mod 14 questions and summaries

Who were the principal partners in the Axis alliance?

Germany, Italy, and Japan.

What was the main goal of the Axis nations?

Territorial expansion through military conquest and destroying Soviet communism.

Who were the original Allied powers opposing Germany?

France and Britain.

What did the United States do after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?

Entered on the side of the Allies.

What did the Declaration of the United Nations declare?

Opposition to the aggression of the Axis powers and their commitment to the defense of "life, liberty, independence, and religious freedom."

What did the Atlantic Charter declare?

Britain and the United States sought no territorial gains.

Did some nations switch sides during the war?

Yes.

What does Lesson 1 show?

How the war began and expanded in the European theater.

What did the Anti-Comintern Pact do?

Directed at the Soviet Union to stop the spread of communism.

What did the Tripartite Pact do?

Formed the Axis alliance.

What did the Axis nations want to do?

Territorial expansion and destroying Soviet communism.

What did the Allied powers oppose?

Totalitarianism and Hitler's expansionist ideology.

Who switched sides during the war?

Some nations.

What did the Declaration of the United Nations commit to?

Defense of "life, liberty, independence, and religious freedom."

What was the nonaggression pact?

Alliance between USSR and Germany

What was the plan for Poland?

Divide it between Germany and USSR

What countries did the USSR occupy?

Eastern Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia

When did France and Britain declare war on Germany?

After Germany invaded Poland but Poland had already been defeated

What was the result of the German invasion of Poland?

Poland was defeated by September 3, 1939

Where did Germany launch a surprise invasion?

Ardennes Forest in Belgium and northern France

When did France surrender?

June 22, 1940

What was the Battle of Britain?

Heavy airstrikes by Germany on Britain as well as nightly bombings

What was the initial target of the German bombings?

Military targets, such as airfields

When did Germany call off the air war against Britain?

May 1941

Why did Italy invade North Africa?

To capture Egypt's Suez Canal

What is the significance of the Suez Canal?

Key transportation route between Middle Eastern oil fields and the Mediterranean

When did British and Allied forces strike back in North Africa?

December 1940

What did Hitler send to counter the Allied advance in North Africa?

Fast-moving tank units

When did Hitler launch his invasion of the Soviet Union?

June 1941

What were the Soviet defenses that the Germans met fierce resistance in?

Leningrad, Stalingrad, and Moscow

What was Japan's first expansion?

Manchuria in northeastern China.

What did Japan do when they met resistance in China?

Turned to Southeast Asia and American outposts.

What event brought the United States into the war?

The bombing of Pearl Harbor.

What type of naval warfare developed in the Pacific?

Aircraft carrier-based naval warfare.

What was the key to winning the war in the Pacific?

Strategic use of carriers.

What was the importance of the Battle of Midway?

It was a major turning point in the war against Japan.

What did the Allies primarily have to fend off in Europe?

German submarines.

What did airplanes do in the Pacific theater?

Provided support for ground assaults and did devastating damage to naval fleets.

What did the American fleet know about the Japanese attack on Midway Island?

They knew the Japanese were coming.

What did the American fleet do during the Battle of Midway?

Surprised the Japanese, crippled their fleet, and drove them away.

What did Japan bomb after Pearl Harbor?

Hong Kong, Guam, Wake Island, Thailand, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian targets.

What did Japan gain from attacking Southeast Asia?

Resources to support their war efforts.

What did Japan do after attacking Southeast Asia?

Achieved a series of victories.

What did Japan turn to after meeting resistance in China?

Valuable European colonies of Southeast Asia and American outposts.

What happened in November 1942?

100,000 Allied troops landed in Morocco and Algeria.

What happened in May 1943?

The German army was defeated.

What happened on the eastern front?

Germany made a push to seize the oil fields in the Caucasus Mountains and capture Stalingrad.

What happened during the Battle of Stalingrad?

The Germans controlled nearly 90 percent of the city, but Soviet forces held on and the battle ended in February 1943 with the surrender of 90,000 German troops.

