MWH WWII

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How did Hitler "destroy democracy through democracy"?: He got elected to office in the first place instead of trying to fight his way to the top. The scary thing is that the people of Germany actually elected him.
What did Hitler do in regards to the Treaty of Versailles?: He disregarded it and began manufacturing weapons and building his armies, even though he wasn't supposed to. Doing this actually boosted the German economy, and it made Hitler's subjects more willing to support him.
Explain a modern Totalitarian State.: It is when one person controls the entire government and economy, and this person encourages people through propaganda while creating "The Great Fear."
What is Fascism?: It is a dictatorship (that isn't totalitarian) that suspends 1st Amendment rights while allowing for the privatization of business (they don't control the entire economy)
Name two things that motivated Mussolini.: 1. Italy didn't get the land that the Allies had promised they would get after WWI. 2. He had been hurt in the war. At one point, he lost his sight and he was wounded on the battlefield.
Name 5 similarities shared between Mussolini and Hitler.: 1. They both believed that influencing the youth was important. Mussolini created the Young Fascists, while Hitler had the Hitler Youth. 2. They both used secret police forces to get things done. Mussolini had the Squadristi, and Hitler had the SS. 3. They both took control bloodlessly. Mussolini got Vittorio Emmanuel to step down so he could take control, and Hitler got elected chancellor of Germany. 4. They shared the same views on women, thinking their duty was to stay home and have and raise children. 5. They thought that all these women staying home and having/raising children would raise the population at a greater rate, and they both believed that population growth was a sign of power.
Describe Hitler's history before he decided to rule the world.: He originally wanted to be an artist, but he was rejected in an art academy in Vienna. He was bummed, and for some reason he began to think about World War I. He decided that the whole thing was the Jews' fault. He thought this had to do with Jews doing relatively well during the Great Depression.
Define Anti-Semitism: It is hatred directed towards the Jewish population
What was the Beer Hall Putsch, and what was its result?: It was an armed uprising run by Hitler against the government in Munich. It failed, and got Hitler locked in jail, where he wrote "Mein Kampf," telling of his visions of a future world ruled by the Aryan race.
What was Hitler's idea of Germanism?: It was the spreading of German ideas and people throughout the world.
Explain the difference between Totalitarianism and Fascism: In Fascism, one person controls military and government, but not the economy. A Totalitarian ruler has complete control one the economy in addition to the other stuff.
Compare the three notable Fascist/Totalitarian rulers.: Stalin- started Totalitarian and stayed that way Hitler- started Fascist and ended Totalitarian Mussolini- started Fascist and stayed that way
Why did Hitler start with Fascism?: He did it to keep the wealthy on his side.
Explain Lebensraum: It was like social Darwinism applied to the expansion of Germany into Russia (This is another name for Germanization)
What did the Nuremberg laws do?: They essentially separated Jews from Germans politically, socially, and legally. It was a huge step toward Hitler's "final solution"
What was the "final solution?": It was the death of all Jews
Explain Kristallnact: It was when Nazis destroyed 1000's of Jewish businesses and synagogues after the Nuremberg laws were established. Over 100 Jews were killed. The Nazis said they were doing this because a Jew had killed their secretary in France By the end of the night, 20,000 Jewish males had been sent to concentration camps. This was the first time that concentration camps were to be used.
Why did it seem strange that Stalin drove the Bolsheiviks out of Russia?: The Bolsheiviks had helped Stalin come to power, and he drove them out so he could get more.
Explain the first "Five-Year Plan.": Intended to help Russia catch up with the West, the first Five-Year Plan involved collectivizing farms. This took 26 million family-owned farms and created 250,000 government-controlled farms. He then started to bring new technology to the farms, and this industrialization boosted the economy. In addition, the Five-Year Plan increased steel production from 4 million tons to 18 million tons. On the negative side, it worked the Russians too long and too hard. Many people were forced to work ridiculously long shifts. Besides economical changes, the Five-Year Plan purged the Old Bolsheiviks from Russia and helped Stalin gain complete power.
What were the underlying events in Japan that led to their attempt at conquering Asia in WWII?: There was conflict between two parties in Japan, The Minseito and the Seyukai. Kita Ikki was someone that wanted the return of the emperor, and he strongly believed that Japan didn't need the West.
Why did the Great Depression hit Japan so hard, and what did the US do that provoked them?: Japan was export-driven, and when the silk business plummeted, so did their economy. The US stopped allowing Japanese immigration, and this angered them greatly.
What was the popular saying to describe Japan's conquest of Asia?: Asia for Asians. They thought they didn't need the West.
Describe the progression of "Hitler and the Appeasement Policy.": 1. Germany took Rhineland (former German territory that the French had gained after WWI) 2 They took Austria, joining them together. The Austrians welcomed the Nazis and provided no resistance when they took over. 3. Czechoslavakia. They had had a flourishing democracy before Germany took over. The Czechs had asked the US for help, but none came. Munich Conference-The British decided that Germany was done with their conquest, so they didn't need to intervene. Even though Hitler said he was done, he then made a non-aggression pact with the Russians, agreeing to split Poland when they conquered it. 4. Germany took Poland and split it with the Russians. WWII started.
