World War II (1939-1945) (Finally Worked)

What was the Great Depression's impact globally?

Spread worldwide and caused many countries to look for new leaders.

What was imperialism in the 1930s?

Powerful nations invaded or took over nations that were not as strong.

What countries did Germany take over before WWII?

Austria & Czechoslovakia.

What countries did Italy take over in the 1930s?

Albania & Ethiopia.

What regions did Japan invade in the 1930s?

China & Manchuria.

What type of governments were in Germany, Italy, and Japan?

Dictatorships.

What was a major weakness of the League of Nations?

The League was not strong enough to stand up to Hitler.

What was the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis?

Alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan (Axis Powers).

Who was Hitler?

Leader of Germany during WWII.

How did Hitler violate the Treaty of Versailles?

“Anschluss” (annexation of Austria by Germany), remilitarizing Germany, and starting the draft.

What did Hitler promise Germany?

Revenge against Allied Nations who punished Germany after WW1.

What was Hitler’s goal in Europe?

Tried to take over most countries in Europe.

What was the Munich Pact?

Hitler and Mussolini met with leaders of England and France to discuss land and peace.

What was the result of the Munich Pact?

Hitler was given Sudetenland in return for Czech independence.

How did England and France respond to Hitler’s demands?

Practiced “appeasement.”

What is appeasement?

Giving into demands in order to keep peace.

What was the Final Solution?

Hitler’s plan to eliminate the Jewish population of Europe.

What was the Holocaust?

Systematic murder of Jewish people by the Nazis.

What happened to Jewish people during the Holocaust?

Nazis forced Jewish people into concentration camps.

What is genocide (in this context)?

Over 6 million Jewish people were killed.

What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

Non-aggression agreement between Hitler and Stalin.

What was the result of the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

They agree to not attack each other and divide Poland.

Why was the Nazi-Soviet Pact significant?

Hitler could attack Poland without Soviet interference.

What happened on 9/1/1939?

Germany invaded Poland – WWII began and England and France declared war on Germany 2 days later.

What is Blitzkrieg?

“Lightning war” – German strategy of using air raids and armored attacks to quickly defeat their targets.

What countries did Germany defeat in 1940?

Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

What happened at the Dunkirk Evacuation?

Germany trapped thousands of Allied troops on the coast of France; over 300,000 were rescued and brought to England.

What happened in June 1940?

France was defeated and England was alone.

What was the Battle of Britain?

4 month attempt by Germany to defeat England.

What was the result of the Battle of Britain?

England fought off the attacks and was able to extend the war.

Who was Winston Churchill?

Prime Minister of England who refused to surrender to Hitler and turned to the U.S. for help.

What was the U.S. position in the first two years of the war?

Neutral.

What were the Neutrality Acts?

Series of laws passed by Congress to outlaw the sending of weapons or supplies to nations at war.

Who was Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)?

Felt the U.S. should be ready to help England if they faced a major crisis.

What was FDR’s quote about aiding the Allies?

“We must be the great arsenal of democracy.”

What was the Lend-Lease Act?

Gave the president the authority to provide weapons or supplies to any nation whose defense was vital to the defense of the U.S.

What was the Atlantic Charter?

Goals of FDR and Churchill for the Allies if the U.S. would enter the war.

What were the main goals of the Atlantic Charter?

Stop Hitler and the Nazis and establish a system of world security.

Why did the U.S. cut off oil to Japan?

Dispute over Japan’s occupation of China.

What happened at Pearl Harbor?

U.S. navy base in Hawaii was attacked by Japan; Pacific Fleet was destroyed

What was the date of Pearl Harbor?

12/7/1941
December 7, 1941

What were the casualties and deaths from Pearl Harbor?

2500 Americans were killed and over 2000 were injured

What was FDR’s quote about Pearl Harbor?

“A date which will live in infamy.”

What was the U.S. response to Pearl Harbor?

Declared war on Japan and entered the war on the Allies’ side.

Who was General Douglas MacArthur?

Leader of U.S. forces in the Pacific.

What was island hopping?

U.S. strategy of defeating islands in the Pacific one by one on the way to Japan.

What happened at the Battle of the Coral Sea?

U.S. stopped Japan’s advance on Australia.

What happened at the Battle of Midway?

First major turning point for the U.S. against Japan – U.S. defeated Japan and stopped their advance toward Hawaii.

What happened at the Battle of Guadalcanal?

Major Allied offensive against Japan that eliminated many of their bases and stopped their expansion.

What was Hitler’s mistake?

Broke the Nazi-Soviet Pact and invaded the Soviet Union.

What was Operation Barbarossa?

Invasion of Soviet Union by Germany that was the longest in history.

What happened at the Battle of Stalingrad?

Most destructive battle of WWII – Soviet Union won and stopped Germany’s advance in the east; over 2 million casualties on both sides.

What/When was D-Day?

June 6, 1944 – Allied invasion against Germany in Normandy, France.

How many troops invaded on D-Day and who led them?

Over 150,000 troops; led by U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower.

What was the significance of D-Day?

Ended Nazi rule in France.

What was the Battle of the Bulge?

Dec 1944 – Allies defeated Germany along the borders of Belgium and France.

Who led the U.S. forces at the Battle of the Bulge?

U.S. General George Patton.

What was the result of the Battle of the Bulge?

It was Hitler’s last offensive.

What happened at the Yalta Conference (Feb 1945)

Big 3 Allies met to discuss the future of Europe and the division of Germany after the war

Who were the 3 big leaders who met at the Yalta Conference

FDR, Churchill, and StalinW

What did Stalin promise at the Yalta Conference

Stalin promised to help the U.S. against Japan and allow free government in Poland and Eastern Europe

When is V-E Day, and what happened?

May 7, 1945, Victory in Europe day - Germany surrendered

What were the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa?

2 of the war’s bloodiest battles in which the U.S. defeated Japan and prepared to invade the mainland

What happened at the Potsdam Conference (July 1945)?

Allies issued an ultimatum to Japan to surrender or face total destruction

What was the result of the Potsdam Conference?

Japan refused to surrender so the U.S. decided to use the atomic bomb

What happened in August of 1945?

U.S. dropped 2 bombs on Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

What happened in Hiroshima?

1st atomic bomb was dropped, over 70,000 died but Japan did not surrenderW

What happened in Nagasaki?

2nd atomic bomb was dropped, over 40,000 died

What was the outcome of the bombing of Nagasaki?

Japan surrendered and WW2 ended