Rise of Totalitarianism, WWII, & the Holocaust Test

A revolutionary who will lead the Russian Revolution and the eventual transformation of Russia into a communist state.  

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Red Army but later labeled as an enemy of the state & forced into exile. Will die in Mexico in 1940.

Leon Trotsky

Leader of the Soviet Union from 1924-1953.

Joseph Stalin

Soviet network of forced labor camps established by the Communist Party for political opponents & perceived enemies of the state. 

Gulag

A policy of forced abandonment of individual & family farms in favor of large-scale, communal agriculture.

collectivization

wealthier Russian peasants during the late Russian Empire & early years of the Soviet Union.

Kulak

A term meaning “death by starvation.” Ukrainians utilize this word to describe the famine orchestrated by the Communist Party from 1932-1934.

Holodomor

A British reporter who at the risk of his own life snuck into Ukraine to report on the devastating forced-famine occurring there.

Gareth Jones

German government established post- WWI.

Weimar Republic

the making of amends for a wrong one has done, by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged.

Reparations

rapid and unrestrained price increases in an economy, typically at rates exceeding 50% each month over time.

hyperinflation

the early Nazi militia founded by Hitler in Munich in 1921, known by the color of their uniforms.

Brownshirts

a failed coup d’état by Hitler and the Nazis in 1923. 

a failed coup d’état by Hitler and the Nazis in 1923. 

The lower house of the German parliament.

Reichstag

mass political movement that emphasizes extreme nationalism, militarism, and the supremacy of both the nation and the single, powerful leader over the individual citizen.

Fascism

a form of government and a political system that prohibits all opposition parties, outlaws individual and group opposition to the state and its claims, and exercises an extremely high if not complete degree of control and regulation over public and private life.

Totalitarianism

the study of how to arrange reproduction within a human population to increase the occurrence of heritable characteristics regarded as desirable.

eugenics

a diplomatic policy of making political, material, or territorial concessions to an aggressive power to avoid conflict.

Appeasement

A term meaning union with Austria

Anschluss

A region of Czechoslovakia that Germany annexed in 1938.

Sudetenland

A German term for living space; A Nazi concept of expansionism & nationalism to establish a sustainable empire to last 1,000 years.

Lebensraum

Hostility to or prejudice against Jewish ppl

anti-Semitism

the act of killing God.

Deicide

a designated area of a city or town where a religious or ethnic minority is forced to reside.

ghetto

legislation passed in 1935 that formerly established who was considered a Jew & stripped Jews of their German citizenship & other basic rights.

Nuremberg Laws

“night of broken glass.” A pogrom that killed hundreds of Jews, destroyed many more synagogues & Jewish businesses within the Third Reich.

Kristallnacht

 a non-aggression agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union with a secret protocol that partitioned Central and Eastern Europe between them.

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

meaning “lightning war”, an intense military campaign intended to bring about a swift victory.

Blitzkrieg

meaning “mobile killing units”, paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass murder, primarily by shooting, during World War II in German-occupied Europe

Einstazgruppen

a series of mass executions of nearly 22,000 Polish military officers and intelligentsia prisoners of war carried out by the Soviet Union during the spring of 1940.

Katyn Massacre

the term historians give to the eight-month period at the start of World War II during which there was very limited land military operations on the Western Front.

Phoney War

a series of fortifications along the French border with Germany designed to prevent any land invasion by the Germans into French territory.

Maginot Line

the evacuation of more than 338,000 British & other Allied soldiers during the Second World War from the beaches of Dunkirk in northern France.

Operation Dynamo

the foremost United States isolationist pressure group against American entry into World War II, surpassing 800,000 members and 450 chapters across the country.

America First Committee

The Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union during the summer of 1941; the largest land offensive in human history.

Operation Barbarossa

Nazi Germany's starvation plan for large-scale ethnic cleansing, extermination and genocide of Slavs, Eastern European Jews and other ethnic groups.

Generalplan Ost

an attack on Nanking civilians by the Japanese military that included looting, arson, rape, & mass murder.

