Quick Review Flashcards - Click to flip and test your knowledge!
Question
According to the text, what was the underlying 'spirit' of the Treaty of Versailles?
Answer
It was based on the spirit of revenge against Germany.
Question
Why was Germany divided into two parts under the Treaty of Versailles?
Answer
It was divided for the benefit of Poland.
Question
How did the Treaty of Versailles affect Germany's military status?
Answer
Her military power was significantly reduced.
Question
What was the primary goal of Mussolini's foreign policy in Italy?
Answer
He wanted to revive the glory of the Old Roman empire.
Question
When did Italy join the Anti-Comintern Pact?
Answer
Italy joined the pact in 1937.
Question
Which country did Italy attack to demonstrate its imperialistic designs?
Answer
Italy attacked Abyssinia.
Question
How did Hitler respond to the military clauses of the Treaty of Versailles?
Answer
He flouted the clauses and declared re-armament.
Question
Which country did Hitler annex and dismember in 1938?
Answer
Hitler dismembered erstwhile Czechoslovakia.
Question
Term: Appeasement
Answer
Definition: The policy of conciliating an aggressive power at the expense of another country to maintain peace.
Question
Why did Britain and France initially follow a policy of appeasement towards Germany?
Answer
They believed Germany had real grievances due to the humiliating terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Question
What ideological threat did Britain and France hope Hitler would check through re-armament?
Answer
They wanted to check the rising tide of Communism and Russian Bolshevism.
Question
What was Japan's primary ambition in the Far East after the First World War?
Answer
Japan was determined to dominate the Far East.
Question
In 1931, where did Japan intervene to set up a puppet government?
Answer
Japan intervened in Manchuria.
Question
In 1933, Japan joined the _____-Rome-Tokyo Axis.
Answer
Berlin
Question
Why did Britain and France avoid declaring sanctions against Japan's invasion of China?
Answer
They thought the Japanese could be used to weaken China.
Question
What was the major reason for the early weakness of the League of Nations?
Answer
The USA did not join the League.
Question
Which country seized part of Lithuania in 1920 without interference from the League of Nations?
Answer
Poland seized a part of Lithuania.
Question
Why were member states of the League of Nations unwilling to apply economic sanctions against aggressors?
Answer
They were reluctant because the sanctions affected their own economies as well.
Question
What event is considered the 'Immediate Cause' of the Second World War?
Answer
Hitler's invasion of Poland in September 1939.
Question
Why did Germany specifically want to regain the Port of Danzig?
Answer
To regain lost territories and reconnect the two parts of Germany divided by the Treaty of Versailles.
Question
On what date did the USA join the Second World War?
Answer
The USA joined the war on December 8, 1941.
Question
Term: Kamikaze
Answer
Definition: A Japanese special force of suicide air corps who crashed explosive-laden planes into American ships.
Question
Where was the first atomic bomb detonated for testing in July 1945?
Answer
It was detonated in the desert near Alamogordo, New Mexico.
Question
On which Japanese city was the first atomic bomb dropped on August 6, 1945?
Answer
Hiroshima.
Question
On which Japanese city was the second atomic bomb dropped on August 9, 1945?
Answer
Nagasaki.
Question
When did Japan formally surrender, marking the end of the Second World War?
Answer
September 2, 1945.
Question
On which vessel was the Japanese surrender document signed?
Answer
The USS Missouri.
Question
Approximately how many people perished during the Second World War?
Answer
Over 50 million people.
Question
Which country suffered the highest human loss in WWII, estimated at 20 million people?
Answer
The Soviet Union.
Question
Which three nations primarily composed the 'Axis Powers'?
Answer
Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Question
What happened to Germany's administration immediately after its defeat in WWII?
Answer
It was divided into zones, each under the army of one of the Allied Powers.
Question
What was the official name of West Germany?
Answer
The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG).
Question
Which three Allied powers administered West Germany (FRG)?
Answer
The UK, France, and the USA.
Question
What was the official name of East Germany?
Answer
The German Democratic Republic (GDR).
Question
Under whose influence did the German Democratic Republic (GDR) fall?
Answer
The Soviet Union.
Question
What was the capital city of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG)?
Answer
Bonn.
Question
What status was given to Emperor Hirohito in Japan after the war?
Answer
He was left on the throne as a constitutional monarch.
Question
Which 1945 conference involved 'The Big Three' resolving to form the United Nations?
Answer
The Yalta Conference.
Question
Who were 'The Big Three' leaders at the Yalta Conference in February 1945?
Answer
Roosevelt (USA), Churchill (Britain), and Stalin (USSR).
Question
On what date was the United Nations Organisation officially established?
Answer
October 24, 1945.
Question
Term: Cold War
Answer
Definition: A state of extreme political tension and ideological hatred between countries without actual armed conflict.
Question
Who first used the term 'Cold War' in the sense of an indirect conflict?
Answer
Bernard Baruch.
Question
The Western bloc, led by the USA, followed the political ideology of _____.
Answer
Liberal democracy based on Capitalism
Question
The Eastern bloc, led by the USSR, followed the political ideology of _____.
Answer
Communism based on Marxist theory
Question
How did the Soviet bloc view Western-style democracy?
Answer
They considered it a farce, meant only for the rich and upper middle class.
Question
By 1948, which region saw the establishment of governments allegiant to Moscow?
Answer
Eastern Europe (e.g., Poland, Hungary, Romania).
Question
What does the acronym NATO stand for?
Answer
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
Question
In which year was NATO created?
Answer
1949.
Question
What is the main objective of NATO?
Answer
To defend the peace, security, and independence of countries on the Atlantic coast.
Question
According to the NATO treaty, an attack against one member is considered _____.
Answer
An attack against them all.
Question
What was the Soviet Union's response to West Germany joining NATO?
Answer
The formation of the Warsaw Pact.
Question
When was the Warsaw Pact formally signed?
Answer
May 14, 1955.
Question
What was the formal name of the Warsaw Pact?
Answer
Warsaw Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.
Question
In what year was the Warsaw Pact declared non-existent?
Answer
1991.
Question
Which country withdrew from the Warsaw Pact in 1968?
Answer
Albania.
Question
Term: Blitzkrieg
Answer
Definition: A method of warfare conducted by Germany with great speed and force, meaning 'lightning war'.
Question
What happened to Japan's acquired territories after its defeat in WWII?
Answer
All lands acquired or seized by Japan since 1895 were taken away.
Question
Why did the USA drop atomic bombs on Japan according to the text's section on consequences?
Answer
Because Japan refused to surrender after the Potsdam Conference.
Question
Who was the Prime Minister of Britain during the Yalta Conference?
Answer
Winston Churchill.
Question
Who was the Premier of the USSR during the Yalta Conference?
Answer
Joseph Stalin.