Student made study guide

Causes of World War I

  • Triple Entente: An alliance consisting of Britain, France, and Russia formed before World War I to counterbalance the threat posed by the Triple Alliance.
  • Triple Alliance: An alliance formed by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy prior to World War I, aimed at mutual defense against perceived threats.
  • Pan-Germanism: A nationalist idea advocating the political unification of all German-speaking peoples into a single nation.
  • Pan-Slavism: A movement focused on the unification of Slavic peoples in Eastern Europe, promoting Slavic nationalism.
  • Archduke Franz Ferdinand: Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip in June 1914 is widely regarded as the immediate catalyst for the outbreak of World War I.

World War I Key Events & People

  • Trench Warfare: A type of combat where soldiers fight from deep trenches, leading to stalemates and high casualties, characterized by miserable conditions and long periods of inaction.
  • Schlieffen Plan: Germany’s military strategy at the start of World War I that aimed for a quick victory over France by invading through Belgium, followed by turning to fight Russia.
  • General John J. Pershing: The commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in Europe during World War I, credited with leading U.S. forces in major battles and helping to secure an Allied victory.
  • Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: A peace treaty signed in March 1918 between the Central Powers and Soviet Russia, ending Russian participation in World War I and resulting in significant territorial losses for Russia.
  • Woodrow Wilson: The President of the United States during World War I who advocated for peace and later proposed the Fourteen Points to promote a just and lasting peace.
  • Paris Peace Conference: An international meeting held in 1919 where Allied powers decided on the terms for peace and the punishment of Germany following its defeat in World War I.
  • The Big Four: The term refers to the leaders of the four major Allied nations at the Paris Peace Conference: the United States (Woodrow Wilson), Great Britain (David Lloyd George), France (Georges Clemenceau), and Italy (Vittorio Orlando).

The Treaty of Versailles and Aftermath

  • Treaty of Versailles: The formal peace treaty that ended World War I, signed in June 1919, which imposed heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.
  • Reparations: Financial payments required from Germany as part of the Treaty of Versailles, intended to cover damages caused during the war.
  • Rhineland Importance: A strategic and industrial region that was demilitarized under the Treaty of Versailles to provide security for France against future German aggression.
  • League of Nations: An international organization established after World War I aimed at ensuring lasting peace through collective security and diplomacy but ultimately failed to prevent future conflicts.

Russian Revolution

  • Kerensky Government: The provisional government established in Russia after the abdication of Czar Nicholas II, which attempted to create a democratic system but struggled to maintain control.
  • Russian Revolutions of 1917: Two revolutions, the February Revolution that overthrew the monarchy and the October Revolution that brought the Bolsheviks to power, leading to a communist regime.
  • Vladimir Lenin: Leader of the Bolshevik Party who played a pivotal role in the October Revolution and became the first leader of the Soviet state, advocating for Marxism and a communist society.
  • Joseph Stalin: Lenin's successor as the leader of the Soviet Union, known for his totalitarian rule, industrialization policies, and significant role in developing the Soviet state.

The Middle East After WWI

  • Ottoman Empire: A vast empire that collapsed after World War I, leading to the formation of several nation-states in the Middle East.
  • Mandate System: Implemented by the League of Nations, where Britain and France were given administrative control over former Ottoman territories, such as Palestine, Syria, and Iraq.
  • Balfour Declaration: A statement issued by the British government in 1917 expressing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, significantly influencing modern Middle East politics.

Interwar Period & Great Depression

  • Weimar Republic: The democratic government founded in Germany after World War I, characterized by political instability and economic difficulties, ultimately failing to maintain control.
  • Great Depression: A severe worldwide economic downturn that began in 1929, leading to massive unemployment and hardship across the globe.
  • Herbert Hoover: The President of the United States at the onset of the Great Depression, criticized for his handling of the economic crisis.
  • Consumerism: A culture focused on the acquisition of goods and material wealth that became prominent in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s.
  • Anti-Semitism: Prejudice and discrimination against Jewish people, which intensified in Europe following the economic hardships of the Great Depression and led to widespread persecution.
  • Stewart Chamberlain: An author associated with promoting racist ideologies that supported Aryan supremacy in the context of early 20th-century Europe.

