Dictators & Totalitarianism
A leader who holds total political power and does not allow opposition is a ______.
What is a dictator?
Hitler rebuilt Germany’s military, violating the ______ of Versailles.
What is the Treaty? (Treaty of Versailles)
Japan expanded partly because it lacked natural ______ like oil, iron, coal, and rubber
What are resources?
World War II officially began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.
What is Germany invaded Poland?
The three main Axis powers were
What are Germany, Italy, and Japan?
A system where the state tries to control politics, the economy, education, media, and even beliefs is ______.
What is totalitarianism?
In 1936, German troops marched into a demilitarized region called the ______.
What is the Rhineland?
In 1931, Japan invaded ______ (a region in northeastern China).
What is Manchuria?
Germany’s rapid attack strategy was called ______, meaning “lightning war.”
What is blitzkrieg?
The major Allied countries included Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and later______
What is the United States?
In Germany, Adolf Hitler used propaganda and fear to silence opposition and control society. Name ONE tool he used.
What is propaganda, secret police, concentration camps, arrests, or control of media/schools?
In 1938, Germany united with ______ in an event called the Anschluss.
What is Austria?
In 1937, Japan launched a full-scale invasion of ______.
What is China?
Blitzkrieg depended on speed, surprise, and coordination of tanks, airplanes, and ______ troops.
What is infantry?
Britain and France declared war after Germany invaded Poland in ______.
What is 1939?
Italy was led by Benito Mussolini, who created a ______ dictatorship focused on obedience, nationalism, and military strength.
What is fascist?
Britain and France tried to avoid war by giving in to demands; this policy was called ______.
What is appeasement?
The League of Nations condemned Japan’s actions, but no serious military action was taken, showing international organizations were ______.
What is weak (unwilling to enforce rules)?
Poland was attacked from two directions because the ______ Union invaded from the east under a secret agreement.
What is the Soviet Union?
The Soviet Union first signed a non-aggression pact with Germany in 1939, but joined the Allies after Germany invaded it in ______.
What is 1941?
Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union through fear, propaganda, and strict control. Name ONE characteristic of totalitarian governments shared across countries.
What is propaganda, surveillance, secret police, police state, censorship, or suppression of rights/opposition?
At the Munich Conference, leaders agreed to give Hitler the ______, but he later took the rest of Czechoslovakia.
What is the Sudetenland?
After U.S. oil sanctions, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941 to weaken the U.S. navy
What is Pearl Harbor?
Why did blitzkrieg work early in the war? Give TWO reasons.
What is many countries expected trench-style WWI fighting, speed caused confusion, communication/railroads targeted, defenses were bypassed/surrounded, enemies couldn’t mobilize fast enough?
The U.S. tried to stay neutral at first, but entered WWII after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in ______ 1941.
What is December?