WORLD WAR II & HOLOCAUST

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• Why did several countries turn to dictators following WWI?• What conditions allowed for the rise of these

dictators?• Why did the US remain out of foreign affairs

following WWI?• What strategies did totalitarian regimes use to

gain power?• What lesson can be learned from the policy of

appeasement?

WWII

• What were the conditions in the 1930’s in the US?• Great Depression – unemployment, stock market

crash (1929), falling farm prices, banks closed, etc.• What was the condition of Germany and other

countries following WWI?• Inflation, unemployment, unstable democracies,

economic depression, many parties (Communist, Socialist, Social Democrats) viewed capitalism as a failure due to the Great Depression• Turned to dictators

WWII

• WWII lasted from ___ to ___?• 1939 to 1945• What were the exact dates of the war?• September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945• What type of governments emerged in Italy,

Spain, Germany and the USSR after WWI?• Totalitarian• What are several characteristics of a Totalitarian

government?

WWII

• Single, charismatic leader• One political party• Use of secret police, spies, terror, intimidation• Use of propaganda, brainwashing, indoctrination• Use of education, youth groups• State control of the economy

WWII

• What type of government emerged in Italy in 1923?• Fascist• Who was the leader of this government?• Benito Mussolini• What was he known as?• Il Duce (The Leader)• What were Mussolini’s private army called?• Blackshirts• Whom did Mussolini replace?• Victor Emmanuel

WWII

• What country did Mussolini take over in 1935?• Ethiopia• What other countries did he invade?• Libya, Albania• What Fascist came to power in Spain?• Francisco Franco• What was Spain’s position in WWII?• Neutral

WWII

• Who was the leader of the USSR following WWI?• Joseph Stalin (Man of Steel)• What type of government?• Communist• What were the state-run farms called?• Collective Farms• How did many people die in the USSR under Stalin?• Forced labor camps• What was Stalin’s goal for the USSR?• Industrialism

WWII

• In what year did Hitler attempt to take over the German government?• 1923• What was the name of this government?• Weimar Republic• What was the takeover attempt called?• Munich Putsch or Beer Hall Putsch• What was the result of the failed attempt?• Hitler was arrested and jailed

WWII

• What book did Hitler write in prison?• Mein Kampf (My Struggle)• In what year was Hitler appointed Chancellor?• 1933• Who was the former Chancellor?• Paul von Hindenburg• What was the name of Hitler’s party?• Nazi• Who were the Aryans?• Hitler’s idea of the “master race”• What is anti-semitism?• Hatred of and prejudice against Jewish people

WWII

• Who was the Emperor of Japan?• Hirohito• Who was the military leader of Japan?• Heideki Tojo• What two major acts of aggression did Japan commit?• Invasion of Manchuria in 1931• Invasion of China in 1937• Why was Japan expanding its territories?• For resources and power• Who were the members of the “Axis?”• Germany, Italy, Japan

WWII

• What area did Hitler remilitarize in 1936?• Rhineland• What country was annexed in 1938?• Austria• What was the union called?• Anschluss• Hitler used this term for “living space”• Lebensraum

WWII

• What area of Czechoslovakia did Hitler want to annex?• Sudetenland• At what meeting did the allies challenge Hitler’s

aggression?• Munich Conference (Pact)• Who was the British Prime Minister at Munich?• Neville Chamberlain

WWII

• What policy was adopted at Munich?• Appeasement• How did this policy help Hitler?• He continued his aggression without interference• After taking the rest of Czechoslovakia, what

country did Hitler invade next, starting WWII?• Poland• On what date did this happen?• September 1, 1939• Why is it important?• Marked the start of WWII

WWII

• What agreement had Hitler previously signed with Joseph Stalin?

• Non-Aggression (Nazi-Soviet) pact• What military technique did Germany use to invade

Poland?• Blitzkrieg• What happened to Poland?• Quick defeat – divided between Germany and USSR• What was the name of the line of French defenses

against Germany?• Maginot Line

WWII

• What countries were taken by Germany in the following 6 months?

• Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, France• What happened at Dunkirk?• British soldiers were rescued from coast of France• What was the only remaining allied country left in

Europe by 1940?• Great Britain• What was the name of the German Air Force?• Luftwaffe• What was the name of the British Air Force?• Royal Air Force (RAF)

WWII

• Why was the Battle of Britain significant?• It was Hitler’s first defeat, stopped German advance• Who was the Prime Minister of GB?• Winston Churchill• How long was London bombed by Germany?• Approximately one year• Who was commander of German forces in North

Africa?• Erwin Rommel• What was he known as?• Desert Fox

WWII

• What was America’s position when WWII began?• Neutrality• What did Roosevelt (FDR) do as the Japanese expanded?• Moved the Pacific fleet to Hawaii• Why did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor?• The US threatened their expansion• What further angered Japan?• The US embargo on Japanese oil• On what date did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?• December 7, 1941• Why was this important (as well as a mistake for Japan)?• The US entered the war

WWII

• What was the key “turning point” battle in Egypt?• El Alamein• When did Hitler invade the Soviet Union?• 1941• What was the name of this invasion?• Operation Barbarossa• What was the key “turning point” battle in the

USSR?• Battle of Stalingrad• Why was this important?• It stopped Hitler’s advance into the Soviet Union

WWII

• What did “D-Day” refer to?• The allied invasion of western Europe through

France• On what date did this occur?• June 6, 1944• What was it officially known as?• Operation Overlord• Why was this event significant?• It opened a western front against Germany as the

Soviet Union moved in from the east

WWII

• What was the Battle of the Bulge?• Hitler’s last major offensive against the allies• Why was it important?• It was the costliest battle fought by the US Army• When was V-E Day?• May 8, 1945• What key island was taken by the Japanese forcing

American troops to withdraw?• Philippines• What US commander said “I shall return?”• Douglas MacArthur

WWII

• What was the name of the forced march of US and Filipino soldiers into the jungle?

• Bataan Death March• For what two reasons was the battle of Coral Sea

important?• First aircraft carrier battle• Stopped invasion of Australia• At what battle was the famous photo of US soldiers

taken as they raised the flag on Mt. Suribachi?• Iwo Jima• What were kamikazes?• Japanese suicide pilots

WWII

• At what Pacific battle did the US destroy 3 of 4 Japanese battleships?

• Midway• What was the Manhattan Project?• Plan and design of the atom bomb• Who led this program?• Robert Oppenheimer• Where was the bomb first tested?• Los Alamos, NM• Who became President after the death of FDR?• Harry Truman

WWII

• What was the main reason for using a nuclear weapon on Japan?

• US losses would be too high with a traditional invasion of Japan

• What was the site of the first atom bomb?• Hiroshima• On what date?• August 6, 1945• What was the site of the second atom bomb?• Nagasaki• On what date?• August 9, 1945

WWII

• Where did the Japanese surrender?• Aboard the USS Missouri• On what date?• September 2, 1945• How long did WWII last?• 6 years and 1 day• Where were many Japanese Americans held

during WWII?• Internment camps on the west coast

WWII

• What conference was held during the war where it was agreed to divide Germany into 4 zones of occupation?• Yalta (Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt)• At what meeting did Truman let Stalin know about

the atom bomb?• Potsdam• What were the US plans for Germany and Japan?• Demilitarization – reduce the military• Democratization – set up democratic

governments

HOLOCAUST

• What is genocide?• The elimination of an entire group of people• What did this event become known as in

Germany?• The Holocaust• The Germans referred to this as:• The Final Solution• When were the Nuremberg Laws passed?• 1935

HOLOCAUST

• What were the Nuremburg Laws?• Laws that gradually stripped Jews of their rights• What are some examples of these laws?• Lost citizenship, jobs, businesses, removed from

schools, J on passport, Sarah and Israel as middle names

• What was Kristallnacht?• Jewish shops were destroyed (Night of Broken Glass)• What was the name of Germany’s first

concentration camp?• Dachau

HOLOCAUST

• What are political prisoners?• People jailed due to political beliefs• What were ghettos?• Areas within the city where Jews were forced to

live• What was the Wannsee Conference?• The meeting where the final decision to eliminate

all the Jews was held• What were some of the death camps?• Auschwitz, Sobibor, Chelmo, Madjanek

HOLOCAUST

• What was the name of the mobile death squads in the USSR?• Einsatzgruppen• Why was Sobibor important?• A successful escape took place• Where did the largest Jewish uprising take place?• Warsaw ghetto, Poland• What chemical was used to kill people in the

camps?• Zyklon B (pesticide)

HOLOCAUST

• Who was Joseph Mengele?• Infamous doctor of Auschwitz• Approximately how many Jews were killed in the

Holocaust?• 6 million• Approximately how many people (total) died in

Germany’s camps?• 11 million

HOLOCAUST

• What were the Nuremberg Trials?• Trial of Nazi war criminals