Humanities Semester 1 2026: World War I, Weimar Republic, and the Holocaust

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering the key people, dates, terms, and ideologies from the humanities lecture notes on World War I, the Weimar Republic, Hitler's rise, and the Holocaust.

When did World War I officially begin and end?

$28/07/1914$ to $11/11/1918$.

Identify the nations in the Triple Alliance (Central Powers).

Germany, Austria Hungary, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire.

Identify the nations in the Triple Entente.

Britain, France, Russia, and the United States (who entered in $1917$).

On what date was the Treaty of Versailles signed?

$28/06/1919$.

What was the specific financial cost of the Treaty of Versailles reparations bill for Germany?

$132$ billion gold marks.

According to the Treaty of Versailles, how many men was the German army restricted to?

$100,000$ men.

What was the significance of the Rhineland under the Treaty of Versailles?

It was a $50\text{km}$ wide buffer zone where no German troops, weapons, or fortifications were allowed.

Define Hyperinflation as experienced in the Weimar Republic.

A very high and usually accelerating rate of inflation that rapidly erodes the real value of the local currency.

What was the price of a loaf of bread in Germany in November 1923?

$200,000,000,000$ marks.

When was Adolf Hitler appointed as Chancellor?

$30/01/1933$, appointed by President Hindenburg.

What event on February 28, 1933, was used by Hitler to suspend civil liberties?

The Reichstag Fire, which led to the Reichstag Fire Decree.

What was the function of the Enabling Act of March 1933?

It gave Hitler the power to pass laws without the consent of Parliament.

What were the two components of the Nuremberg Race Laws passed on September 15, 1935?

The Reich Citizenship Law and the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour.

How did the Nuremberg Laws define a person as 'Jewish'?

By having three or four Jewish grandparents, treating identity as a biological and racial characteristic.

What was the purpose of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games for the Nazi Party?

To showcase a modern, powerful, and united Germany and to prove the Nazi theory of 'Aryan' supremacy.

Define 'Lebensraum' in the context of Nazi ideology.

Meaning 'living space,' it was the policy of expanding territories to become self-sufficient and bring all German ethnic people under one control.

What was 'Anschluss' in March 1938?

The union where Adolf Hitler took control of Austria and joined it into Germany.

What happened during Kristallnacht on November 9-10, 1938?

A state-sponsored wave of violence involving the destruction of Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues, also known as the 'Night of Broken Glass.'

What date marks the beginning of World War II?

$01/09/1939$, when Germany invaded Poland.

What was 'Operation Barbarossa' launched on June 22, 1941?

The codename for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, involving over $3.8$ million Axis troops.

Who were the Einsatzgruppen?

Mobile killing squads made up mostly of SS, Gestapo, and security police that carried out mass shootings in Eastern Europe.

What was the 'Judenrat' within the Nazi occupied territories?

A Council of Jewish Elders made responsible for implementing Nazi directives within a Jewish community or ghetto.

Identify the individual who served as the head of the Warsaw Ghetto and committed suicide in 1942.

Adam Czerniakow.

When did the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising occur?

It began on $April\,23,\,1943$, and the rebels fought the Germans for three weeks.

What was the significance of Auschwitz-Birkenau?

It was the largest Nazi extermination and concentration camp, where over a million Jews were murdered.

What gas was used in the extermination chambers at Auschwitz?

Zyklon B.

Who was Rudolf Hoess?

The commander of Auschwitz who oversaw the extermination of Jews and the introduction of Zyklon B.

Define 'Eugenics' in Nazi ideology.

The scientific study into perfecting future humans by weeding out 'undesirable' traits, used to justify the 'Master Race Theory.'

What was the 'Phoney War'?

The period between September 1939 and 1940 where Britain and France had declared war on Germany but did not launch major offensives.

What was the 'Blitz'?

A German bombing campaign against Britain from September 1940 to May 1941, resulting in the deaths of $43,000$ civilians.