Where did the Japanese conquer first and why?: They took Manchuria (and sent Puyi in to be the puppet) because there was iron ore and gold.
What excuse did the Japanese use to attack China?: They blew up their own train and then blamed the Chinese.
What event prompted Japan to declare war?: Japanese and Chinese troops clashed at the Marco Polo Bridge.`
Why did Japan team up with Indonesia?: They wanted the Indonesian's crude oil for the war.
What does "Blitzkrieg" entail?: Meaning "lightning war," Blitzkrieg refers to Hitlers method of war involving three steps: 1. Tanks- "run them over" 2. aerial bombardment 3. Infantry- "mop up"
Explain the two different parts of France during the war.: 1. German-occupied France- This was where the Germans had come in and taken control of France, and they were continuing to administer it. 2. Vichy France- This was where a traitor, Henri Pétain, had taken control and allied with Germany. Although Germany didn't have direct control, they had Vichy France on their side.
What was Dunkirk?: It was the British evacuation using any means necessary to remove Allied troops from France, where Germany was on the move.
What were the names of the German and British air forces?: Germany- Luftwaffe Great Britain- Royal Air Force
What part of his strategy did Hitler change that changed the course of the war for the British.: He decided to stop fighting the Royal Air Force, and instead bomb London to break the morale of the British people. This led to the Battle of Britain, which the Germans lost.
What did Hitler do to hurt England after the Battle of Britain?: He cut off their supply of oil from Egypt and the Suez Canal (in the Middle East)
What did Hitler want to accomplish by invading the USSR?: He wanted to rid the USSR of the Jewish Bolshevik leadership.
What stalled Hitler's conquest of the USSR?: An early winter brought a huge storm that got Russian and German forces locked in a stalemate.
List the seven Characteristics of a Totalitarian State, explain each one, and give an example of the Nazis using each.: 1. Suspension of Civil Liberties- This was when First Amendment rights were suspended by the government. An example would be the Nuremberg Laws, which suspended the civil liberties (freedom of speech, freedom of religion) of German Jews. 2. Propaganda- This was when propaganda was used to glorify Hitler and the Nazi party. His face was found on posters plastered throughout Germany. 3. Secret Police- Secret Police services were used to carry off people who were speaking out or rebelling against the government. In Germany, the SS was rampant, capturing and imprisoning any Jews who spoke out against Hitler or the Nazi regime. 4. Cult of Personality- Hitler made Germans call him the Führer, or leader/guide, and, aside from placing pictures of himself all over the nation, he staged elaborate rallies and demonstrations where he spoke emotionally. 5. Fear- 6. Youth Groups- Hitler started the Hitler Youth, in which he was "breeding" the future of the nation. In doing so, he was brainwashing the children so they would be behind him forever. 7. Military Values- This means using military force to rise above others. Hitler did a lot of this in his attempt to conquer the world, and it was a key part of his master plan.
When was Pearl Harbor and why did the Japanese do it? What was its result?: On December 6, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii because they wanted to take our the US aircraft carriers so they would lose their presence in the air. Fortunately, most of the US ships were out maneuvering, and Japan didn't succeed in eliminating the air force. In fact, it promoted public opinion of the war within the US.
Who were the two allied groups in WWII?: Axis Powers- Germany, Italy, Japan Allies- Britain, US, and Soviet Union
What did the Allies want from the Germans?: They wanted unconditional surrender from the Germans, meaning there would be no armistice agreement, and they would have to completely give up.
What was the Battle of El Alamein?: It was when German troops were defeated in Egypt. It wallowed the US to get closer to Italy and Mussolini.
Explain the Battle of Stalingrad and its significance.: The turning point on the Easter/Soviet Front, this was a battle where 300,000 German lives were lost in their defeat by the Russians. They utilized sharp-shooters (snipers) to help accomplish this. After this battle, Hitler finally realized that it was going to be impossible for Germany to take the USSR.
What was significant about the Battle of Coral Sea?: It was when the US stopped the Japanese from advancing towards Australia.
Explain the Battle of Midway and its significance.: The turning point of the Pacific front, this battle was when the US torpedoed Japanese ships after intercepting their communications.
Who created island hopping and what was it?: General Douglas MacArthur developed it, and it involved the US slowly taking back Japanese-occupied islands in the Pacific.
Explain Normandy: It was when 2 million soldiers (mostly from the US) went into France to take it back from Germany.
Explain the Battle of Kursk.: It was when Russia soundly defeated the Germans.
What was Truman's excuse for dropping the atomic bomb?: He said until his death that he saved millions of American lives by ending the war quickly.
What did Japan agree to after the war?: They agreed to a Peace Constitution that suspended their military so they couldn't fight any other countries.
What happened after the Yalta Conference?: The UN was established.
What was the conflict at the Potsdam Conference?: The US wanted free elections in eastern Europe, but Russia wanted Stalinist regimes in that part of Europe, as they wanted to expand their reign.
Where was the "iron curtain?": It was between West and East Europe, with democracy on the Western side.

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