Rape of Nanking

the home base for the U.S. Pacific fleet, this naval station was hit by a surprise Japanese attack on the morning of December 7, 1941 that ultimately was the primary reason for U.S. intervention in World War II.

Pearl Harbor

a Nazi operation that executed in secret roughly 300,000 German & Austrian citizens with a mental/physical disability or a form of mental illness.

T4 Program

a designated area of a city or town where a religious or ethnic minority is forced to reside.

Ghetto

an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War in 1942-1943.

Operation Torch

a pivotal naval battle in the Pacific that resulted in a crushing defeat for Japan just 6 months after Pearl Harbor.

The Battle of Midway

a law that provided a range of benefits for many of the returning World War II veterans including free college tuition and low-interest mortgages.

GI Bill

one of America’s most celebrated photographers; she is best known for chronicling American workers during the Great Depression and Japanese- Americans interned at camps.

Dorothea Lange

the British & American invasion of continental Europe to liberate France & other countries under Nazi occupation.

Operation Overlord

a joint British & American program of research and development undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons.

Manhattan Project

the analysis of how often interpretations of past events, people, themes, & values can change over time.

historiography

describe the various rationale from members of the America First Committee to stay out of World War I

• Avoid Another Costly War: Many believed WWI had been a mistake and wanted to prevent another.

• Focus on U.S. Defense: Argued America should strengthen itself instead of intervening abroad.

• Isolationism: Saw European conflicts as not America’s responsibility.

How does reading Ordinary Men impact your understanding of the Holocaust?

• Perpetrators as Regular People: It reveals how average individuals, not just fanatical Nazis, committed atrocities.

• Power of Social Pressure: Demonstrates how obedience, peer pressure, and dehumanization led to participation in mass murder.

• Complexity of Moral Choice: Challenges the idea that only inherently evil people carried out the Holocaust, highlighting the dangers of conformity

Following the military conquest of Poland, who did the Nazis & Soviets target within Polish society? Why?

• Nazi Targets: Jews, intellectuals, and political leaders to eliminate Polish culture and implement racial policies.

• Soviet Targets: Military officers, elites, and nationalists to suppress resistance and consolidate communist control.

• Goal: Both sought to destroy Polish identity and prevent future uprisings.

Explain the difference between a concentration camp and death/extermination camp.

• Concentration Camp: Places where people were detained under harsh conditions, forced to work, and often subjected to abuse, but not primarily intended for mass killing.

• Death/Extermination Camp: Camps specifically designed for the systematic killing of large numbers of people, most notably through gas chambers, such as Auschwitz.

Describe the miracle at Dunkirk, referred to in military operations as Operation Dynamo.

• Mass Evacuation: Over 338,000 Allied troops escaped German encirclement.

• Civilian Effort: Military and civilian boats rescued soldiers across the Channel.

• Strategic Impact: Saved Britain’s army, boosting morale and resistance.

Explain the significance of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

• U.S. Enters WWII: It led to the United States declaring war on Japan, bringing the country into World War II.

• Turning Point in the Pacific: The attack shifted the balance of power, escalating the Pacific conflict into a full-scale war.

• Mobilization & Unity: It united American public opinion, leading to rapid military mobilization and industrial production for the war effort.

How could two sworn enemies of each other (Germany & Soviet Union) come to sign a non-aggression pact? Explain what both sides got out of this agreement.

• Mutual Benefit: Germany avoided a two-front war, while the Soviet Union gained time to rebuild its military.

• Territorial Gains: Both secretly agreed to divide Poland and Eastern Europe, expanding their influence.

• Strategic Deception: Hitler could invade Western Europe without Soviet interference, while Stalin strengthened defenses

Explain why military historians & scholars refer to the first eight months of World War II following the conquest of Poland as the Phoney War.

• Minimal Combat: Despite Britain and France declaring war on Germany in September 1939, there was little direct fighting on the Western Front.

• Defensive Posturing: France focused on fortifying the Maginot Line, while Britain prepared but avoided major offensives.

• Sudden Shift: The period ended abruptly in May 1940 when Germany launched its Blitzkrieg against France and the Low Countries.

