Unit V - WWII

Review Guide

1. What are the causes of WWII? FLAMED – Explain each cause and how it contributed to the start of WWII.

• F = Fascism • L= League of Nations• A = Appeasement• M = Militarism• E = Expansionism• D = Depression

2. What is isolationism? What finally changed the views of Americans to switch from isolationism to interventionism?

• - Idea/belief of staying out of war – after WWI, the US wants to remain out of all European conflict. Americans views switched after the bombing of Pearl Harbor – US no longer remained in isolation – wanted revenge for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor

3. What was the Treaty of Versailles? Was it a success? Explain.

• - The Treaty of Versailles was created and signed after WWI – it explained the “punishments” towards Germany for their aggression during WWI. Not a success – led to the start of WWII – why? Countries did not enforce the Treaty ex) Germany built army, invaded the Rhineland, took Austria, and invaded the Sudetenland.

4. What was the weakness with the League of Nations?

• - The US didn’t join – countries were weak in enforcing the Treaty of Versailles

5. Who made up the Axis powers? What did Italy and Germany have in common? What did Japan and Germany have in common?

• - Germany, Italy, and Japan. Italy and Germany – both weak economies post WWI, high unemployment, upset with government – led to the rise of fascist leaders. Japan and Germany – both wanted to expand – aggression, both had militaristic/totalitarian leaders – military controls nation

6. What was the root of Japanese aggression? Where did they invade first? Why?

• - Need for natural resources = to fuel industrial revolution. Need for land = booming population, not enough room in Japan, need to expand for population growth.

• - Manchuria = because weak government, close to Japan, wanted resources and land for population

7. One of Hitler’s goals was to create an Aryan race. What was the largest group of people that Hitler targeted and persecuted? What was a Jewish ghetto? What was a

concentration camp?

7. Answer

• - Targeted the Jewish population for the problems in Germany post WWII. Jewish ghetto = Hitler’s initial gathering of Jewish citizens. Jews were forced to live in certain areas surrounded by barbed wire. Couldn’t leave – if attempted, would be killed. Concentration camp – created to force Jews and others of the non-Aryan race to slave labor. People were starved, abused, later in the war, created gas chambers where prisoners were gassed.

8. Explain why each of the following were major turning points in the war:

• a. Battle of Stalingrad = Victory for the soviets – prevented the Germans from advancing further into the USSR – the Soviets were able to turn the Germans back towards Germany.

8. Explain why each of the following were major turning points in the war:

• b. Battle of Midway = First major victory for the US in the Pacific Front. Used the strategy of Island Hopping to gain lands closer and closer to Japan.

8. Explain why each of the following were major turning points in the war:

• c. D-Day (Invasion of Normandy) = Operation Overlord = the Allies organized an invasion in Northern France to push the Germans out of the European Front – huge victory for the Allies. This began the German retreat back to Berlin.

9. What was the US strategy in the Pacific Front? Explain.

• - Island Hopping – the US would “hop” from island to island gaining control. Battles were long and high casualties. Slow process because of the Japanese willing to fight until death

10. What was the main justification for Truman to drop the Atomic Bomb?

• - That island hopping would result in more US casualties – by dropping the bomb, more US lives would be saved, and it would guarantee an unconditional surrender by the Japanese.

11. What were the similarities and differences between Hitler and Stalin?

• - Both were totalitarian leaders, both wanted to spread their ideal form of governments (fascism and communism respectively), both purged political parties that presented competition in their countries. Differences = fascism VS communism, some private property vs no private property, individual above the state vs state above the individual, value elitism vs equality

12. Describe the relations between Stalin and the Allies. Why did he not get along with Churchill? Why did he not get along with Roosevelt?

Truman didn’t want Stalin to have a say in Japan after war. Why?

12. Answer

• - Stalin resented Churchill and Roosevelt because he wanted them to open a western front while he was battling the Germans in the east. Churchill and Roosevelt didn’t open western front until 1944.

• - Truman didn’t want Stalin to have a say in forming a government in Japan after the war – didn’t want communism to spread to Japan – the US begins its containment policy (not letting communism spread)

13. Who was present at the Yalta Conference? What was the outcome of the Yalta Conference?

• - Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt.• - Divided Germany to be under the control of

the Allies – GB, FR, and US controlled Western Germany as well as West Berlin, the USSR controlled eastern Germany as well as East Berlin.

• “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”– Winston Churchill

• -Churchill was determined to not give into Hitler and the Nazis – fight until the British are successful in bringing down the Nazis.

• “I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”– Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, upon learning of the

success of the attack on Pearl Harbor

• That the attack on Pearl Harbor will now force the United States to attack Japan. The United States will not stop until they seek revenge for the attack by the Japanese.

Country Number of Soldiers on D-Day

Percentage

United States 95,000 34%

Great Britain 60,000 21%

Canada 20,000 7%

Germany 105,000 38%

15. Answering the following questions in relation to the graph below:A. What country had the most troops in Normandy on D-

Day?Germany

B. What percentage of the troops at D-Day were Allied troops? 62%

C. Why did the Allied commanders think it was necessary to attack with such a large number of soldiers?

– the Germans were awaited their attack – a large number of Germanys awaited their arrival along the northern coast of France