin (USSR), planned defeat of GER and the reorganization of Europe

Potsdam Conference

Prez Truman, Stalin, and Churchill finalized the division of Europe and a final demand to Japan

Duration of the War

Sep 1, 1939 (GER invades Poland) → Sep 2, 1945 (Japan surrenders)

Lebensraum

"living space", seize land and resources to ensure GER's supremacy

Fascism

Authoritarian system led by a dictator that holds all power, prioritizes nation over individual

Atlantic Charter

Declaration signed by Prez Roosevelt + British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to outline their vision for a post-WWII world. 8 principles = neither country sought to expand territory. Free trade, disarmament, freedom of the seas, right of all ppl to choose their own gov

Beer Hall Putsch

Failed coup attempt by Hitler in 1923.