History Major Multiple Choice

Two main alliances

Allies, Axis

Members of Allies

US, UK, Soviet Union, France

Members of Axis

Germany, Japan, Italy

League of Nations

Established after WWI meant to prevent war from happening again and meant to help distribute colonies of losing countries. Failed to prevent war

Treaty of Versailes

Treaty made after WWI mostly limited Germany in terms of how big the military could be. Germany violated it by rebuilding military and expanding territory

Munich Conference of 1938

Think appeasement essay

Japan invasion in Manchuria

 League condemned but took no action

Italy in Ethiopia (1935)

 Weak sanctions, no military response

Germany Expansion, Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia)

Western powers avoided conflict

Manchuria (1931–32)

Japan begins expansion

Nanjing Massacre:

Mass killing and atrocities

Invasion of Poland

Blitzkrieg tactics; war begins

Battle of Britain

 → First major German defeat

Attack on Pearl Harbor

→ U.S. enters war

Battle of Midway

→ Japan’s navy weakened

Battle of Stalingrad

 → Germany begins retreat

D-Day

 → Opens Western Front

Battle of the Bulge

→ Germany weakened further

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

 → Japan surrenders

Internationalism:

Cooperation between nations

Fascism:

Dictatorship with strong nationalism (Hitler, Mussolini)

Totalitarianism:

Government controls all aspects of life

Authoritarianism:

Strong central power, limited freedoms

Nationalism:

Pride and loyalty to one’s nation

Appeasement:

Giving in to aggression to avoid war

Mobilization:

Preparing for war (troops, industry)

Militarism:

Strong military emphasis

Lebensraum:

“Living space” for Germans

Blitzkrieg:

Fast, surprise attacks (“lightning war”)

Kamikaze:

Japanese suicide pilots

Genocide:

Intentional destruction of a group

Germany leader

Adolf Hitler

Italy leader:

Benito Mussolini

Japan leader:

Hideki Tojo

Soviet Union leader:

Joseph Stalin

United Kingdom leader:

Winston Churchill

United States leader:

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Legacies of the War

60+ million deaths, Massive destruction in Europe & Asia, Rise of independence movements in colonies, Beginning of nuclear age, Emergence of superpowers: United States, Soviet Union

Nuremberg Trials— Nazi leaders held accountable

Holocaust & Persecution

Targeted Groups: Jews (primary target), Roma, Mentally ill, LGBTQ individuals, Political opponents

Key Facts: ~6 million Jews killed, ~11+ million total victims,

Forms of Antisemitism: Religious: Jews blamed for Jesus’ death Racial: Nazis viewed Jews as inferior

Key Events: Nuremberg Laws→ Stripped Jews of citizenship, Kristallnacht→ Violent attacks on Jewish homes/businesses, Ghettos: Segregated Jewish areas, Wannsee Conference→ Planned genocide

Camps: Concentration camps (labor), Extermination camps (killing centers like Auschwitz)