Unit 7: The World at War & The Cold War and European Recovery| 1

The World at War (Chapter 31)
SECTION 1
1). In 1936 the Spanish Civil War broke out. Both Britain and France wanted to the democratic (republicans) to defeat the nationalists (fascists); however, Britain refused to actively assist the republicans; and France was in the middle of an election when the crisis broke out so the French couldn’t respond effectively. Why exactly was it that the French couldn’t effectively respond to the crisis in Spain during a change in France’s government (critical thinking)?

2). In 1936 Germany marched into the Rhineland in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles. The Rhineland was supposed to be a de-militarized zone to ensure France’s security against any future threat from Germany. Neither Britain nor France opposed Hitler. Why (p.693)?

3). What were the benefits and drawbacks of Britain’s use of appeasement with Germany (critical thinking)?

Identify: Francisco Franco (p.692), Rome-Berlin Axis (p.692), Anschluss (p.692), Neville Chamberlain (p.693), appeasement (p.693), pacifism (p.693), Nazi-Soviet Pact (p.694).

SECTION 2
1).What was the outcome of the Battle of Britain (p.696)?

2). How did the Nazis exploit the resources of occupied Europe (p.697)?

3). What slowed Hitler’s attack on the Soviet Union (p.697)?

Identify: “phony war” (p.695), Winston Churchill (p.696), blitzkrieg (p.695).

SECTION 3
1).What was the initial United States policy towards the war (p.698)?
2). Why did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor (p.699)?

3). Why do you think Japan, a small island nation, was able to seize a huge empire in Asia (critical thinking)?

Identify: Lend-Lease Act (p.698), Pearl Harbor (p.699), Douglas MacArthur (p.700), Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere (p.700).

SECTION 4
1).Describe one turning point in the war in a). North Africa, b).Europe and c) the Pacific.

2). For the first two and half years of the war, the Axis enjoyed almost uninterrupted success. Eventually things turned around for the Allies. In your opinion, what was likely the single greatest turning point for the Allies during World War II (critical thinking)? Explain.

3). Why was the Suez Canal so important to the British during World War II (p.702)?

4). Put yourself in President Truman’s position in July 1945. American military leaders are urging you to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. What factors do you consider as you decide whether or not to use the atomic bomb (critical thinking)?

Identify: Erwin Rommel (p.702), Bernard Montgomery (p.702), Normandy Invasion (D-Day)(p.703), Dwight Eisenhower (p.703), Battle of the Coral Sea (p.703), Battle of Midway (p.704), Hiroshima (p.706).

SECTION 5
1).What did Hitler mean by the phrase “final solution to the Jewish question” (p.708)?

2). Describe one political issue that emerged at the end of the war (p.709)?

3). Were the Allies justified in holding war crimes trials? Why or why not (critical thinking)?

Identify: Holocaust (p.708).

Holocaust: the systematic murder of Jews carried out by the Nazis.

  1. Aggression by Italy and Germany led to the outbreak of World War II. At first Germany and Italy met little resistance from the democratic nations, who followed a policy of appeasement. But when Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, Britain and France declared war, and World War II began.
  2. The German army controlled most of Western Europe by the end of June 1940. However its efforts to defeat Britain through air attacks failed. In June 1941, the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, driving deep into Soviet territory.
  1. By May 1942, Japan had conquered a large part of East Asia and the Pacific. The United States had entered World War II after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.
  2. Beginning in 1942, the Allies began to advance against the Axis powers. Three years later they inflicted final defeat on the Axis. The Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944 led to the final defeat of Germany. In the Pacific, the war ended when the United States dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities.
  3. World War II, the costliest conflict in history, had important aftereffects. Much of Europe and Japan lay in ruins. And the horrors of the Holocaust were revealed. The war left Europe divided between East and West.

The Cold War and European Recovery(Chapter 32)
SECTION 1
1). Why was the relationship between the Soviets and Americans so warm during the early stages of World War II but so cool by war’s end in 1945 (critical thinking)?

2). Why did Stalin believe so strongly that the Soviet Union needed “friendly governments” in Eastern Europe (critical thinking)?

3). Whatmeaningful differences exist, if any, between the post-World War II and pre-World War I alliances and alliance systems?

4). For what purpose was the United Nations established in 1945 (p.719)?

5). How did the Cold War limit the effectiveness of the United Nations (p.719)?

Identify: cold war (p.713), denazification (p.715), containment (p.716), Harry S. Truman (p.716), Truman Doctrine (p.716), Marshall Plan (p.716), NATO (p.717), Warsaw Pact (p.718).

SECTION 2
1).In this section, you read about how well or how poorly countries recovered in the post-World War II era. Based on this information which country recovered the best and which country struggled the most to recover (critical thinking)?

2). Why was the Fifth Republic of France more successful than the Fourth (critical thinking)?

Identify: welfare state (p.721), Charles de Gaulle (p.721), British Commonwealth (p.722), European Economic Community (p.).

SECTION3
1).Describe one way in which Stalin imposed totalitarian control of Soviet society (p.723)?

2). What was one result of the thaw in the cold war after Stalin’s death (p.724-725)?

3). Why might Khrushchev have decided to criticize Stalin’s “cult of personality” (critical thinking)?

Identify: Nikita Khrushchev (p.723).

SECTION4
1).Describe two ways in which the United States tried to stop Soviet expansion in the 1950s and 1960s (p.729).

2). The Cold War and China. Read pages 780 to 785. Then answer the following questions:

  1. What was the Cultural Revolution (p.782)?
  2. What role did China play during the Korean War (p.784)?
  3. Describe the relationship between China and the Soviet Union (p.785).
  4. If Mao Zedong were alive, would he be likely to approve of Deng’s reforms? Why or why not?

3). The Cold War and the Vietnam War. Starting at the bottom of page 791 read to 793. Then answer the following questions:

  1. What was the Gulf of Tonkin incident (p.792)?
  2. What is the significance of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution (p.792)?
  3. Why is the Gulf of Tonkin incident controversial (critical thinking and
  4. How many people did the Khmer Rouge kill during their “brutal reign of terror” (p.793)?

4). The Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Starting on page 805 (at the “Communist Revolution in Cuba”) read to 806. Then answer the following questions:

  1. Why did revolution break out in Cuba (p.805)?
  2. The Americans were initially receptive to Castro; however, something changed convincing them to “cool off” and resist him. What changed (critical thinking)?
  3. What was the Cuban Missile Crisis (p.806)?

Identify: Mao Zedong (p.780), Cultural Revolution (p.782), Red Guard (p.782), Deng Xiaoping (p.783), President Johnson (p.792), Khmer Rouge (p.793), Fidel Castro (p.805)

  1. A cold war between the Soviet Union and the United States developed after World War II. The Soviet Union kept control of Eastern Europe by setting up communist governments there. The United States acted to prevent further Soviet expansion in Europe and elsewhere.
  2. With the help of the Marshall Plan, Western European nations recovered rapidly from the war. Germany’s recovery was especially strong. France faced political instability, but under Charles de Gaulle conditions improved. Britain established a welfare state.
  1. In the Soviet Union, Stalin rebuilt the economy and restored totalitarian rule. Khrushchev introduced a period of relaxed controls following Stalin’s death. Khrushchev’s policy of de-Stalinization eased cold war tensions for a time.
  1. The United States enjoyed economic prosperity during much of the 1950s and 1960s. In the same period, the civil rights movement grew as black Americans and others demanded justice and equality. The United States fought the Korean War and continued to be involved in the cold war.