Comprehensive Study Guide for the Interwar Period and World War II

The stock market crash of $1929$ was a primary factor in causing the Great Depression.
The global impact was severe because many countries were financially dependent on U.S. lona and trade.
International economies suffered, which led to a widespread increase in unemployment and poverty.

The Maginot Line was a specific line of french forts and defenses.
These fortifications were constructed along the border with Germany.
The objective was to prevent another invasion following the conclusion of world war $1$ .

Fascist and communist authoritarians utilized propaganda to maintain their grip on power.
The specific mediums used for propaganda included making posters, newspapers, radio, and films.
The primary goals of this propaganda were:
- To control information available to the public.
- To gain popular support.
- To ensure the people remained loyal to the government.

stalin fundamentally changed the soviet union by turning it into a totalitarian government.
Under this regime, he exercised complete control over the state.
stalin engaged in the systematic effort to eliminate all political opponents.

The purpose of the $5$ Year Plans was to achieve a rapid increase in industry and farming production.
In terms of outcome, the plans were successful in industrializing the USSR.
However, the implementation caused significant suffering, as many people faced harsh working conditions and chronic food shortages.
The Great Purge was stalin's effort to remove any individual he perceived as a threat to his power.
As a result of this purge, thousands were arrested, imprisoned, or executed.

Germany attempted to combat economic inflation by introducing a new currency.
Strategic financial support was received in the form of a lona through the Dawes plan.
This plan successfully stabilized the economy and reduced inflation for a temporary period.
In $1923$ , hitler and the Nazis attempted to overthrow the German government in Munich in an event known as the Beer Hall Putsch.
The attempt was a failure, and hitler was subsequently sent to prison.

During his time in prison, hitler authored the book Mein Kampf, which outlined several core ideas:
- German nationalism.
- semitism.
- The expansion of German territory.
- The concept that some races were inherently superior to others.
hitler exploited the confusion and uncertainty that followed world war $1$ .
He leveraged public anger regarding the Treaty of Versailles to his advantage.
By blaming Germany's various problems on the Treaty of Versailles and promising to restore the country's strength, he successfully gained support from many germans.

The Axis Powers consisted of three countries: Germany, italy, and japan.
Aggressive actions taken by these countries during the $1930s$ included:
- Germany: Rebuilt its military and proceeded to invade nearby territories.
- italy: Launched an invasion of ethiopia in $1935$ .
- japan: Launched an invasion of machuris in chine in $1931$ .
The response of the League of Nations was limited; the organization mostly condemned these actions but took little tangible action to stop the aggression.
The practice of appeasement was not successful; rather, it encouraged hitler after he saw that other countries were unwilling to stop his expansionism.

Operation Sea Lion:
- The goal was the invasion of britain.
- Germany was not successful in this endeavor.
- The invasion was halted because british air forces stopped them during the battle of britain.
Operation Barbarossa:
- The goal was the invasion and defeat of the soviet union.
- Germany was not successful in this operation.
- The invasion was slowed and eventually defeated by soviet resistance and the onset of the harsh winter.

japan chose to attack the U.S. at pearl harbor to weaken the U.S. pacific fleet.
This was intended to prevent america from interfering with japans expansion across asia.
The attack occurred on december $7$ , $1941$ , in hawaii.
japan launched a surprise attack that destroyed many ships and planes.
The consequence of this attack was the entry of the united states into world war $1$ .

The group known as the Big $3$ (the Allied Powers) included the following countries and leaders:
- United states: franklin de roosevelt.
- united kingdom: winston churchill.
- soviet union: joseph stalin.

Women supported the war effort through several vital roles:
- Working in factories.
- Serving as nurses.
- Joining military support organizations.
- Taking over the jobs that men had left behind to go fight in the war.
Operation Overlord involved the allied invasion of nazi occupied france.
This invasion occurred on D day, june $6$ , $1944$ .
Operation Overlord was critical in beginning the liberation of western europe.

At the Yalta Conference, allied leaders determined how Europe would be organized following the war.
They agreed to divide Europe into specific occupation zones.
Germany was ultimately defeated despite its strong start to the war because:
- It was forced to fight on multiple fronts.
- Losses in important battles.
- Running low on critical resources.
- Facing the combined strength of the allied powers.

The U.S. adopted an island hopping strategy in the Pacific theater.
This involved capturing key islands while bypassing heavily defended ones, which allowed forces to advance toward japan more quickly.
President Harry Truman made the decision to utilize atomic bombs against japan.
The reasoning behind using the bombs was to force japan to surrender quickly.
Truman aimed to avoid a costly invasion that was predicted to result in many more casualties.