ww2 Flashcards
(16 cards)
What were the main terms of the Treaty of Versailles that angered Germany?
Germany had to accept blame for WWI, pay £6.6 billion in reparations, give up most of their armed forces.
Germany felt that their country was being ruined.
How did Hitler gain power?
Hitler became leader of the Nazis, wanted lebensraum, aimed to overturn the Treaty of Versailles, believed in Aryan superiority. He rose to power due to:
* ‘Mein Kampf’ being a bestseller
* Propaganda promising ‘bread and work’
* Intimidation during the 1932 election.
What were some causes of World War II?
Causes include:
* The Treaty of Versailles
* The Great Depression
* Hitler’s rise to power
* German rearmament
* Reoccupation of the Rhineland
* Anschluss with Austria
* The Sudeten Crisis
* Invasion of Czechoslovakia
* Invasion of Poland.
What was the policy of appeasement in the 1930s?
Britain and France allowed Hitler to violate the Versailles Treaty, culminating in the Munich Conference where they conceded to German demands.
British PM Neville Chamberlain declared ‘peace in our time’.
Why did many Germans support the Nazis?
Support stemmed from:
* Fear of the police state and Gestapo
* Indoctrination through propaganda
* Improvements in living standards with jobs and leisure schemes.
How did the start of WWII impact policy towards Jews?
The Nazis restricted rights of Jews and created ghettos where Jews were:
* Held captive
* Deprived of food
* Forced to work
* Banned from celebrating their religion.
What was the Warsaw Uprising?
Jews rose up against the Nazis to prevent deportation to camps.
They resisted by educating children, praying, and smuggling items.
What was the Nazis’ ‘Final Solution’?
The ‘Final Solution’ was the plan to deport Jews to death camps, agreed at the Wannsee Conference in 1941.
It involved mass deportation and extermination, leading to approximately 6 million Jewish deaths.
How were Jews killed in death camps?
Most often killed using gas chambers, but many also died from starvation and disease.
Who was responsible for the Holocaust?
Thousands were involved, including train drivers, typists, census workers, Nazi politicians, camp leaders, and Hitler himself.
Why did the Holocaust end by 1945?
Soviet forces pushed Germany out of the East and D-Day landings pushed them out of the West. Camps were liberated by Allied forces, revealing the atrocities.
What were the Nuremberg Trials?
Trials held between 1945-1949 where leading Nazis were found guilty of crimes against peace and humanity.
Fill in the blank: The Nazis used _______ to convince people to support their regime.
[propaganda]
What happened to many prisoners after liberation?
Many died due to poor conditions and extreme malnutrition.
True or False: The Nazis allowed Jews to celebrate their religion in ghettos.
False
Fill in the blank: The Nazis aimed to provide _______ and _______ to improve living standards.
[jobs], [leisure schemes]
