Unit 2 History Review: 1929-1945

Inculdes major events such as Prohibion, Stock market crash, Statue of Westminster, WW2, etc

Prohibition

The illegalization of alcohol in Canada which by the 1920s was enforced across the country.

Why was prohibition enacted?

Prohibition was enacted because people believed alcohol was the main reason for many of their problems and by banning it would end poverty, crime, disease and domestic abuse

Who was responsible for enacting prohibition?

The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). The organization whose generations of effort resulted in the enactment of prohibition, believing alcohol was an obstacle to success and religious purity.

What is a Speakeasie?

A secret bar or club that operated illegally during Prohibition, allowing people to consume alcohol.

What were some outcomes of prohibition?

Organized crime, speakeasies, and increased law enforcement efforts. As well as lost in tax revenue from legal alcohol sales

Bootlegging

The illegal distribution of alcohol which led to the formation of organized crime syndicates during the prohibition era.

What was Black Tuesday?

October 29, 1929 the day the stock market crashed and the official beginning of the Great Depression.

Why was there a stock market crash?

The stock market crashed because of many different factors including: buying on the margin, overproduction and rising stock prices

Buying on margin

The process of paying a small percentage of a stock's value (a small amount up front) and borrowing the rest from a bank or financial broker.

Overproduction

A cause of the market crash where factories increased production while wages did not rise at the same rate, leaving companies unable to sell their goods.

How did rising stock prices contribute to market crash

Stock prices rose very quickly and many people believed that it would continue to rise forever. This led to a surge in buying and borrowing to just sell them for a profit later

How did the stock market crash affect Canadians?

Negatively affected Canada since the US was Canada's biggest trading partner. Export prices plummeted on lumber, cattle and cars. In the 1930s many Canadians lost their jobs, leading to business shutting down and citizens filing for bankruptcy

Statute of Westminster

An Act created by the British Government in 1931 that gave full legal and political freedom to the Government of Canada.

Why was the Statute of Westminster created?

The statute was created because Canada wanted more political freedom. Britain sent former British PM to investigate the political reform issue and wrote the Balfour Report.

Balfour Report

A report by former British PM Arthur Balfour stating that Canada and other British dominions should have political independence within their own countries.

What were the main freedoms the the main freedoms the Statute of Westminster gave Canada?

• British parliament can no longer make laws for Canada

• Canada can modify or repeal past British made legislation

• Canada has a right to its own foreign policy

• Virtual political independence from Britain

What was the On-to-Ottawa-Trek?

A protest movement by workers from Federal Unemployment Relief camps

who went on strike to demand higher wages and better conditions during the Great Depression.

Who was involved in the On-to-Ottawa-Trek?

The Workers’ Unity League (WUL), led by officer Arthur (Slim) Evans, that organized the strike and protest involving thousands of relief camp workers.

What was the Regina Riot?

A violent riot on July 1, 1935 sparked by the arrest of Arthur Evans and other protest leaders, leading to the collapse of the On-to-Ottawa-Trek.

How did Hitler break the Treaty of Versailles?

Hitler broke rule after rule in the treaty of Versailles. 

• He expanded the military and re-militated the Rhineland. 

• He supported and fought with the Fascist party Falange Espanola de las JONs during the Spanish Civil war

• Annexes Austria

• He Invaded Poland

Munich Agreement

An agreement proposed by Benito Mussolini, stating there would be no more German advancements into other countries.

Why did the other world powers allow Hitler to break the Treaty of Versailles?

1. Fear of starting another war

2. Many countries believed the Treaty of Versailles was too harsh. So they let Germany claim what they thought was “rightfully” theirs

When and how did WWII begin?

WW2 began on September 1, 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland

Miracle at Dunkirk

An event from May 26 - June 3, 1940: where civilians saved over 300,000 allied troops from the advancing German army.

Battle of Britain

July 10 - Oct 31, 1940: Hitler wanted to invade the British isles so he bombed Britain in attempts to bring them to submission. Hitler realized he could not cripple The Royal Air Force and quit the campaign

Operation Barbarossa

Germany's plan to invade the Soviet Union, which broke the Treaty of Non Aggression between the two countries

Battle of the Bulge

Also known as the Ardennes Offensive, this was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front, occurring from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945.

VE Day

Celebrates the end of WW2 in Europe when Germany unconditionally surrendered on May 8, 1945. 

What was D-Day/Operation Overload?

June 6, 1944: The attack day during the Battle of Normandy. The allies had been preparing to take Normandy and capture the Germans in a huge attack. 

What was the conclusion of D-Day?

The Allies launched a major offensive in August 1944, closing the Falaise Gap on August 20. After a summer of difficult fighting, the Normandy campaign ended on August 21, 1944.

Timeline of Persecution Leading to the Holocaust:

1933: Hitler became Chancellor, gained dictatorial powers, and introduced anti-Jewish laws
1935: The Nuremberg Laws removed Jewish citizenship.
1938: Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) led to the destruction of Jewish businesses and synagogues.
1941: The Nazis began the systematic mass murder of Jewish people through the Final Solution.

The Reichstag Fire Decree

A decree issued on February 28, 1933, that suspended civil liberties including freedom of speech, assembly, and the press.

What was the first concentration camp?

Dachau, established on March 22, 1933 for political opponents and other groups considered "undesirable."

Enabling Act

On March 23, 1933 The Enabling Act gives Hitler dictatorial powers and dissolves the legislative and judicial branches of government.

Nuremberg Laws

September 15, 1935 - Laws that stripped Jewish people of German citizenship and prohibited marriage or sexual relationships between Jews and non-Jews.

Kristallnacht (Nigh of Broken Glass)

November 9-10, 1938: The destruction of Jewish businesses and synagogues, the deaths of up to 1,000 Jewish people, and 20,000 arrested and sent to concentration camps

How did the Nazi Party develop the Final Solution?

1941: General Reinhard Heydrich designed huge gas chambers in concentration camps as part of the Final Solution to kill large numbers of Jewish people more efficiently.

Nuremberg Trials

Trials held from November 20, 1945 to October 1, 1946 where 23 powerful Nazi leaders faced prosecution for their actions.

• 12 were sentenced to death, 

• 3 were sentenced to life in prison

• 4 were sentenced to 10-20 years

• And 3 were acquitted

Nakba

1948: The displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians that coincided with the creation of the state of Israel and the Arab-Israeli War.

Propaganda

The use of information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread to help or harm a person, group, movement, or nation.

How did the Canadian government use propaganda during WWII?

The Canadian government used propaganda to get Canadians to help support the war effort: recruiting soldiers, buying victory bonds, working in factories, rationing food and other supplies, etc

What did the Canadian government use to for propaganda?

While posters were commonly used they weren't the only form of propaganda. Many movie companies were paid to create videos and cartoons

When did WW2 start and end?

September 1, 1939 - September 2,1945