ww1-2

William II (Kaiser Wilhelm II)

German emperor during WWI; his militarism and aggression helped spark the war.

Franz Ferdinand

Austrian archduke whose assassination triggered WWI.

Czar Nicholas II

Last Russian czar; overthrown during WWI.

Woodrow Wilson

U.S. president during WWI; proposed the Fourteen Points.

David Lloyd George

British prime minister at Versailles; wanted to punish Germany.

Franz Joseph

Austro-Hungarian emperor during early WWI.

V. I. Lenin

Leader of the Bolshevik Revolution; withdrew Russia from WWI.

Adolf Hitler

Dictator of Nazi Germany; started WWII and led the Holocaust.

Charles de Gaulle

Leader of Free France during WWII.

Benito Mussolini

Fascist dictator of Italy; allied with Hitler.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

U.S. president for most of WWII; led U.S. through Depression and war.

Joseph Stalin

Soviet dictator; led USSR during WWII.

Hirohito

Emperor of Japan during WWII.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Supreme Allied Commander; led D-Day.

Douglas MacArthur

U.S. general in the Pacific; led island-hopping.

Harry Truman

U.S. president who decided to drop the atomic bombs.

Bernard Montgomery

British general; key commander in North Africa and Europe.

Erwin Rommel

German general known as the Desert Fox; led Afrika Korps.

Winston Churchill

British prime minister during WWII; opposed appeasement.

Anne Frank

Jewish girl whose diary documented hiding during the Holocaust.

Why was Europe like a powder keg in the 1800s?

Nationalism, militarism, imperialism, and alliances created explosive tension.

What was the spark that started WWI?

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Why did major powers join WWI?

Alliances, nationalism, imperial competition, and desire for power.

Describe trench warfare.

Deep trenches, stalemate, high casualties, little movement.

What happened at Gallipoli?

Allied attempt to open supply route to Russia; failed against Ottomans.

How did WWI advance technology?

Tanks, machine guns, poison gas, aircraft, improved artillery.

What was the Schlieffen Plan?

Germany’s plan to defeat France quickly through Belgium.

Countries of the Ottoman Empire before WWI

Controlled Turkey, Middle East, North Africa, and parts of the Balkans.

How did countries side up in WWI?

Allies vs. Central Powers based on alliances and rivalries.

What is total war?

Entire society mobilized for war.

What is stalemate?

Neither side can advance.

Why did the U.S. enter WWI?

Submarine attacks, Zimmermann Telegram, economic ties to Allies.

What did Russia do during WWI?

Withdrew after revolution due to collapse and unrest.

Purpose of the Treaty of Versailles

To create peace; punished Germany heavily.

Describe the Treaty of Versailles

Blamed Germany, forced reparations, reduced military, lost territory.

Spoils gained during WWI

Territory, colonies, and political influence for winners.

Long-lasting effect of Versailles

German resentment leading to WWII.

Short-term effects of WWI

Economic crisis, political instability, new borders.

What was the Great Depression?

Global economic collapse starting in 1929.

How did Hitler and Nazis change Germany?

Created dictatorship, persecuted minorities, expanded territory, caused WWII.

What is fascism?

Authoritarian nationalism led by a dictator.

What is totalitarianism?

Government controls all aspects of life.

What is Nazism?

German fascism based on racism and dictatorship.

Similarities between Germany, Italy, Japan

Militaristic, expansionist, authoritarian.

What is the League of Nations?

Post-WWI peacekeeping organization.

Why did the League of Nations fail?

No enforcement power; U.S. didn’t join.

What is appeasement?

Giving in to aggression to avoid conflict.

How did the U.S. respond to Nazi aggression?

Neutrality at first, then Lend-Lease aid to Allies.

Examples of Japanese expansion in the 1930s

Manchuria, China, Pacific islands.

What event triggered WWII?

Germany invaded Poland in 1939.

Causes of the Holocaust

Antisemitism, Nazi ideology, propaganda, totalitarian control.

Nazi beliefs and Britain’s response

Aryan superiority; Britain appeased at first.

What was the Maginot Line?

French defenses Germany bypassed through Belgium.

Miracle of Dunkirk

Mass evacuation of Allied troops; saved British army.

What was Operation Sea Lion?

Germany’s failed plan to invade Britain.

What happened in the Battle of Britain?

Britain resisted German bombing and won.

What happened at Leningrad?

German siege causing starvation; Soviets held.

What happened at Stalingrad?

Turning point; Soviets defeated Germany.

How and why did the U.S. enter WWII?

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

What happened at the Battle of the Bulge?

Germany’s last offensive; Allies stopped it.

Significance of the Battle of the Bulge

Drained German forces; sped Allied victory.

What was D-Day?

Allied invasion of Normandy.

What was the Pacific War like?

Island-hopping, brutal fighting, naval battles.

What was V-E Day?

Victory in Europe.

What was V-J Day?

Victory over Japan.

What was the Manhattan Project?

U.S. program to build atomic bombs.

Who decided to drop the atomic bomb?

Harry Truman.

What was the Yalta Conference?

Allied meeting planning postwar Europe.

What was the Potsdam Conference?

Set terms for Japan and postwar occupation.

How did Allies turn the tide in Europe?

D-Day, Soviet advances, bombing, cutting supplies.

What was the world like after WWII?

Cold War, UN formed, rebuilding, decolonization.

Do you agree with the atomic bomb decision?

Ended war quickly but caused massive civilian deaths (opinion-based).

What was the Holocaust?

Nazi genocide of six million Jews and others.

How did Nazi Germany emerge?

Economic crisis, political instability, Hitler’s rise.

How did Nazis target Jews?

Propaganda, discrimination, violence, ghettos, deportation, murder.

What were the Nuremberg Race Laws?

Laws stripping Jews of rights and citizenship.

How did the Nuremberg Laws affect Jews?

Banned from jobs, marriage, public life.

What was Kristallnacht?

Violent Nazi attack on Jewish homes, businesses, synagogues.

What were ghettos?

Isolated, overcrowded districts Jews were forced into.

What were concentration camps?

Prison and death camps for forced labor and mass murder.