List & describe two reasons why Stalin targeted & persecuted Ukraine in 1932-1933

• Resistance to Soviet Control – Ukrainian peasants resisted collectivization, refusing to give up their land and crops, which Stalin saw as a threat to Soviet authority.

• Forced Grain Requisition & Famine (Holodomor) – Stalin imposed extreme grain quotas, leading to mass starvation, as a way to crush Ukrainian nationalism and ensure control over the region.

List & explain two issues plaguing the Weimar Republic during the early 1920s.

• Economic Crisis – Hyperinflation in 1923 made German currency nearly worthless, devastating savings and causing extreme poverty.

• Political Instability – Frequent uprisings from both left-wing communists and right-wing extremists, including the Kapp Putsch and Beer Hall Putsch, threatened the fragile democracy.

List & explain three problems/issues that were plaguing the Russian Empire on the eve of their revolution? Is it peace land ad bread?

• Peace – Russia’s involvement in WWI led to massive casualties, low morale, and economic strain, making the war deeply unpopular.

• Land – Peasants demanded land redistribution, as most farmland was controlled by the nobility while they remained impoverished.

• Bread – Food shortages and inflation caused widespread hunger, especially in cities, fueling protests and worker strikes.

Describe what the Five-Year Plan was along with its goals.

• The Five-Year Plan was a series of economic plans implemented by the Soviet Union, starting in 1928 under Joseph Stalin, to rapidly industrialize the economy and strengthen state control.

• Its goals included boosting heavy industry (steel, coal, oil, machinery), collectivizing agriculture to increase food production, and eliminating private enterprise to establish a fully socialist economy.

After the deaths of millions in Ukraine, Stalin will initiate a resettlement program that forced hundreds of thousands of ethnic Russians to reside in southern & eastern Ukraine. What implications does this have in the present-day?

• Russian Influence: The resettlement created a lasting Russian-speaking population, which Russia uses to justify intervention.

• Conflict & Annexation: It contributed to support for Russia’s annexation of Crimea and separatist movements in eastern Ukraine.

• Identity Struggles: Ukraine faces ongoing tensions between strengthening national identity and historical Russian influence.

Analyze Hitler’s rise from a messenger boy in WWI to the leader of Germany by 1933

• WWI & Political Awakening (1914–1919): Hitler served as a messenger in WWI, was wounded, and blamed Germany’s defeat on politicians and Jews, fueling his nationalist and anti-Semitic views.

• Early Nazi Leadership (1919–1923): He joined the German Workers' Party (later the Nazi Party), became its leader, and attempted the failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, leading to his brief imprisonment.

• Mein Kampf & Ideology (1924–1929): While in prison, he wrote Mein Kampf, outlining his plans for Germany’s future, including expansionism and anti-Semitic policies.

• Great Depression & Nazi Growth (1929–1932): Economic crisis and unemployment made Germans desperate, boosting Nazi support through propaganda and promises of stability.

• Chancellor Appointment (1933): By 1932, the Nazis were the largest party in the Reichstag, and political elites, hoping to control him, appointed Hitler as Chancellor in 1933—leading to his dictatorship.

List & briefly describe three core pillars of totalitarian regimes.

• State Control of Society – The government dominates all aspects of life, including the economy, education, media, and even personal beliefs.

• Single-Party Rule & Leader Worship – One political party, led by a dictator, holds absolute power, suppressing opposition and using propaganda to create a cult of personality.

• Use of Terror & Censorship – Secret police, surveillance, and harsh punishments maintain control, while censorship and propaganda manipulate public perception.

How did eugenics & race play a large role in Nazism.

• Racial Hierarchy & Aryan Supremacy – The Nazis promoted the idea of a superior Aryan race, portraying Jews, Slavs, and other groups as inferior and dangerous to German purity.

• Eugenics & Forced Sterilization – Nazi policies aimed to "improve" the gene pool through forced sterilization of those deemed genetically or socially unfit, including disabled people and minorities.

• Holocaust & Genocide – Eugenics justified mass extermination, leading to the systematic murder of millions, particularly Jews, in the pursuit of racial "purity" and national strength

Explain the concept of appeasement, and do you believe it is a useful aspect of foreign policy & diplomacy.

