WWI
What was trench warfare?
A type of land combat where opposing armies dig extensive systems of trenches for defense, offering protection from small arms and artillery but leading to static, deadly stalemates, famously seen on the Western Front in World War I.
Who was the leader who led the October Revolution?
Vladimir Lenin
Why did many countries in Europe end up with dictators after WWI?
When circumstances get bad enough, people are more willing to listen to anyone who promises to fix things, offers quick solutions, or a better future for people.
Most countries that gained independence after WWI started off as democracies, but things did not always work out and many times inexperienced leaders used their power also for their own benefit.
Where did the Japanese attack, which led to the war in the Pacific?
Pearl Harbor in Hawaii
Why is it called the Cold War?
The U.S. and the Soviet Union never engaged in direct, large-scale "hot" warfare against each other, but instead fought indirectly through political maneuvering, economic pressure, propaganda, espionage, an arms race, and supporting opposing sides in regional conflicts.
What was the name of the peace settlement that followed WWI?
Treaty of Versailles
What does it mean to be a totalitarian state?
Having a government that controls almost all aspects of people's lives, different opinions are not allowed.
Name three dictators and their countries that rose up in European countries after WWI.
Mussolini - Italy
Hitler - Germany
Franco - Spain
How did WWII start?
Hitler built up German armed forces and took over Austria and Czechoslovakia
September 1, 1939 Hitler invaded Poland - this invasion marks the start of WWII
Two days later, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany
What were the separate military alliance organizations for the US and the Soviet Union?
USA & western nations: NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 1949
Soviet Union and eastern countries: Warsaw Pact, 1955
Explain how World War I began.
June 1914 Archduke Ferdinand (to-be next ruler) of Austria-Hungary was assassinated in Bosnia by a Serbian nationalist (group), who believed that Bosnia should belong to Serbia.
This led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia
Russia was allied to Serbia, so it declared war on Austria-Hungary
Germany was allied to Austria-Hungary, so it declared war on Russia and also on France. On its way to war with the French army, Germany invaded Belgium.
Because of this, Britain declares war on Germany.
Japan had an alliance with Britain and joined that side.
The Ottoman empire joined Germany and its allies…
During the 1930s, Stalin set about purging Russia of anyone whom he considered a threat or disloyal. All political opposition and criticism were crushed.
purge = get rid of or remove completely
Explain the Holocaust.
The systematic mass murder of the Jews during WWII that was organized by Adolf Hitler
Which two Japanese cities were bombed by the US?
Hiroshima
Nagasaki
How did the Cold War affect the Korean War?
USA and USSR decided to divide the country into two parts along the 38th parallel according to the occupied areas. Both sides fought to prevent Korea from turning into a democratic government or a communist government.
Which countries were part of the Central Powers and Allied Forces? (name at least 4 on each side)
Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria
Allied Forces: Great Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, Belgium, Japan, Italy
What are the characteristics of the Soviet Union government? (name two)
highly centralized economy and government - all decisions were made by the central government, not locally
a single-party state governed by the Communist Party and its leader
Destruction of Jewish property
Prevention of Jews from holding state offices and going to universities
Which countries were part of the Axis powers and the Allies? (name at least three for each)
Axis powers: Germany, Italy, Japan
the Allies: Great Britain, France, Soviet Union (summer 1941 onwards), United States (December 1941 onwards), Commonwealth countries: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India
Explain the Space Race and the specific achievements for each side.
The Space Race was a competition between the US and the USSR about who invented what first in technological advances.
USSR: launched Sputnik (first satellite), launched another satellite with a dog passenger called Laika, Yuri Gagarin orbited the earth in a rocket
USA: created NASA, US spaceship Apollo 11 and its crew landed on the moon
What were the four underlying causes of war? Explain each of them.
1. Imperialism
2. Nationalism
3. Militarism
4. Alliances
What were the five ideals of the Bolsheviks when they were setting up a communist state?
1. Peace
2. Communist economy
3. Communist laws
4. Communist propaganda
5. Dictatorship
What were the ideologies held by the Nazis? (name at least 4)
1. Racial doctrine
2. Anti-semitism
3. Living space from the east
4. Greater Germany
5. Anti-communism
6. Totalitarianism
Explain the Marshall Plan and the two reasons behind its establishment.
America decided to help countries in Europe rebuild by giving money to them because America wanted:
1) Economic stability and growth
2) To prevent the spread of communism
Define "espionage" and the different intelligence setups by the US and the USSR.
Espionage = spying; both sides wanted to find out what the other side had invented by secret service agents
The US had the CIA
The Soviet Union had the KGB