WWII Exam Revision

Treaty of Versailles signing

28 June 1919

Big 4 at the TOV signing

Georges Clemenceau of France, David Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, Woodrow Wilson of USA

November 1918 Armistice

Germany signed this believing they would only be accepting Woodrow Wilson's 14-point plan

Justification used for the TOV and severity of outcomes

Germany taking complete blame for starting WWII (Clause 231)

Key outcomes of the TOV

Blame, Reparations, Armed Forces, Territory

Clause 231

"War guilt" clause in the TOV forcing Germany to accept complete blame for starting WW1

Reparations

Germany had to pay 6,600 million pounds in reparations for their role and damage caused in WW1

Restriction of German armed forces

The Germany army was restricted to 100,000 men, conscription was banned, no submarines were allowed and the navy was limited to 6 battleships

German territory loss in TOV

Germany lost 13% of its land, 1/10th of its population,ALL of its colonies and the Rhineland was demilitarised

Hyperinflation

A very rapid rise in the cost of goods; an extremely high rate of inflation causing the value of the currency to decline.

Effect of hyperinflation on Germany

Loss of savings for the middle class, growing resentment and distrust in Weimar government and rapidly rising prices of basic goods leading to desperate Germans wanting solutions

Stab in the back myth

The belief that the German Weimar government who had signed the Treaty of Versailles had betrayed the nation and the German soldiers who had fought in WWI by accepting the severe terms

Reasons for Hitler's rise to power

Hyperinflation, Great Depression 1929, lack of faith/trust in Weimar government (stab in the back, economic collapse), appeal to nationalism, resentment and impact of TOV

NSDAP votes won in the 1932 Reichstag elections

37.8% of all votes (first election after the Great Depression)

Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany

30 January 1933

Reichstag fire

27 February 1933, 5 days before the next election

Reichstag Fire Decree

28 February 1933, suspension of civil liberties including censorship and the arrest of Nazi political opponents

Enabling Act passed

24 March 1933, giving Hitler the power to make laws without the consent of the Reichstag (government)

Appeasement

The policy of negotiating with aggressive foreign powers to avoid war

Reasons for appeasement

Britain and France hoped to avoid a second world war, US isolationist policy and worldwide economic problems (Great Depression)

Rearmament of the Wehrmacht

Conscription reintroduced, all members swear the 'Hitler Oath', jewish people dishonourably discharged

Anglo-German Naval Agreement

June 1935, signed by Hitler and Chamberlain allowing German navy to equal 35% of British surface ships and 45% of British submarines

Remilitarisation of the Rhineland

7 March 1936, German military marches 3000 troops into the Rhineland, France and Britain do not enforce TOV

Anschluss

15 March 1938, Hitler announces the reunification of Austria and Germany after German troops entered Austria to support their new Nazi government

Sudetenland

German speaking area of Czechoslovakia sharing the eastern German border

Munich Agreement

29 September 1938, Sudetenland is given to Germany by Britain, France and Italy in exchange for no further demands for land by Hitler

Occupation of Sudetenland

1 October 1938, Hitler marches into the Sudetenland after Munich Agreement

Invasion of Czechoslovakia

15 March 1939, Hitler invades Czechoslovakia breaking the Munich Agreement - the end of appeasement

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact August 1939

Signed by Molotov (Soviet Prime Minister) and Ribbentrop (Nazi foreign minister), agreeing to nonagression and dividing Europe into Soviet and German spheres of influence

Start of WWII

1 September 1939, invasion of Poland

Britain declares war on Germany

3rd September 1939

Blitzkreig

"Lighting war" German military strategy that used a sudden, massive attack with combined air and ground forces, intended to achieve a quick victory

German invasion early WWII

'Phony war' - limited fighting as German invades and controls Denmark, Norway, Belgium and France

Battle of Britain

July-October 1940, Luftwaffe conduct a major bombing campaign in Britain (including the Blitz in London) - ultimately unsuccessful

Reasons for Japanese expansionism

Dissatisfaction with the TOV, rejection of the West and their influence/control over Asia, economic and land ownership sought following Great Depression

Invasion of Manchuria

Japanese forces invade and control region of China in late 1931 with claims of retaliation after the Manchurian Incident - beginning Japan's expansion across the Asia-Pacific

Tripartite Pact signed

27 September, 1940, Japan, Germany and Italy (Axis Powers) officially declared their alliance by signing this agreement - shared views on fascism and expansionism

Short term reasons for Pearl Harbour bombing

July 1941, USA froze all Japanese assets preventing them from accessing American oil.

"A day of infamy"

December 7 1941 - the bombing of Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, USA

Isolationism

A policy of non-participation in international economic and political relations. The USA employed this policy until the bombing of Pearl Harbour.

Significance of Pearl Harbour

Brought the USA into WWII after they declared war on Japan on 8 December 1941.

Singapore Strategy

The cooperative building of a military and naval base by Australia and Singapore in the Pacific providing security to other countries in the South East Pacific region.

Significance of the fall of Singapore for Australia

It cemented the shift of Australia's major alliance from Britain to the USA after being declared "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history."

Bombing of Darwin

19 February 1942

Significance of the bombing of Darwin

Australia was far from the theatre of war, it was the first time that Australian mainland had come under direct enemy military attack.

Operation Barbarossa

22 June 1941, the invasion of the Soviet Union by the Nazis - was ultimately a failure for Germany and led to their retreat in 1943

Role of women on the Australian Home Front

As men were drafted in WW2, women began to fill the gaps in the Australian workforce that were left behind. Played a crucial role in beginning to reshape attitudes towards working women, women's participation in the workforce increased by 31% from 1939 - 1943.

POWs

Prisoners of War, Japan particularly captured many Allied forces during combats across the Asia-Pacific, including over 30,000 Australians.

Sandakan Death Marches

Forced marches of POWs from Sandakan, Borneo to Ranau - 30 prisoners survived across both death marches from 1941-1943

Kokoda Campaign

21 July 1942 - 23 January 1943; A part of the Pacific War of World War II, a series of battles fought between Japanese and primarily Australian forces in Papua New Guinea (an Australian territory at the time)

Australian soldiers fighting at Kokoda

Soldiers sent to Kokoda were very young and inexperienced men, Australia's best soldiers were fighting in Europe

Significance of Kokoda for Australia

An unlikely victory that stands as an icon of Australia's participation in WWII, the beginning of Japan's retreat on land across the Asia-Pacific

Major operation at the end of WWII

Operation D-Day (Normandy Invasion) June 6 1944, successful invasion of Allied troops to mainland Europe (through France)

End of WWII for Germany

Hitler commits suicide and Germany surrenders a week later on 7 May 1945

Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

6th and 9th August 1945 - the US drops two atomic bombs on Japan causing long-lasting destruction and death

End of WWII

2 September 1945; Japan formally surrenders after the atomic bombs were dropped