• Appeasement: A policy of conceding to aggressive powers to avoid conflict, seen in Britain and France’s response to Nazi Germany.

• Effectiveness: It can prevent short-term war but often emboldens aggressors, as seen with Hitler. It works best when paired with strong deterrence.

List & explain three ways Hitler & Germany violated the Treaty of Versailles in the 1930s.

• Rearmament (1935): Hitler rebuilt Germany’s military, expanding the army, navy, and air force despite the treaty’s restrictions.

• Rhineland Occupation (1936): German troops re-entered the demilitarized Rhineland, directly violating the treaty and facing no opposition.

• Anschluss with Austria (1938): Germany annexed Austria, breaking the treaty’s ban on unification, with little resistance from other nations

Describe the key takeaways from the Nuremberg Laws of 1935.

• Anti-Jewish Citizenship Laws: Stripped Jews of German citizenship, making them stateless and removing their legal rights.

• Racial Purity Restrictions: Banned marriage and relationships between Jews and non-Jewish Germans to preserve "Aryan purity."

• Foundation for Persecution: Legitimized discrimination, paving the way for harsher anti-Jewish policies and ultimately the Holocaust.

Explain how propaganda played a large role in the Nazi machine to help disseminate their ideas.

• Control of Media: The Nazis controlled newspapers, radio, and film to spread their ideology, ensuring that only state-approved messages reached the public.

• Cult of Personality: Propaganda glorified Hitler as a powerful, almost divine leader, fostering loyalty and blind obedience.

• Racial and Nationalist Messaging: Propaganda portrayed Jews, communists, and other "undesirables" as threats, while promoting Aryan supremacy and nationalism to unite the German people.

German colonialism was central to Nazi ideology. Name & explain two (2) examples of German expansion during Hitler’s time in power prior to the start of WWII.

• Anschluss with Austria (1938): Hitler annexed Austria into Germany, promoting the idea of uniting all German-speaking peoples and expanding the Reich.

• Sudetenland (1938): Germany occupied the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia with a large ethnic German population, claiming it as part of the greater German homeland.

Describe the significance of Kristallnacht.

• Escalation of Violence: Kristallnacht marked a significant shift to violent, state-sponsored persecution of Jews.

• Government Involvement: The Nazi regime organized and facilitated the attacks, showing its active role in anti-Semitic actions.

• Prelude to the Holocaust: It foreshadowed the systematic genocide that would later occur during the Holocaust.

World War II fundamentally changed the U.S. in several ways. Pick & describe three specific ways WWII sparked tremendous change in our country.

• Economic Transformation: WWII led to the end of the Great Depression, as war production created jobs and boosted industrial output, leading to a strong post-war economy.

• Women's Role in the Workforce: With many men enlisted, women took on factory and office jobs, paving the way for greater gender equality in the workforce.

• Civil Rights Movement: The war highlighted racial inequality, and the participation of African Americans in the military and workforce helped fuel the push for civil rights reforms in the post-war years.

Stalingrad & D-Day were two of the most significant events that led to the fall of the Third Reich. Describe which one you feel was most vital for the destruction of Nazi Germany. Be specific.

I believe Stalingrad was the most vital event for the destruction of Nazi Germany.

• Turning Point on the Eastern Front: The German defeat at Stalingrad (1942-1943) marked the first major loss for Hitler's forces, severely weakening the German army.

• Encirclement & Loss of Troops: The battle resulted in the encirclement and surrender of an entire German army, leading to the loss of crucial resources and soldiers.

• Psychological Blow & Strategic Shift: The defeat shattered German morale and shifted the momentum on the Eastern Front, as the Soviet Union began pushing westward, eventually reaching Berlin.

Explain the Japanese view of surrender during WWII and how this influenced U.S. military strategy in the Pacific.

• Honor in Death: Japan viewed surrender as dishonorable, leading to fierce resistance in battles.

• U.S. Strategy: This influenced the U.S. to use island hopping to avoid costly invasions.

• Atomic Bomb Decision: The U.S. dropped atomic bombs, fearing heavy casualties from a conventional invasion.