What did Stalin want Britain and the United States to do?

Invade France.

What did the Allies decide to do instead?

Invade Italy in July 1943.

What did Hitler have to do?

Send his own forces to stall the Allied advance up the Italian peninsula.

What was D-Day?

The invasion of German-held France on June 6, 1944.

What happened by September 1944?

France, Belgium, and Luxembourg had been liberated.

What happened in the Battle of the Bulge?

The Germans counterattacked in the Ardennes Forest, but the Allies drove them back.

When did the Allies enter Germany from the west?

March 1945.

What happened in Berlin?

Soviet troops advancing from the east surrounded it.

When did Germany surrender?

May 9, 1945.

What did the Soviet army do after Stalingrad?

They went on the offensive.

What was happening in the Pacific during the fall of 1944?

Allies stopped Japanese advance and began to make gains.

When did U.S. forces return to the Philippines?

October 1944.

What was the strategy of U.S. troops in the South Pacific?

Moving from one island to another.

Why was capturing Japan difficult?

Estimates suggested an invasion might cost the Allies half a million soldiers.

What was the advice given to President Truman?

To use the atomic bomb to quickly end the war.

When did the United States drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

August 1945.

How many people were killed in the atomic bombings?

More than 140,000 people.

When did the Japanese officially surrender?

September 2, 1945.

What is total war?

A war where all resources are devoted to the war effort.

What is propaganda?

Information aimed at influencing public opinion.

What was the impact of World War I on societies and economies?

They were focused on war.

What did American factories do to help the Allies during World War II?

Increased production of weapons.

What happened to consumer goods during World War II?

There was a shortage.

What is rationing?

Limiting the amount of a certain item that people can have.

What did Allied governments do to encourage people to help the war effort during World War II?

Used propaganda and encouraged conservation.

What were war stamps and war bonds?

Ways for people to help finance the war.

What was the Persian Corridor?

An overland supply route through Iran and the Caucasus.

Why was the cooperation of the Iranian government and its people critical?

To keep the Persian Corridor open and functioning.

What was MacArthur's strategy?

Island-hopping to cut off Japanese supply lines.

What was Hitler's strategy during the Battle of the Bulge?

To break up Allied supply lines.

What was the impact of technological changes on World War II?

Defensive-focused strategies were no longer effective.

What were the new weapons used in World War II?

Tanks, planes, bombers, and fighters.

What was the impact of new weapons on military targets?

They were devastating.

What was the impact of new weapons on civilian targets?

They were devastating.

What was the death toll at the end of World War II?

More than 60 million people were killed.

What was the impact of the U.S. Navy escorting British ships carrying U.S. arms?

Hitler ordered his submarines to sink any supply ships they met.

What happened when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union?

They cut off supplies to Leningrad.

What was the impact of the German invasion on Leningrad?

Nearly one million Russians died during the winter of 1941-1942.

What was the impact of the Persian Corridor?

It became one of the most important supply routes.

What was the impact of MacArthur's strategy?

It cut off Japanese supply lines.

What was the impact of Hitler's strategy during the Battle of the Bulge?

He tried to break up Allied supply lines.

What was the impact of technological changes on defensive-focused strategies?

They were no longer effective.

What were the new capabilities of tanks and planes?

They were capable of destroying fortifications and breaking through trench systems.

What were bombers and fighters equipped with?

Larger bombs and heavier guns.

What was Germany's military strategy during World War II?

Blitzkrieg or 'lightning war'

What was the first test of Germany's blitzkrieg strategy?

The invasion of Poland

What was the major change in tanks during World War II?

They became faster and more mobile

What was the purpose of dive bombers?

Accurate low-altitude bombing

What was the purpose of strategic bombers?

Bombing cities and military targets

What was the purpose of radar during World War II?

To track incoming enemy planes

What was the first true aircraft carrier created during World War I?

The British navy's

What was the purpose of aircraft carriers?

To function as floating airfields