Rise of Nazi Germany

  • Adolf Hitler: The leader of the Nazi Party in Germany who rose to power by leveraging economic despair, nationalist fervor, and anti-Semitic sentiments.
  • Mein Kampf: Hitler’s autobiography and political manifesto, outlining his ideology of nationalism, anti-Semitism, and his plans for Germany's future.
  • Beer Hall Putsch: A failed coup d'état in 1923 led by Hitler in Munich aiming to overthrow the Weimar government, resulting in his temporary imprisonment.
  • Kristallnacht: A coordinated series of attacks on Jewish people and their properties in November 1938, marking a significant escalation in Nazi anti-Jewish violence.
  • The Holocaust: The systematic genocide of six million Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II, driven by anti-Semitic ideology and policies.
  • National Socialism (Nazism): The political ideology and movement associated with the Nazi Party, characterized by extreme nationalism, totalitarianism, and racial superiority.

Fascism

  • Fascism: A far-right authoritarian political ideology that emphasizes extreme nationalism, centralized autocratic government, and suppression of political dissent.

Fascism Spreads

  • Benito Mussolini: The Italian dictator who founded the fascist movement in Italy, promoting aggressive nationalism and militarism.
  • Invasion of Ethiopia: Mussolini’s military campaign against Ethiopia in 1935, showcasing Italy's ambitions for empire and aggression under fascism.
  • Invasion of Manchuria: Japan’s invasion of the Chinese region of Manchuria in 1931, signifying aggressive expansionist policies of fascist states.
  • Spanish Civil War: A conflict from 1936 to 1939 that resulted in a fascist victory, establishing Francisco Franco's dictatorship in Spain.
  • Francisco Franco: The military leader who became the fascist dictator of Spain following the Spanish Civil War, supported by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

Road to World War II

  • Anschluss: The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938, part of Hitler's expansionist plans.
  • Sudetenland: A region of Czechoslovakia with a significant ethnic German population, targeted by Germany for annexation.
  • Munich Conference: A meeting in 1938 where Britain and France conceded the Sudetenland to Germany in hopes of avoiding conflict, seen as an act of appeasement.
  • Appeasement: The policy of making concessions to dictatorial powers to maintain peace, notably practiced by Britain and France before World War II.
  • Axis Alliance: The military alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan formed during World War II to oppose Allied forces.
  • Lebensraum: The concept of "living space" that motivated Hitler's expansionist policies to acquire territory for the German nation.

Atrocities in Asia

  • Rape of Nanking: The brutal mass murder and rape committed by Japanese troops against Chinese civilians in Nanking, China, during the Second Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1938.

World War II Begins

  • Luftwaffe: The air force of Nazi Germany, responsible for major aerial operations during World War II, including the Blitz against Britain.
  • Battle of Britain: A significant military campaign in 1940 when the Luftwaffe launched extensive bombing raids against the United Kingdom.
  • Pearl Harbor Attack: The surprise military strike by the Japanese Navy against the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, leading to the U.S. entering World War II.
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt: The President of the United States during the majority of World War II, known for his leadership during the Great Depression and the war.
  • Winston Churchill: The British Prime Minister during World War II who is remembered for his leadership and speeches that inspired British resistance against Nazi Germany.
  • Neville Chamberlain: The British Prime Minister before Churchill known for his policy of appeasement towards Hitler and his role in the Munich Agreement.

Pacific Theater

  • Battle of Midway: A decisive naval battle in June 1942 that turned the tide against Japan in the Pacific Theater, marking a significant victory for Allied forces.
  • Battle of Iwo Jima: A major battle in early 1945 where U.S. forces captured the island from Japanese defenders, noted for its fierce combat and iconic flag-raising photograph.
  • Battle of Okinawa: The last significant battle of the Pacific Theater fought in 1945, resulting in heavy casualties and paving the way for the Allied invasion of Japan.
  • Douglas MacArthur: A prominent U.S. general responsible for command in the Pacific Theater, known for his strategy of island hopping.
  • Chester Nimitz: A five-star admiral and the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during World War II, he played a key role in naval battles against Japan.

European Theater

  • D-Day: The Allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, which marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.
  • Operation Overlord: The codename for the Allied operation during D-Day, involving land, air, and sea forces attacking the heavily fortified German positions along the Normandy coast.
  • Operation Torch: The Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942 that marked the first major offensive against Axis powers in the European Theater.
  • Erwin Rommel: A German Field Marshal known as the "Desert Fox," renowned for his leadership during the North African campaign.

End of World War II

  • Manhattan Project: A secret U.S. government research project during World War II that developed the first nuclear weapons, leading to the creation of the atomic bomb.
  • Harry S. Truman: The U.S. President who made the decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.
  • VJ Day: Victory over Japan Day, the day Japan formally surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Asia.