All Flashcards
What is 'Appeasement'?
A diplomatic policy of making concessions to an aggressive power to avoid conflict.
Define 'Blitzkrieg'.
A German military tactic involving rapid, coordinated attacks using tanks, planes, and infantry.
What was the 'Anschluss'?
The annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938.
What is 'Island Hopping'?
A US military strategy in the Pacific War involving capturing key islands to advance towards Japan.
Define 'Reparations' (in context of Treaty of Versailles).
Payments imposed on Germany after WWI to cover war damages, crippling its economy.
What was the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact?
A non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939.
What was the Weimar Republic?
The German government between 1919 and 1933, characterized by political instability and economic woes.
What is meant by 'Remilitarization'?
The act of rebuilding military forces in a region or country, specifically referring to Hitler's actions in the Rhineland.
What was the League of Nations?
An international organization founded after World War I to promote peace and cooperation, but was ultimately ineffective in preventing WWII.
What is meant by 'Economic Sanctions'?
Trade restrictions imposed by one or more countries on another to force a change in policy, as used by the US against Japan.
What were the causes and effects of the Treaty of Versailles?
Causes: End of WWI. Effects: Economic hardship in Germany, territorial losses, resentment, rise of extremism.
What were the causes and effects of the policy of appeasement?
Causes: Desire to avoid war. Effects: Hitler's increased aggression, remilitarization, annexation of Austria.
What were the causes and effects of the German invasion of Poland?
Causes: Hitler's expansionist goals. Effects: Declarations of war by Britain and France, start of WWII.
What were the causes and effects of the attack on Pearl Harbor?
Causes: US economic sanctions on Japan. Effects: US entry into WWII, war against Japan.
What were the causes and effects of the Battle of Stalingrad?
Causes: German invasion of the USSR. Effects: Turning point on the Eastern Front, devastating defeat for Germany.
What were the causes and effects of D-Day?
Causes: Allied planning and resources. Effects: Beginning of the liberation of Western Europe, pressure on Germany.
What were the causes and effects of the atomic bombings of Japan?
Causes: Desire to end the war quickly. Effects: Japanese surrender, end of WWII, debate over the morality of using such weapons.
What were the causes and effects of the rise of Fascism?
Causes: Economic hardship, political instability, resentment from WWI. Effects: Authoritarian regimes, aggressive expansion, WWII.
What were the causes and effects of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact?
Causes: Stalin and Hitler's territorial ambitions and desire to avoid immediate conflict. Effects: Paved the way for the invasion of Poland, shocked the world.
What were the causes and effects of the Meiji Restoration?
Causes: Desire to modernize and avoid Western colonization. Effects: Rapid industrialization, military buildup, expansionist policies.
When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
- It imposed harsh terms on Germany, contributing to resentment and instability.
When did Germany invade Poland?
- This event triggered declarations of war from Britain and France, starting WWII.
When was the Battle of Britain?
- The UK successfully defended against German air attacks, a crucial turning point.
When was Pearl Harbor attacked?
December 7, 1941. This event brought the US into WWII.
When was the Battle of Stalingrad?
1942-1943. A major turning point on the Eastern Front, with Soviet forces defeating the Germans.
When was D-Day?
June 6, 1944. The Allied landing in Normandy marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe.
When were Atomic Bombs dropped on Japan?
August 6 and 9, 1945. The US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender.
When did Germany surrender (V-E Day)?
May 8, 1945. Marks the end of WWII in Europe.
When was the Invasion of Italy?
- Allied forces landed in Sicily, leading to the downfall of Mussolini.
When did Germany invade the USSR?
- This opened the Eastern Front, a brutal and decisive theater of WWII.