World War II Flashcards

Flashcards covering key events, figures, and concepts of World War II.

What was considered the most devastating war in human history?

World War II

Approximately how many people died in World War II?

62 million

What treaty's unresolved problems largely contributed to the outbreak of WWII?

The Treaty of Versailles

What ideology emerged as a breeding ground for discontent after WWI?

Fascism

What is a key characteristic of fascism?

Total government control of society

How does fascism differ from communism in terms of ownership?

Fascism believes in private ownership with total control, while communism does not believe in private ownership.

In what year did Benito Mussolini come to power?

1922

In what year did Adolf Hitler become the chancellor of Germany?

1933

What was a secret agenda of the Nazi party?

To conquer a vast German empire in Europe

What is genocide?

Extermination of a whole group or race of people

What happened to Jewish shops and businesses in 1933?

They were boycotted.

What were the Nuremberg Laws of 1935?

Laws that revoked citizenship for Jews.

What was Kristallnacht?

Night of Broken Glass, an event in 1938 involving anti-Jewish violence

What did Hitler threaten in 1939 if war broke out?

Extermination of all Jews

Where was Hitler born?

Austria

What was Hitler's greatest ambition as a young man?

To become an artist

In March 1938, what country did Hitler invade and annex?

Austria

What region did Hitler demand the return of in the Munich Pact?

Sudetenland

What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

A nonaggression treaty signed with Soviets on August 23, 1939, including an agreement to carve up Poland and the Baltic states.

When did Germany invade Poland?

September 1, 1939

Which countries declared war on Germany after the invasion of Poland?

France and England.

What country proportionally suffered more than any other during WWII?

Poland

What was the 'Phony War'?

A period of relative inactivity after the fighting ended in Poland in 1939.

What happened on June 25, 1940?

France surrendered to Germany.

What was the Battle of Britain?

Major air attacks launched by Hitler against Britain's cities and its Royal Air Force, battled to a standstill.

What was Operation Barbarossa?

The code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, which began on June 22, 1941.

What was the American mentality towards the war prior to Pearl Harbor?

Most Americans did not want to enter the war, but thought it prudent to prepare for war.

What was Lend-Lease?

Direct military aid to Allies from the US government.

When did the attack on Pearl Harbor take place?

December 7, 1941

What was the result of the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Crippled but did not destroy the U.S. fleet, united the American people, and marked the end of American isolationism.

On what date did Roosevelt ask Congress to declare war on Japan?

December 8

Which Axis power did Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill decide to focus the war effort on first?

Germany

What was a major challenge for the Allies in the Atlantic during 1942-43?

German U-boats sinking Allied ships and cargo.

What was the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad?

Marked the turning point on the Eastern Front, with Germans on the defensive from that point forward.

What was Operation Torch?

The Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942.

What was the result of Operation Torch?

Surrender of 275,000 Italian and German soldiers

What was Operation Husky?

The Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943.

What happened to Mussolini during the invasion of Italy?

He fell from power

What was D-Day?

The Normandy landings, also known as Operation Overlord, which took place on June 6, 1944.

What was significant about D-Day?

Marked the beginning of superpower status and world leadership for America

On what date were French and American soldiers able to liberate Paris?

August 25, 1944

What was Operation Market-Garden?

A plan to drop airborne divisions behind enemy lines in Holland to secure highway 69 and bridges over the Rhine River, but which ultimately failed.

What was Japan's objective in obtaining 1st class status?

Would need to acquire resources by conquest

What territories did Japan invade in 1931 and 1937?

Manchuria in 1931 and the rest of China in 1937

What was the Rape of Nanking?

Atrocities committed by the Japanese army after capturing the Nationalist Chinese capital in 1937.

Why did Roosevelt deprive Japan of 90% of its oil supply and freeze Japanese assets in the U.S.?

Hoped to force a Japanese withdrawal from China

What locations were identified in the Japanese plan for surprise attacks?

East Indies (Dutch), Malaya(British), Philippines (American), and Pearl Harbor.

What was the goal of the Japanese attack according to information available in November 1941?

Wound America and then negotiate a peace

What was MacArthur's role in the Philippines?

General in command of the mixed army of Filipinos and Americans

What was the Bataan Death March?

Forced march of Allied prisoners of war in the Philippines, resulting in many deaths.

What was the significance of the Battle of the Coral Sea?

First great carrier battle in naval history; Japanese turned back providing an Allied strategic victory

What was accomplished at Midway Island after a battle June 4-7, 1942?

Turning point in all naval war, and secured another Allied victory

What was discovered JULY, 1942 that caused a battle at Guadalcanal?

Allies discover that the Japanese are building an airfield on the island

What tactic did the Americans gradually use to eat away at the Japanese empire in the Pacific?

Island hopping

What was the 'Great Marianas Turkey Shoot'?

A naval battle in which the Americans sank three Japanese aircraft carriers and shot down 600 planes.

When did General MacArthur return to the Philippines?

October 20, 1944.

What was the Battle of the Bulge?

Germany's last-ditch offensive in December 1944 to capture Antwerp and cut the Allied armies in two.

On what date did Hitler commit suicide?

April 30, 1945

What does V-E Day stand for?

Victory in Europe Day (unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany); May 7, 1945

Why did President Truman chose to use the atomic bomb?

To forestall a land invasion and spare American lives

What cities were the targets of the atomic bombs?

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On what date did the Japanese surrender?

August 14