Causes and Impact of World War II

A set of vocabulary flashcards detailing the primary causes, key alliances, events, propaganda tactics, Holocaust details, and the impact of World War II on Australia based on the lecture notes.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

An agreement signed after WW1 that blamed Germany for the war, reduced its military, took away land, and required it to pay large reparations.

Appeasement

The policy of giving in to some of Adolf Hitler's demands to avoid war.

Militarism and Expansion

Actions by several countries seeking to expand their power and territory, which increased international tension throughout Europe.

Invasion of Poland

The immediate trigger of WW2 on September 1st, 1939, which led Britain and France to declare war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939.

League of Nations

An organization created after WW1 to prevent future wars, which was weak because it had no army, was ignored by major countries, and failed to stop German aggression.

Allied Powers

The main WW2 alliance that included Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China.

Axis Powers

The main WW2 alliance consisting of Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Hyperinflation (1923)

An economic event in 1923 where Germany printed more money causing a loss of value, creating a weakness in the government that Hitler targeted.

The Great Depression

A global economic crisis triggered by the Wall Street crash that affected economies worldwide and provided an advantage for Hitler.

Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbour (1942)

A 1942 attack that revealed Australia's vulnerability, proving it could not rely solely on Britain and leading it to turn to the United States for military support.

Propaganda

Information used to influence people's beliefs and opinions.

Joseph Goebbels

Adolf Hitler's chief propagandist who exercised total control over German media to shape public opinion, promote Hitler, and support the Holocaust.

Anti-Jewish Propaganda

Nazi propaganda that portrayed Jews as parasites, a threat to the German Aryan, and part of a conspiracy to provoke war, usually represented with the Star of David.

The Holocaust

The systematic murder of six million Jews and millions of other innocent people by the Nazi regime, ending with Germany's unconditional surrender in May 1945.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

A Nazi concentration camp located in German-occupied Poland.

German Concentration Camps

Camps located in Germany including Buchenwald, Dachau, Bergen-Belsen, and Sachsenhausen.